What Happened to Mr. Cha? –
The Siege of the Ego
Cha In-pyo is an incredibly brave actor with a tremendous sense of humor. If he weren't, What Happened to Mr. Cha? could never have been made—a film in which he plays the lead role under his own real name.
"I know very well that I could start a sudden nosedive as early as tomorrow. The sun always sets after shining at its zenith. But I am not at the peak yet; I am just climbing hard to conquer it. From the beginning, I have never for a moment forgotten that I must descend with dignity when the time comes. So, I am not afraid of it. People must fade away so that newcomers can rise."
This quote perfectly describes the film's conflict. What happened to Mr. Cha is that, having passed the peak of his success, he is now on the declining slope of his career. The source of the film’s bittersweet comedy lies in the fact that everyone else knows this except him; he simply hasn't noticed yet.
In the opening scene, we see the actor participating in a commercial photoshoot with the confidence of his professional knowledge and credibility, yet instructions fall on deaf ears—he is simply unable to function any differently than his routine dictates. However, he is always ready to lecture others, prattling on with unnecessary "wisdom." He refuses to see that he hardly receives any offers anymore because his name no longer guarantees a profit for productions, and he is only invited to variety shows out of pity. Although he hasn't lost his popularity entirely, he is stuck in the mannered repetition of his once-memorable moments.
Between harsh reality and the actor’s world of false illusions stands his unfortunate manager, Kim Ah-ram (Jo Dal-hwan), who forms the impact zone in a two-front war. On one hand, he struggles to keep Mr. Cha employed; on the other, he endures the actor's arrogant remarks and constant belittling. His role is brilliantly written: he simultaneously serves and babysits a master who is never satisfied with him, yet cannot take a single step without him.
A series of accidents occurring in comical situations leads Mr. Cha to the film's primary location. Along the way, we encounter essential representatives of Korean ajumma fans (middle-aged mothers), who are curious, aggressive, and say whatever is on their minds—no matter how blunt or ruthless the remark.
Mr. Cha is soon preening in the mirror of a girls' school shower when a gas explosion occurs. Our hero escapes unharmed but finds himself trapped under a massive pile of rubble—and stark naked, as he was just washing. His instinct for survival urges him to cry out for help, but this is immediately overruled by a much more important consideration: he cannot allow his hard-earned professional image to be destroyed by a humiliatingly ridiculous rescue. Thus, his physical situation becomes symbolic: it’s as if he is struggling in the trap of his own ego beneath the ruins of a life that has collapsed upon him.
However, he finds his phone and immediately alerts his only possible savior: his manager. From that point on, on the surface, Ah-ram struggles with the ever-watchful site supervisor, the arriving rescue squad, and the excavator that resembles a terrifying monster. No one besides him knows why he is interfering on the site. Meanwhile, from the depths, Mr. Cha continues exactly where he left off on the surface: grumbling and making demands. Ah-ram, in the meantime, deflects the lightning, speaks with production contacts and journalists, all while feeling his boss's plight and genuinely trying to save his reputation.
We see absurd, laughter-inducing situations and hear frenetic dialogue while Mr. Cha remains virtually motionless, as he cannot move. At certain points, however, the film's space expands; the problems currently worrying Mr. Cha suddenly fill the room, expanding into the universal. Literally—like planets, thoughts orbit in the space of his mind. The explosion occurs in the 24th minute of the film, and Mr. Cha’s rescue concludes in the 93rd minute. In the time between, we only see the actor lying in a hole, yet the film never becomes boring for a moment; Cha In-pyo is enough of an actor to make even this much space sufficient for our complete entertainment.
Meanwhile, it feels as if a long inventory has been written of the things that characterize and complicate an actor's life, and we are checking them off one by one. Even in his predicament, Mr. Cha must prove he has a place in the next day's show, find a solution to correct circulating fake news, endure the ruthlessly phrased opinions of viewers, mentor a young aspiring actor, bicker with his wife, and so on...
Naturally, the moment arrives when the manager loses his patience and, giving Mr. Cha a thorough piece of his mind, opens his eyes. The crisis of self is inevitable: "I wanted to do everything right. That's all. What have I become?" But no other option remains but for the actor to rise to the great performance: "Be yourself! The one who does everything with heart and soul!" says his wife's advice, which helps Mr. Cha through the humiliating moments watched by the watchful eyes of the media.
The actor’s awakening to reality is also accompanied by a symbolic loss: he can never again perform his signature iconic gesture, as the finger required for it was lost in the accident. What Happened to Mr. Cha? is a two-layered film. It speaks to fans who love stars and watch the entertainment industry, or simply to those struggling with a crisis similar to Mr. Cha's. Because one does not need to be an actor to suddenly feel that the world has passed them by and no longer has a need for them. At the same time, we see a deeply "insider" professional film with countless jabs: such as the betrayal of the young fledgling actor who immediately fawns wherever he expects a greater profit.
The jokes accessible to Koreans are extremely entertaining, and with some familiarity, we can enjoy them too. The Oldboy poster will be clear to everyone, but the question foreshadowing the film's ending also sparks laughter:
- Mr. Cha, do you know what 'rebirth' (boohwal) is?- A song by Kim Tae-won?
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