Top Star By Luck [EN]: Chapter 119

119.

“I’ve prepared the best movie of my career.”

Lee Min-ki’s words were soft yet firm.

The best movie.

“……!!”

That declaration, one that shouldn’t be made lightly, sent a ripple of shock through the reporters in the screening room.

Why?

‘He’s saying that?’

Because it broke the unspoken tradition of what a press screening should be.

There was an unspoken rule when it came to press screenings.

That was to limit information as much as possible.

‘They’re usually careful not to create any preconceived notions about the film.’

Of course.

Why else would they hold a screening?

To have their hard work evaluated by others.

After receiving feedback, even if it was negative, they would need to make some edits in post-production.

Therefore, raising expectations for the screening was a big no-no.

Artificially raising expectations could cloud judgment when watching the movie.

‘Aren’t they afraid of receiving a low evaluation?’

It was like a fine dining restaurant chef avoiding cigarettes.

There were also superstitions, though not worth remembering.

‘Usually, the more confident the production team is, the more likely it is to flop.’

Either they were extremely confident, or they were bluffing.

Of course.

In Lee Min-ki’s case, it was mostly superstition.

‘Let’s bet against it.’

Since betting against the odds led to the [Treatment Challenge] becoming a hit, he wanted to try it again.

“I am confident in the quality of the film.”

It was a win-win situation.

Of course, it wasn’t a solo act; he had Hwang Ui-sung’s approval as well.

[The result is good. Feel free to handle the comments as you see fit.]

Some might hear those words and think of this nuance.

[Want to buy it? Go ahead. I won’t stop you. We can just cut Siwon’s tutoring.]

But Director Hwang Ui-sung was sincere.

He was also someone who had absolute confidence in his work.

“I will refrain from discussing the specific details of this project.”

Even as the reporters were in a state of minor shock, Lee Min-ki’s mouth kept moving.

“I hope you enjoy it fully with your own eyes and ears. I don’t know if it will be the best movie, but I am confident that it is the best I could do.”

The reporters chuckled at his words, which were as humble as a rich young master.

It was too late to say that now.

The first words were provocative, so what good would it do to offer medicine afterward?

The reporters’ eyes were already ablaze.

He said it was the best work of his career, so they would evaluate it based on that standard.

‘Actor Lee Min-ki, he’s quite unique.’

He had a knack for breaking common sense.

Hong Yu-ju, the reporter from [Star Magazine] who interviewed Lee Min-ki for the first time, smiled wryly.

She was the reporter who once threw water on Lee Min-ki.

She had been following Lee Min-ki and gradually building her career, and now she had grown to a level where she could attend major screenings like this one alone.

All thanks to Lee Min-ki, whom she had initially scouted, quickly growing in popularity.

‘Still, there must be a reason why the actor is saying such things, right?’
Hong Yu-ju tried to interpret Lee Min-ki’s actions in a positive light.

“What Actor Lee Min-ki said is true.”

Director Hwang Ui-sung, who had approached him like a shadow, opened his mouth with an expressionless face.

“I don’t have much to say. If you have eyes and ears, you’ll know.”

Hong Yu-ju exclaimed at his short words.

‘Wow, that director is picking a fight.’

Was he saying that anyone who criticized his movie was blind and deaf?

He was always getting criticized in the entertainment reporters’ chat room, so there was a reason for it.

‘Poor Lee Min-ki.’

How difficult must it have been to work under a director who spoke like that even at a press screening where he had to be mindful of the media?

Hong Yu-ju looked at Lee Min-ki with pity.

Of course, the person in question didn’t think much of it.

‘As expected of our director, he’s full of confidence.’

Lee Min-ki had become too Hwang Ui-sung-ized in recent months.

* * *

“Then, we will begin the screening shortly.”

After Lee Min-ki, Director Hwang Ui-sung, and the rest of the production team left, a heavy silence filled the screening room.

‘They were playing together.’

‘Cocky for a rookie actor.’

‘Let’s see how well they did.’

‘Looking for flaws, just flaws.’

That was the general sentiment.

The favorable gazes towards Lee Min-ki had soured.

Perhaps it was a reaction to him being known as a considerate celebrity.

Conversely.

‘Are they really that confident?’

There were also people who knew Lee Min-ki and had higher expectations.

Hong Yu-ju, Jerry, Ju Hana, Yoo Seon-ah, Kim Tak, Kim Ah-sung (trainer), and other related personnel.

They didn’t have official press credentials, but they came thanks to Lee Min-ki’s connections.

“It’s rare for Min-ki to say something like that. Did he drink today?”

“He doesn’t even touch alcohol, you know.”

“Oh? How did you know?”

“He didn’t come even when we invited him to company dinners before.”

In the meantime, some people like Ju Hana and Yoo Seon-ah had exchanged introductions.

“If you’re in the movie industry, you should have that much guts. They think reporters should always bow down.”

“Oh, I agree.”

There were also people like Jerry and Kim Ah-sung.

‘Should I try making fried milk tonight?’

There were also people like Kim Tae-yang, who didn’t care much about what Lee Min-ki did in the first place.

That was the screening room, filled with swirling emotions.

Clack!

With the sound of the lights turning off, darkness fell in an instant.

And then, a sound like a fan rotating could be heard.

[Thump!]

The movie started abruptly with a huge drumbeat.

It was Director Hwang Ui-sung’s unique style.

Skipping the introduction of the distribution company or production company at the beginning of the screening.

And a few minutes later.

Hong Yu-ju exclaimed softly.

‘Wow, did Actor Lee Min-ki always have such great proportions?’

