Actors team up for slapstick movie 'Start-Up'

The cast members of the new comedy “Start-Up” ― Park Jung-min, from left, Yum Jung-ah, Choi Sung-eun, Yoon Kyung-ho and Jung Hae-in ― pose for pictures during a press conference in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

By Lee Gyu-lee

The new comedy film “Start-Up” is set to hit theaters, with creators hoping that it will encourage viewers to start the new year feeling refreshed.

“I wanted the film to send the message that you can always go back to 'start-up' (your life),” director Choi Jeong-yeol said during a press conference for the film, Tuesday, in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. Lead actor Ma Dong-seok, also known as Don Lee, was unable to attend the conference as he was filming for the upcoming Marvel superhero flick “Eternals.”

The comedy film revolves around rebellious teenager Taek-il (Park Jung-min) and his best friend Sang-pil (Jung Hae-in) who turns to the private loan business for quick money.

After an argument with his mother, Jung-hye (Yum Jung-ah), over his decision to drop out of high school, he decides to leave home and gets a delivery job at a Chinese restaurant where he encounters a strange, mysterious cook named Geo-seok (Ma).

Park said he tried to portray his rebellious teenage character in a positive light. “I did my best to eliminate the negative images that are associated with aimless teenage, and tried to show the lovable side of them,” he said.

In complete contrast to the elite, wealthy mother figure she played in 2018 hit drama “Sky Castle,” actress Yum takes the role of a former volleyball player who has a hard time expressing love for her son. The strong-headed son and the mother struggle to communicate effectively and it only seem to worsen their relationship.

“When I was reading the script, the scene where Taek-il expresses his love to his mother emotionally touched me. And as I have, those who are good sons and daughters only with their words or minds would relate to the story,” he said.

Based on Jo Geum-san's webcomics of the same name, “Start-Up” follows Taek-il as he tries to figure out what to do after he runs away. Despite knowing he doesn't want to go home, he has no real idea what he wants to do. As he spends his days with mysterious chef Geo-seok and other people at the restaurant, he learns the responsibility and reality of becoming an adult.

The director said he intended to explore what it means for a person to have a “suitable job.”

“In the film, there are characters who can't seem to find a suitable job and those who believed they found the right job which turns out is not working out for them,” he said. “I wasn't trying to give people advice to 'find a job that suits you,' but rather I wanted to tell them that whatever they choose to do, 'it will be okay.'”

A scene from the comedy “Start-Up” showing the cat-and-dog relationship between Taek-il and Geo-seok. The duo performs slapstick comedy throughout the film. Courtesy of NEW

The film grabbed the moviegoers' attention when its poster was released, showing an image of Ma Dong-seok with long hair down to his shoulders. Usually known for his macho roles and bulky muscles, Ma, who earned the nickname “Mavely,” a combination of his surname Ma and lovely, for his past performances in other films, performs an adorable character who always carries around a bag of his favorite chips.

“When I saw Ma in the wig during our dress rehearsal, I instantly felt confident in our film,” said actor Yoon Kyung-ho whose character Dong-hwa drags Sang-pil into a money lending business.

Actor Park expressed how grateful he was to work closely with Ma. “When Ma walked on set, I couldn't help but feel relieved and I relied on him. I could just trust him and follow his lead in front of the camera,” he said.

Park's character continuously gets slapped by Ma's for his reckless, discourteous behavior, in a pair of slapstick comedy performances.

Jung added that this film provided him with a positive and warm energy. “I think people's flaws can be fixed through other people. And in that sense, the film showed such energy. So I wanted to take part in it,” he said.

“Start-Up” is set to hit local theaters on Dec. 18.