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| Actors Ryu Seung-ryong, left, and Kim Hie-won in a scene from the film, "Perhaps Love" / Courtesy of NEW |
By Kwak Yeon-soo
After the massive success of the film, "Extreme Job" (2019), actor Ryu Seung-ryong is aiming for another hit with the romantic comedy film, "Perhaps Love," which follows six different people as they deal with their lives and complex relationships to each other.
Ryu's other film, "Life is Beautiful," was supposed to premiere in December of last year, but was delayed indefinitely.
Among the characters explored is Hyun (Ryu), a best-selling author who is going through a seven-year slump preparing for his next book. He attempts to reboot his stalled career by co-writing one with aspiring novelist, Yu-jin (Moo Jin-seong).
Hyun's personal life is also chaotic. His ex-wife, Mi-ae (Oh Na-ra), falls for his close friend, Soon-mo (Kim Hie-won), and his cranky teenage son, Sung-kyung (Sung Yu-bin), gets on his nerves. Meanwhile, Sung-kyung develops an unlikely friendship with his neighbor, Jung-won (Lee You-young).
"This was my first time acting with Kim, but we had superb onscreen chemistry. I've always wanted to work with Oh, so it was really wonderful finally to get to work together," Ryu said during the online press conference for the film, Tuesday.
Kim, who has frequently appeared as a villain in films including, "The Man from Nowhere" (2010) and "The Golden Holiday" (2020), said that he decided to join the project because there is a love triangle in it.
"I've always wanted to star in a romantic drama, but never had the chance. I liked the fact that my character gets involved in a romantic relationship. The script was really fun to read," he said.
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| Director Cho Eun-ji, center, poses with the cast of "Perhaps Love" during the online press conference for the film, Tuesday. Courtesy of NEW |
Actress Oh, known for her roles in tvN's "My Mister" and JTBC's "Sky Castle," said that she felt the script was very well-written.
"Improvisation or ad-libbing was unnecessary because the original lines were hilarious. Because our director is also an actor, there was a shared understanding between her and the cast. The conversations we had sparked creative ideas," she said.
Rookie actor Moo, who joined the cast through an audition, shared how nervous he was while filming "Perhaps Love."
"I put a lot of pressure on myself because this was my first big screen debut. I changed my messenger profile picture to Ryu's face in order to ease my anxiety. That actually helped me act more naturally in scenes with him. Ryu also helped me out a lot by telling me, 'Just relax,'" he said.
The film is directed by Cho Eun-ji, an actress who has starred in films such as Jung Byung-gil's "The Villainess." On making her feature directorial debut, Cho said that she felt terrified but also excited.
"The whole process was fun and exciting. I received a lot of help from the actors, who had a visceral understanding of the script and showed outstanding performances. I'm thrilled to bring the story to life and to showcase it to the audience," she said.
On the difference between being an actor and a director, Cho said that being a filmmaker requires the ability to see the bigger picture.
"As an actor, I simply thought about how my character will be portrayed inside the film. As a director, I focused on exploring good narratives and storytelling," she said.
"Perhaps Love" will hit local theaters in November.
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