| A scene from the film, 'Life is Beautiful' / Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment |
By Kwak Yeon-soo
“Life is Beautiful,” which promises laughter and tears, is a jukebox musical film featuring Korean songs from the 1970s to 2000s.
Director Choi Kook-hee said he picked out the best retro songs from artists including Shin Joong-hyun, Choi Ho-seob, Lee Seung-chul, Lee Juck and Toy that dominated the eras from the 1970s to early 2000s. Some of the iconic songs featured in the film are Lee Moon-sae's “Unpredictable Life” and “The Cult of Solo,” as well as Lim Byung-soo's “Ice Cream Love.”
“We tried to select songs that can propel the arc of characters and convey a heightened sense of emotions,” he said during a press conference for the film, Tuesday. “The script first reminded me of my mother. Anyone who has a mother or a family will be able to relate to the story.”
The comedy-drama film follows Se-yeon (Yum Jung-ah), who is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Her dying wish is to reconnect with her first love, so she asks her husband, Jin-bong (Ryu Seung-ryong), to help her locate him.
Jin-bong reluctantly agrees to accompany her, and the couple soon embark on a journey across the country, visiting cities like Mokpo, Busan and Bogil Island located in South Jeolla Province.
Actress Park Se-wan portrays the younger version of Se-yeon while singer-actor Ong Seong-wu stars as Se-yeon's first love in the flashback subplot.
The actors practiced their singing parts and choreography for almost a year ahead of the filming, according to director Choi.
| From left, actors Park Se-wan, Yum Jung-ah, Ryu Seung-ryong and director Choi Kook-hee pose during a press conference for the film, 'Life is Beautiful,' in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment |
Describing “Life is Beautiful” as a film that reminds people of the value of small things in life, Ryu said the cast focused on conveying the character arc through the songs.
“We didn't want the songs to disrupt the storyline. We recorded songs in the studio and played them back on set for us to lip sync to. However, it was more challenging than I thought,” he said.
Yum said it was her dream to star in a musical film. “Both singing and dancing were difficult. The recording process was also hard,” she said.
Ryu said he was happy to star alongside Yum, whom he greatly admired. “We clicked immediately because we are both married and have kids. She was friendly from the moment we met, calling me 'oppa,'” he said.
Yum said she has always wanted to work together with Ryu. “I've watched Ryu's 'Extreme Job' a couple of times, and every time I was impressed by his comedy acting,” she said.
Park, who plays the role of the younger Se-yeon, said she tried to mimic Yum by frequently staring at her photos. “I didn't adopt Yum's gestures or habits. I just looked up Yum's pictures and tried to mimic her smile,” she said.
“Life is Beautiful” will hit local theaters, Sept. 28.