200 Pounds Beauty (미녀는 괴로워) (Mi-nyeo-neun Gwae-ro-wo)
Release Date : December 14, 2006
Cast:
Ah-jung Kim - Hana
Jin-mo Ju - Sang-jun
Yun Seo - Amy
Hyeon-sook Kim - Jung-Min
Yong-geon Kim
Dong-il Song
Hyeon-shik Lim - Hana’s Dad
Han-wi Lee
No-shik Park
Beom-su Lee
Won-jong Lee
Seung-su Ryu
Plot
Lighthearted, witty, and bitingly funny, surprise box office hit 200 Pounds Beauty has become one of Korea's top ten grossing films of all time and the highest grossing romantic comedy ever. Based on a Japanese comic by Suzuki Yumiko, the film revolves on a topic all too familiar in Korea: plastic surgery. Kim Ki Duk previously covered plastic surgery in Time, but director Kim Yong Hwa takes a decidedly different spin with the scalpel in the crowd-pleasing 200 Pounds Beauty. Poking fun at society's obsession with appearances and, ironically, disdain for plastic beauty, the film made an overnight star out of lead Kim Ah Jung (When Romance Meets Destiny), whose sassy, yet vulnerable performance earned her the Best Actress and Most Popular Actress trophies at the 44th Daejong Awards. Starring opposite the breakthrough newcomer as her romantic interest is Ju Jin Mo (Musa). Even the film's award-winning soundtrack has become a big hit, particularly Kim Ah Jung's rendition of Maria. Is beauty more than skin deep? Find out in Korea's newest comedy sensation 200 Pounds Beauty!
As the ghost singer for pop idol Ammy and a popular phone sex partner, the bright and lovable Kang Hanna (Kim Ah Jung) attracts everyone with her beautiful voice. But in real life, she is overlooked and made fun of because of her obesity. She secretly likes manager Sang Jun (Ju Jin Mo), but does not have the courage to tell him. When a malicious joke leaves her humiliated and heartbroken, Hanna makes a drastic decision: full-body plastic surgery. One year later, a slim and drop-dead gorgeous Hanna (now going by Jenny) saunters into auditions, and easily wins over Sang Jun with her beautiful looks and voice. With her newfound beauty, Hanna gets everything she's ever wanted, including fame and love. But what will everyone think when they discover her true identity, and the secret behind her transformation?
Director Kim Yong Hwa has a keen sense for bringing comedy out of a seemingly tragic premise, and delivering it all with resounding commercial appeal. His previous comedy Oh! Brothers was about the bonding between two estranged brothers, one of whom has a rare physical disability. This time Kim addresses a different kind of physical imperfection. In portraying a society in which looks determine status, but plastic surgery invites criticism, Kim twists a painful reality into a comical situation, letting the social commentary underlie, but never overtake the film. 200 Pounds Beauty is first and foremost a romantic comedy, but one with a deceptively intelligent core.