The four stars of the film "Upstairs People," Ha Jung-woo, Gong Hyo-jin, Kim Dong-wook and Lee Ha-nui, each shared their first impressions of the screenplay and behind-the-scenes stories in individual interviews.
Fashion magazine Harper's Bazaar Korea released a pictorial with Ha Jung-woo, Gong Hyo-jin, Kim Dong-wook and Lee Ha-nui, who met for Ha Jung-woo's fourth feature film "Upstairs People," which opens on Dec. 3. Through the pictorial, the four actors recreated the upstairs (Ha Jung-woo, Lee Ha-nui) and downstairs (Gong Hyo-jin, Kim Dong-wook) couples from the film and produced humorous scenes.
"Upstairs People" is a remake of the Spanish film "Sentimental" and tells the story of a night that unfolds when the upstairs and downstairs couples, who have been suffering from noise between floors every night, end up having dinner together. Regarding her first impression when she received the screenplay, Gong Hyo-jin said, "When I first saw an untouched, translation-like script, I said, 'I won't do it.' After declining several times, I became curious about how it might develop if we fleshed it out and nurtured it together. The person I know as Ha Jung-woo wouldn't force in elements to make it funny, so I believed the film wouldn't go off the rails."
Kim Dong-wook said, "The original has a quiet style with modest emotion, conflict and humor. After adaptation and the addition of Ha Jung-woo–style humor, it finally came together. Personally, I think this is the role in which I most faithfully followed the director's comments among the works I've done. I had a very strong belief that the person who could most entertainingly realize this script was director Ha Jung-woo."
Lee Ha-nui said, "In a set where everything is fixed, the only things that move organically are the four humans. I loved their words and their wonderfully bizarre, varied colors," and shared behind-the-scenes stories.
Meanwhile, Ha Jung-woo said, "Hyo-jin delivered unpredictable performances in every take, making editing difficult in postproduction. It was amazing that an actor with more than 20 years of experience could express such raw energy. The character Hyun-su, the film director Dong-wook plays, has roots in the role of Heung-cheol from the 2008 filming of "Take Off." I portrayed Hyun-su as a custom-made character who sulks, says everything he wants to say, is indifferent yet has cuteness and looseness. When Ha-nui speaks her lines, it's so funny. She delivers extremely strong lines so nonchalantly, and aside from actress Kim Hye-ja, Lee Ha-nui is the only actor who can express them so gracefully," sharing his impressions as a director of working with the three actors.
Finally, when asked what he hopes the film will leave with the audience, Ha Jung-woo replied, "Perhaps the restoration of relationships. Whether it's couples or family, living together for a long time inevitably dulls things. Through an abrupt and unrealistic situation, people see each other's bottoms and reach genuine relationships. I didn't want to end it politely or nicely. I wanted to convey that part naturally to the audience, like a scent, without exposing it. I hope they enjoy the parts filled with emotion and nuance."
Lee Ha-nui said, "Having been married, maintaining a marital relationship for a long time seems like an effort that must be stoked like a fire. In any relationship, there are times when my state completely collapses and shuts down before it recovers. This film is like a shock therapy: a bang!—an event appears in life, restores the relationship and changes it."
[Photo] Harper's Bazaar Korea
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