200 Pounds Beauty

FACTs:
Distribution
Showbox (쇼박스)
Staff
Park Kok-ji (박곡지) Editor
Technics
120 min 35mm Panoramic (1.85)
Web site
http://www.sline2006.com/ ( Korean )
Videos- Trailer- Trailer- Music video
Festival(s) & award(s)
Sales or release dates & Box Office
Release date in South Korea : 2006/12/14
South Korea Box Office : 6,128,392 admissions ( 2007.02.11 )

Synopsis:

Hanna is a lip sync vocalist for Ami, the famous Korean pop singer. Even though she is always ignored because of her appearance, she has been a bright and lighthearted girl until Amy humiliates her in front of Sang-jun, her secret love. At last she makes a decision of a lifetime to have plastic surgery all over her body. Her unrequited love gets any return?Source http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr

Reviews (Collected from Others):

(1)The Heavy Price of Feminine Beauty

Strong images can be tempting, especially in cinematic tradition. The dilemma with commercial films is that no matter how convincingly they try to convey a meaningful message it can easily get lost within the framework of a genre or the style of a film. In "200 Pounds Beauty" it's evident that the director Kim Yong-hwa has tried hard to avoid praising the high standards of medical technology that have turned plastic surgery into something approaching an art form. His vehicle is the story of a woman who transforms her life through plastic surgery. Beauty isn't everything, the film says, but that's just the film's way of offering a cliche instead of a conclusion.Maybe it's because the film, which was based on a famous Japanese comic book, was advertised as the first commercial film made in Korea to take a position on plastic surgery. Or maybe it's because it stars Kim Ah-joong, an up-and-coming actress as the film's heroine. Either way, the first half of the film was built around anticipating the glamorous lifestyle that was bound to become the heroine's, by right, once her surgery is complete. In fact there is almost a sense of relief by the time Ha-na, the film's heroine, goes under the knife. "200 Pounds Beauty" is a story of a woman, named Ha-na (played by Kim Ah-joong) who makes a living working for a phone sex company and as a ghost singer for a top female star. In her dreams she nurses the hope that she will one day become a singer herself. Then she decides to undergo intensive plastic surgery, after overhearing a man she has a crush on gossiping about her looks. But beauty changes everything. Just like the comment made to her by a fortuneteller, who tells her "face is a matter of fate", the world is a different place after her surgery. She flips her hair and pretends to shed tears after she crashes into an angry taxi driver. Smitten, he gives her a generous smile and a sincere apology even though the accident was her fault. She attains everything she had wanted, including a new career and the man she had loved so dearly. She wonders whether she could ever go back to being the person she used to be, now that the world treats her so differently. But she is facing another barrier. Her friend tells her that men think of women who underwent plastic surgery as "monsters". Her lover shares the same feeling about beauty. Pointing at a piece of raw fish with the tip of his chopsticks, he says he prefers "natural above cultivated". The film poignantly reveals the way beauty exercises its power in our society. At the same time it shows the duality of plastic surgery; the way society constantly reminds women that beauty is attainable, yet women who go through plastic surgery are condemned, because they challenge the male fantasy of effortless, natural beauty. The film shows how women are consumed and discarded like a disposable product in a capitalist culture; a singer cannot debut without a pretty face, but even with beauty and style she will still be discarded when she is no longer popular.

(2) '200 Pounds Beauty' give laughs and warmths

Romantic comedy a 'feel-good' storyYoo Seung-gi (poppingp)Which is more important, outside appearance or inside nature, when people "choose" their lover? Could the person's sincerity be transmitted to another person, especially his or her lover? "200 Pounds Beauty" ask moviegoers such questions that are not easy to answer immediately.Kang Han-na, played by Kim Ah-joong, is a fat and unattractive girl who sings back stage for a professional singer with a pretty face but no talent. Kang is so good-natured that she does phone-sex as a part-time job in order to earn medical expenses for her mentally-handicapped father.Kang has a crush on music producer Han Sang-jun, played by Joo Jin-mo, but she fails to attract him because of her appearance. At his birthday party, Kang overhears Han tell the pretty-faced singer that Kang is just an item that is meant to be used when useful. Heartbroken after hearing this, Kang decides to undergo plastic surgery from head to toe before rising to stardom with the fake name of Jenny. In her first concert, however, Kang confesses everything, including the fact that she is not Jenny but Kang, and that she went through plastic surgery. Kang fails as Jenny, but succeeds as Kang Han-na, eventually gaining love from Han."200 Pounds Beauty" is a typical "cinderella story" with a happy ending. Against all odds, Kang wins the love of a handsome and promising prince even after Han comes to know the truth, and she becomes a popular singer. Kang has a good nature and pure heart as well as perfect appearances.While watching the movie with its obvious ending, however, I was deeply impressed with Kang's "success" story, and, especially during the concert scene, I was not able to stop bursting into tears because of my sympathy and compassion for her.Even though "200 Pounds Beauty" seems an old-fashioned movie, why was I so deeply moved after watching it? First, I think the movie has a good story, although some critics say that it is not a well-made film. Some comedy films try to excessively squeeze out laughs from viewers. However, "200 Pounds Beauty" is mainly focused on Kang's love for Han, adding some comic components into the right places at the right time. This film is a melodrama rather than a comedy, succeeding in bringing about natural and non-excessive laughs.Second, the film gives some warm feelings, showing that the whole heart from the bottom of a good-natured person could be transmitted to another person. Of course, it would be improbable in reality for an ordinary girl both to have lots of cash to go through extensive plastic surgery and to become naturally beautiful like the main actress in the film. In addition, I'm not sure that one person's sincerity can be delivered to others in most cases.While watching the film, however, I can escape from a reality into the world of warmhearted and humane friends, family, and lovers. It is always doubtful in reality whether the real world is cold, but I can for sure feel warm from the bottom of my heart in such a film that a good-natured person both wins love personally and gains fame socially. During and after watching this movie, I felt happy and "warm" from my heart.This will appear in no other news medium.

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Well, As for me... I watch this movie 3 times in the cinema.. My friends and colleagues all told me i should wait for the Dvd to buy and watch as many times as i like... But nothing beats watch on the wide screen right? Why i like this movie so much? Actually i dont really know but i just love it... i Love the positive attitude of the actress when she was fat and her voice is beautiful.... i am looking for her songs now esp those she sang in the movie....I think there is nothing wrong with plastic surgery... Who does not want to be beautiful? Sometimes when nature is not really fair, a slight minor man-made help is okie with me... but too much is overkill... I Heart Kim Ah-joong.. Haha