Actor Kang Ha-neul once again offers a reliable comedy with First Ride, reuniting with the director of 30 Days.
On the 22nd, at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, a press screening and press conference for the film First Ride were held. Attending were lead actors Kang Ha-neul, Kim Young-kwang, Kang Young-seok, Han Sun-hwa and director Nam Dae-joong, who discussed the film.
First Ride is a comedy about 24-year friends who are funnier when they get together — Taejeong (Kang Ha-neul), the one who sees things through; Dojin (Kim Young-kwang), the cheerful one; Yeonmin (Cha Eun-woo), the handsome one; Geumbok (Kang Young-seok), the one who sleeps with his eyes open; and Oksim (Han Sun-hwa), the lovable one — as they embark on their first trip abroad.
Astro member and actor Cha Eun-woo starred as a lead in the film. However, since Cha Eun-woo is currently serving in the military, his absence was felt. The actors still offered greetings on his behalf. First, Kang Ha-neul said, "We know how hard you're working, but we'll promote the film well. Should you come on leave to watch it? I hope people look forward to the film; it seems as fun as we hoped, so see you later."
Kim Young-kwang laughed, "It's a shame we can't promote it together; I miss him so much and I hope we meet soon." Kang Young-seok added, "We'll see you soon — jealous, right? Your 100-day leave should be coming up, so please come out then and watch it; contact us, please." Han Sun-hwa said, "The film came out really well. You also did so well. I will miss you," as a greeting. Director Nam Dae-joong said, "I wish we could have watched the film together; it's a shame he couldn't because of fulfilling his defense duties. If he comes on leave, I hope he pays to watch it if he has to," he added.
Kang Ha-neul again dons a school uniform to act in First Ride, showcasing his signature youth comedies like Midnight Runners and Twenty. Kang Ha-neul laughed, "If real high school students wearing school uniforms had appeared in this film, it would have felt out of place, but since only the three of us are in the frame, it's easier to overlook. Still, I don't think they're actual students. Even I felt we were well past the age to wear school uniforms when watching," he said with a laugh.
He also said, "There was a slight intention: I can't speak for other actors' roles, but for Taejeong, when he wears a teenager's school uniform he has makeup, while in the reality of his 30s he appears without makeup. If that was intentional, then it was intentional. Back then my skin was better than now, so I had makeup; now I wanted to convey a more worn look, so I went without makeup to create distinction," he said.
Moreover, Kang Ha-neul said about reuniting with Nam Dae-joong, director of 30 Days, "For all of us sitting here, working with the director is truly fun. In many ways it's really enjoyable. There are lots of funny moments, but I can express my opinions clearly and he accepts them accurately. Even the moments of negotiating what's right and wrong are enjoyable. I feel the fun when communication works well, and it was so enjoyable. Working with the director always brings pleasure; while the script has power, that might be Nam Dae-joong's greatest strength. So when I heard we would meet again, my expectations were high. I was curious about what would be funny this time," he said.
Nam Dae-joong said, "Working with actor Kang Ha-neul is always enjoyable. I mentioned briefly in another interview that Kang Ha-neul is, in my view, the actor who expresses my writing and directing more deliciously than I imagined. So I proposed the scenario again this time, and I'm very grateful that Kang Ha-neul willingly accepted out of our old relationship and joined."
He continued, "Specifically, the part I paid attention to in directing was that rather than deciding that comedy must be directed in a certain way or must be funny in a certain way, I wanted the actors' actual close 'real-friend chemistry' to come through, so I tried to create that environment on set. The part I needed to focus on was choosing the funnier option among fun and more fun; I played the role with that discerning eye. Among the works I've done so far, I can confidently say this project felt the best. Rather than being good or bad, it felt like the staff and actors discussed and made the film together, and that feeling of making a film together — I felt that the most in this work," he said.
Nam Dae-joong also said about presenting another comedy after The Great Wish, The Last Princess, and 30 Days, "I have always made comedies. First Ride was actually a film I wrote and planned before 30 Days. At that time, because COVID was rampant and overseas shooting became difficult, the order changed and it came out after 30 Days. Even now I'm moved to present it to audiences."
He added, "The phrase 'next time' appears in the film's dialogue, and we didn't want to always talk about an uncertain 'next time' but hoped people would enjoy the present life in a joyful, fun way. Broadly speaking, including family and lovers, the intention when I began writing the script was to encourage living present life joyfully and enjoyably."
He went on, "This overlaps with directorial intent: I did not designate Han Sun-hwa's character in this film as girlfriend or boyfriend. I wanted to show equally foolish people and the same 'real-friend' chemistry, so I wanted to present them together without special treatment for being female or male. For that reason, we unified the marketing point by using 'nom' (guy). On set I hoped these friends would actually become close," he said.
Director Nam Dae-joong also spoke about Cha Eun-woo's narration: "Because of the military situation, we had to record earlier, but we didn't record in advance; we finished shooting and showed a rough cut. While filming with the friends and seniors, Cha Eun-woo also filmed playfully as an older brother and younger brother, so he could fully feel the set. After seeing the on-set edit of his filmed footage, he was asked to do the narration so he could respond to it."
Han Sun-hwa, who again challenges comedy after Pilot, said, "I was grateful to be given this script. I'm naturally a devoted-romance type, so I really empathized with Oksim. I thought Oksim was me. That made it more relatable and quicker to understand, so I wanted to express her better," she said with a laugh.
However, because the setting is Thailand, it can remind viewers of Southeast Asian criminal organizations that have recently been in the spotlight centered on Cambodia. Nam Dae-joong said, "Whether I intended it or not, it's right that audiences make all judgments. If it made people uncomfortable, I'm sorry. But it was not intentional. The script was written before 30 Days, so rather than being modified, it was the original script. Judgments about current incidents are for the audience to make when they watch, so I don't think it's appropriate for me to make excuses or defend it," he said cautiously.
Finally, Han Sun-hwa said, "After watching the film, everyone has a childhood, school years and social life with many relationships, and I thought there would be points in our film that anyone could relate to. I wanted to share that empathy with the audience. My mother, father and many mothers and fathers all had childhoods, and growing friends watching this film may feel a lot, so I wanted to tell them about my impressions after watching. For that, rather than just watching with family, I thought many people would be curious and want to see it together," she added.
First Ride opens on the 29th.
[Photo] OSEN reporter Min Kyung-hoon.
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