Actor Kim Byung-chul praised actress Song Ji-hyo, who plays his wife in the film "The Savior."
On the afternoon of the 22nd at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, a press screening and press conference for the film "The Savior" (director Shin Joon, presented by Studio Plum, distributed by MINE, produced by Mayday Studio and Studio Plum, co-produced by iFilm Corporation and Grida Studio) took place. Attending were the film's lead actors Kim Byung-chul, Song Ji-hyo and Kim Hee-ra, and director Shin Joon, who discussed the film.
"The Savior" is a mystery occult film in which miracles happen to Yeong-beom and Seon-hee after they move to the blessed land of Obok-ri, and they learn that all of this is the price paid for someone else's misfortune. Kim Byung-chul, praised for his roles in the drama "Goblin," "Mr. Sunshine" and "Doctor Cha," plays Yeong-beom, and Song Ji-hyo, who has steadily been loved through the variety show "Running Man," plays his wife Seon-hee. Kim Hee-ra plays Chun-seo, who lived in Obok-ri, further intensifying the mystery.
Particularly, Kim Byung-chul leads the drama as Yeong-beom. He explained, "Yeong-beom is a character who, although he actually received the miracle that his family desperately needed, doubts that miracle. After he realizes that the miracle comes at the expense of someone else's misfortune, he tries to break free from the cycle of miracle and curse," and noted, "Because he is not the direct subject of the miracle and curse, there are aspects of him reacting passively. So he couldn't actively prevent it. That person, as you'll see in the film, eventually leads to the results of a supernatural phenomenon, and how such a person changes is ultimately a metaphor for the world we live in, so I focused on how that passive person changes and tried to portray this character with that focus."
He added with a grin, "I think my appearance suits the horror genre. I haven't done many horror films, but my debut film, "R-Point," could be considered horror. I thought my appearance might fit." He continued, "The premise of equal exchange between miracle and curse was interesting. It reminded me of moments in life when I thought something was unfair, when someone else enjoys good fortune for no apparent reason while you suffer unexplained misfortune. There's no direct connection, but you feel it's unfair and wonder if there's a reason. I'm not saying I'm resentful, but it happens by chance. I felt this film and this story explore that point very well through the occult. I felt it vividly shapes the ideas I've had, and that point was attractive."
Kim Byung-chul also spoke about the couple scenes with Song Ji-hyo: "I've known about and watched her work for a long time. I thought she was a very beautiful actress. I was stunned by her looks even at our first meeting. When we actually worked together, communication was extremely good. She helped greatly in creating a smooth relationship with other staff on set. She painted Seon-hee right in front of my eyes and was a great help," he said.
In response, Song Ji-hyo laughed, "What is couple chemistry? Isn't it enough if it fits well?" and added, "I was so happy to act with my sunbae. It was surprising how natural it felt from the start, as if he were my husband. The long acquaintance and familiarity I had with him from watching him for a long time—our rapport and mutual understanding formed well from the beginning. It was wonderful."
"The Savior" opens on Nov. 5.
[Photo] OSEN reporter Park Jun-hyung.
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