South Korean Awarded Movie "200 Pounds Beauty" - A Review

The South Korean film '"200 Pounds Beauty"' has been very successful since its release in 2006. With catchy songs and a good script, it's worth a watch! Still, after more than a decade, many love re-watching it for the great script, perfect direction and ample renowned star casts. The storyline is completely different than what other movies hold. It is interesting and equipped with entertainments. It carries a message that we all have the right to look beautiful.

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Let's not hide the facts: most people who walk the red carpet have had cosmetic procedures done on them, whether they admit it or not. After all, the need to look beautiful triumphs over talent, any day.

And with that knowledge, begins Han-na's journey into a world of stardom and online casinos - with an extreme (and I do mean extreme) makeover that turns the fat and ugly singer into a svelte and sexy performer.

The Beginning...

"200 Pounds Beauty" is a 2006 South Korean comedy that is based on the Japanese manga Kanna-San, Daiseikou Desu by Yumiko Suzuki. It tells the story of Han-na, a singer who sings secretly for Ammy, a beautiful yet untalented performer. Hilariously, Han-na is also an employee of a company that offers phone sex.

Han-na is everything one does not wish to be - ugly, fat, ungraceful, completely lacking in self-confidence, and unloved by the man she loves. After overhearing herself being talked of in less-than-flattering terms by Ammy and Sang-joon, the director of the music company and also Han-na's crush, she decides on a drastic solution: head-to-toe plastic surgery. Probably it is the turning point in the script and the director has nicely filmed thereafter. Well, there are some twists while the movie proceeds. Han-na becomes Jenny and finds a new career.

Given the amount of changes she wishes, it comes as no surprise when the plastic surgeon she approaches refuses to do the surgery, but he agrees when Han-na expressionlessly reveals that she is the one he constantly calls up for phone sex, and launches into a speech about how she wants the surgery for nobler reasons than just beauty.

With the surgery, Han-na transforms into "Jenny", who soon lands a job as a singer for the same music company that Han-na worked for after pretending that she is an "all-natural" beauty.

As a new beauty-convert, Han-na soon realizes that her newfound attractiveness gets her other benefits as well, a free car and a free ticket out of jail for instance, without even having to bat an eyelid. "Jenny's" evident happiness at her new self is guaranteed to draw a few laughs, especially her realization that she can wear anything she wants to, and her very amusing observation that she not only looks pretty, but cries pretty as well.  

Complications Arise

Well, things are not good always. Luck rarely favors forever. Life is full of happy and sad moments. The same is with Han-na or Jenny. The renewed life is short lived and the impact of artificial personality takes a negative turn gradually.

The comedy takes a more serious turn later in the film, though. "Jenny" and Sang-joon grow closer, and Sang-joon soon finds out the truth about "Jenny". Around the same time, Ammy, bitter at being usurped by "Jenny", finds out her secret as well. Unlike Sang-joon, who keeps his knowledge to himself, Ammy tries to reveal this secret to everyone, only to have "Jenny" deny it.

Others soon find out the truth and the company's boss tries to cancel her concert. However, Sang-joon insists that she go ahead with it. During the concert, "Jenny" finds herself overwhelmed, especially after she saw her mentally-disabled father, whom she had previously denied knowing, getting dragged away from the stage by the security guards.

"Jenny" then reveals the truth about herself to the audience, and Sang-joon plays a video of the old Han-na singing. The crowd responds by chanting "It's okay", in perhaps the most moving moment in the film.

The film ends with Han-na abandoning the "Jenny" persona, although retaining the looks. She becomes a successful music artist, but also gains many detractors who dislike her for not being "all-natural".

Songs

One of more popular songs of the film is "Maria", an adaptation of the Blondie song of the same name. The "200 Pounds Beauty" version was sung by the lead actress, Kim Ah-joong, and features Korean lyrics. Another memorable song is "Beautiful Girl", also sung by Kim Ah-joong. The song is meaningful and perfectly picturized in the movie. It is worth watching.

Concluding Remarks

With a brilliantly funny script and catchy songs, there is no reason for anyone not to watch this. However, people who are looking for a comedy may not be entirely satisfied with it since the second half of the movie gets rather heavy.

The beauty of film is that it manages to examine the acceptability of plastic surgery in the entertainment industry without actually making it a serious film throughout. Even in the heavier second half, there are places where viewers can get a laugh, although those moments are few and sparse. Nevertheless, the film has the ability to draw you in with its storyline, which makes up for the lack of laughs.

"200 Pounds Beauty" was a commercial success, having been made with a $4 million budget but earning $45 million. In the Grand Bell Awards, which is Korea's equivalent of the Academy Awards, it won for Best Actress and Best Cinematography, and was nominated for Best Director and Best Film as well.

It is a must-watch movie for all the age group based on a powerful script and excellent direction, backed by renowned star casts.

"200 Pounds Beauty" further details

Star Casts - Kim Ah-joong, Joo Jin-mo, Sung Dong-il, Kim Hyun-sook, Im Hyun-sik, Lee Han-wi
Director - Kim Yong-hwa
Writer - Kim Yong-hwa & Noh Hye-yeong
Distributor - Showbox
Running time - 120 minutes
Release date - December 14, 2006
Budget    - US$4 million
Box office - US$42 million