200-Pound Beauty

 

 

Cast:

Kim Ah Jung – Hanna Kang

 

Joo Jin Mo - Sangjun

 

Summary:

Lighthearted, witty, and bitingly funny, surprise box office hit 200 Pounds Beauty has become one of the 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 opposite Ju Jin Mo (Musa) endeared her to both male and female moviegoers alike. Even the film's 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 Ami and a popular phone sex partner, the bright and lovable Hannah Kang (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, Hannah makes a drastic decision: full-body plastic surgery. Months later, a slim and drop-dead gorgeous Hannah saunters into auditions, and easily wins over Sang Jun with her beautiful looks and voice. With her newfound beauty, Hannah 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 comedy, but one with a deceptively intelligent core.

Synopsis credits: yesasia.com

 

 

What I Think:

The fact that Sangjun already seems to like Hannah Kang even when she was still fat was already a good sign. Indeed beauty is just skin deep but it does help if you are skinny and pretty and witty and happy. ^_^

 

Kim Ah Jung is such a beautiful girl! Wow at first I look at her and she has this awesomely big mouth but she grows on you, she is pretty indeed. There were scenes, with her tall and lean body and nice hair, she can pass of as Jeon Ji Yeon's twin! She is a great singer too; she sang the songs in the movie. She is quite good in the drama department and can pass off in the comic ones too.

 

Joo Jin Moo, holy clouds, he is hella hot here! Every time I watch him act, he just steadily rises in my drool-worthy-o-meter! If he was manly and debonair in Fashion 70s, he was even more so in 200-Pound Beauty. I just love his face, it is so distinguished and so handsome. One scene where he mouthed "We will see" to Hanna Kang, holy crap I almost fell off my chair, he was so hot!

 

My fave scenes were when Sangjun kissed Hanna with his hands held up so he cant touch Jenny's fake butt and silicon breasts, and Hanna's "Beautiful Girl" moment. This movie has an awesome soundtrack too get hold of the songs! My fave is Beautiful Girl of course. My friends like "Maria" which is a Blondie original. I think I have such tremendous reaction to this movie is because this is the first k-movie I have seen that did not blast plastic surgery but embraced it, it has a different storyline.

 

Some nice scenes:

@ Joo Jin Moo mouthing "We will see.." to Kim Ah Jung as she sings Stand By me—holy crap was just darn too sexy!

@ The Ammy and Hanna going to Sungjun's birthday party wearing the same red dress..with Ammy looking fab and poor Hannah looking fat.

@ The whole surgery/transformation of Hanna

@ Hanna's jawbone almost breaking! That was hilarious!

@ The line: You broke my heart, tissue won't fix it.

@ Sangjun kissing Hanna on the lounge chair so romantic….with his hands held up, not touching her boobs or her butt was just funny!

 

*EDITED 21 AUGUST 2007 AS REQUESTED

Just LEFT CLICK on the links...

Download Maria MP3:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/z6i574

 

Download Beautiful Girl wma file:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/wbqtg9

 

 

Rating:

8 out of 10 Korean kimchis

 

 

Lyrics of Maria:

Maria

Kim Ah Joong (200 Pound Beauty OST)

Cha chigum shija-khae
chogum-sshwil ttokob-ke
uhh… turyowo-hajima

pyolchyojin nunape
cho tae-yangi ki-reul bichwo
uhh… chol-tae-momchujima

Maria ave Maria
cho hwim-kurum kkeut-kaji nara
Maria ave Maria
gochin-paddowin sang-gwa-nobshi

cha chigum shija-khae
chogum-sshwil ttokob-ke
uhh… chol-tae-momchujima

Maria ave Maria
cho hwim-kurum kkeut-kaji nara
maria ave maria
gochin-paddowin sang-gwa-nobshi

Maria

mamchwo-borin shim-jang chon-chega
koncha-bulsu-ob-shi ttwi-yo-wa

(Repeat 2x) Maria ave Maria
cho hwim-kurum kkeut-kaji nara
Maria ave Maria
chojin-paddowin sang-gwa-nobshi

Also credit: http://kreah-craze.com/list-of-korean-romanized-lyrics/

 

 

 

 

Credits; hancinema, yahoo, yesasia