Hanna is a lip sync vocalist for Ammy, the famous Korean pop singer. Though Hanna is always ignored due to her appearance, she has always been a bright and happy girl until Ammy humiliated her in front of Sang-jun, the one she secretly admired. Finally, she made a life-changing decision: to have a major cosmetic surgery. With this move, will her unrequited love be returned?
What I loved most: everything, especially how the main actress talent
What I really hated: nothing whatsoever, i loved this movie from begining to end
As I said, I believe this movie to be one of the most interesting...no interesting is not a strong enough term to qualify the amazedness of this movie. I think I should qualify this movie as glorious--no really, this movie is the awesomest movie ever, I mean after the movie ended I was like wooow, now that's how movies should be. To be precise I rewatched the movie...hmm...I don't know, maybe five times? The only reason why I am not saying this movie is the best korean movie is because I think it is on the same level as "Seducing Mr. perfect". The story was so touching especially how much a sweet girl Hana was and how her heart was broken by that little punk of a producer. To be frank I do not think he deserved her in anyway. If I had any complaints about this movie it would be the fact that that undeserving, worthless, unkind nasty little....God I don't like him. So I was saying that she should have dumped that guy in the trash and found herself a better man. Oh well. Life is not always fair. I liked the fact that she was a fighter and she did not give up completly when she was heartbroken. I loved the way the actress portrayed Hana and how she could relate to her. One of the best things about the movie was how the singing was actually sang by the actress and not just a hired singer. This movie had just the right amount of humor to not ruin the effet of the main character's sad story. I believe all the actors did a formidable job at portraying their characters. The story of the ugly duckling becoming the beautiful swan was a complete and utter success.
"200 Pounds Beauty" is an orthodox tale about the pursuit for perfection as told from Hanna's (Kim Ah-joong) perspective. Hanna is a vibrant, kind-hearted - albeit clumsy and over-weight - professional lip-sync singer often drowned by the shadows of untalented but gorgeous female singers. She exudes the voice of an angel, making ends meet as a part-time 'call service' operator for lonely and sexually deprived men who are quickly intoxicated with the sound of her angelic voice.
Hanna has everything going against her but her zest for life never floundered until the pressure for romance begins to mount. She is overshadowed by the waif-thin and sexy Ammy, whom she lip-syncs for during concerts and as time passes by, Hanna begins to long for the spotlight as well as the attention of Ammy's handsome producer, Sang-jun.
The film is indeed a heart-warming tale as Hanna is pressured to win her love, look after her aging father, maintain her friendship with the only friend she has as well as claiming her deserving place in the spotlight. Sang-jun sheds special attention unto Hanna but his true intentions never surfaced until Hanna overhears a conversation between Sang-jun and Ammy that pushed her to the brink of desperation.
She then opts for the most radical solution to her problems possible - a head-to-toe plastic surgery operation that will change her entire look. She disappears for a year without a trace to dedicate herself to becoming beautiful, leaving behind her loved ones as well as a trail of dissatisfied people who are frantically looking for her to complete Ammy's album.
After a year, Hanna re-appears with a captivating new look that's fit for a star. She then assumes the name Jenny and passes off as a Korean-American singer whose main stratagem is her supposedly 'all-natural' beauty and innocence.
Hanna's journey from fat to flat is a humane one. Although the 'fat' costume looked rather dubious and disproportionate, a woman could certainly comprehend Hanna's retort over her despondency. It all boils down to a person's consuming vanity and the unrelenting pursuit for ageless beauty. The moral is resounding, if not obsolete, and there has certainly been an influx of generic films over tired subjects such as this one.
Hanna walks out of the hospital feeling very literally a hundred pounds lighter. Her reaction to her new facade was enough to turn on the waterworks, for it was something we hold close to our hearts - the innate urge for acceptance and love.
The film contains a sense of simplicity that made it a good watch and the story was quirky enough to keep you from stomping off in complete irritation. Hanna's transition was immediately acknowledged from strangers on the streets, and for the first time ever, a man tells her just how beautiful she is and actually means it.
Although pettily enjoying her new good looks, she unwillingly lands herself in a pit of lies that caused her to argue with her only friend and ignore her poor old father who came to visit her. Jenny quickly took over where Hanna left off but with fresh new doors of opportunity at her disposal, including a budding romance with the suave Sang-jun that she has always dreamed of. But of course, fame is followed by jealousy and things take a turn when Ammy finds out that Jenny is really Hanna herself and threatens to expose her.
"200 Pounds Beauty" is an underdog film that potently pulls on your heartstrings. An innocuous show that's more appropriately viewed on a hot, sunny Saturday afternoon than be wasted during prime time.