That’s right.

Lee Min-ki’s full-body proportions looked perfect in the film.

Scenes emphasizing his small head, long legs, and broad shoulders were repeated several times.

He was already famous for his physique, but that aspect felt particularly emphasized in [Fashion & Passion].

‘Almost every scene feels like a fashion shoot.’

Why did Lee Min-ki’s proportions look so good?

As someone who knew him in person, she was even more puzzled.

Usually, you get a strong sense of someone’s presence when you see them in person, but that feeling wasn’t as emphasized in the video.

‘Why does it feel like I’m seeing him in person here? No, it feels even better than in person?’

The reason was simple.

It was because Director Hwang Ui-sung intended it.

‘He filmed it cleverly.’

A critic noticed the trick.

‘He filmed a significant number of scenes from an angle that was a head lower.’

That’s right.

In typical movies, the camera is positioned slightly above the actor’s head, but [Fashion & Passion] chose the opposite.

They skillfully utilized the position around the heart in the upper body, and when necessary, they even lowered the viewpoint to around the knees, using the camera in various ways.

[That guy looks like he could sell well as a model.]

Even in the current scene.

A scene where an agency official looks at [Lee Jong-ho] and gives him a high evaluation.

This also lowered the camera’s viewpoint.

As a result, the visual proportions improved as the gaze lowered.

Another effect was that the audience felt the work was more realistic.

But are other directors fools for not using this method?

‘This method isn’t without its drawbacks.’

No.

There was a fundamentally fatal flaw, so they deliberately didn’t use it.

The critic frowned.

‘The narrower the composition, the more you lose in terms of spatial sense and composition. The audience should normally feel that the mise-en-scène [the arrangement of scenery and stage properties in a play or film] is stuffy.’

But that wasn’t the case.

Having been watching intently from the beginning, there was no feeling of stuffiness at all.

If anything, it felt quite refreshing.

He searched the screen for a long time, trying to find the reason with his eyes.

‘Ah.’

He opened his eyes in admiration.

‘He focused it.’

That selfish composition was only used in scenes where Lee Min-ki appeared.

It was as if he was giving all the other characters a proportional risk.

Conversely, Lee Min-ki was made to look relatively better in proportion.

The overall color scheme also had the saturation raised coolly, mainly in scenes where Lee Min-ki appeared.

And one more thing.

‘Lee Min-ki keeps getting shot from a distance.’

He often pushed the camera further back.

‘He used props that were specially made to be smaller than the actual size.’

The background props were made smaller to make Lee Min-ki look taller.

Just like in model homes, they only use slightly smaller furniture to create the illusion of a larger space.

Was that the end?

Director Hwang Ui-sung’s detail didn’t end there.

‘I’m going crazy. He only cut off Lee Min-ki’s upper body.’

In several compositions, he only filmed the body, excluding the face, to eliminate any chance of the head being involved.

And one more thing.

There was also a trick that only people with knowledge of fashion could notice.

‘Did CEO Yoo Gyu-eon take charge? He’s good enough to make a living as a designer.’

Kim Ah-sung, the self-proclaimed best fashion expert at JC, chuckled.

‘He mainly dressed him in dark-colored clothes.’

Basically, the clothes were dark.

As a result, the body looked narrower horizontally and longer vertically.

‘But he used bright colors for the shoes.’

The brighter the color of the shoes compared to the other clothes, the taller you look.

‘He keeps revealing his ankles.’

Revealing your ankles makes your legs look longer.

‘He cheated with the seam lines as if the hip height was higher.’

Cheating with seam lines, wrinkles, and belts was basic.

‘The tops are mainly V-necks, the hairstyle is set up, and the material used for the clothes is arranged vertically. The layering is also vertical.’

Thorough calculations were made to make the proportions look good in every scene.

A styling that reached the realm of magic.

Even if it was just one or two things, it would be impossible to see through all these details unless you spent two hours a day on fashion communities.

‘I recognized it because it’s me, but it would be impossible for other people.’

Kim Ah-sung scoffed.

That’s right.

Kim Ah-sung was indeed someone with deep knowledge of fashion.

He just insisted on calling it [Kim Ah-sung Signature New York Street Look] while changing his hoodies, sweatpants, and shoes every day, so what could you do?

But no matter how much people around him criticized him for being shabby, his inner strength didn’t disappear.

There was always a reason why the body line looked good.

Conversely, in the eyes of general media reporters who didn’t have this knowledge.

‘Lee Min-ki had better proportions than I thought.’

‘Director Hwang Ui-sung filmed it smartly.’

‘The styling is pretty.’

‘The feeling is as good as the real thing.’

They could only understand it abstractly and vaguely.

This would apply equally to general audiences.

And as they enjoyed the two-hour Lee Min-ki fashion photo book, which generously poured out Director Hwang Ui-sung’s filming tricks and CEO Yoo Gyu-eon’s styling tricks, they reached the highlight.

[Money. If you make a lot of money, can you save people too?]

[Ha, haha, Jong-ho. If there’s something Jong-ho wants to do, your uncle will find a way.]

[Then save me too.]

When they reached the scene where Lee Jong-ho finally jumped off the roof.

“……Ah.”

The critics, who had forgotten about evaluating the movie and were immersed in it, couldn’t help but sigh.

At this point.

The thoughts in the reporters’ heads were the same.

‘I don’t know if it’s the best movie in Lee Min-ki’s career, but…….’

‘It’s definitely the best movie he’s been in.’

To summarize [Fashion & Passion] in one word, it was a movie for Lee Min-ki.

‘Lee Min-ki is the best.’