Figured may as well spend the time at the Singapore airport lounge doing something different - writing on my blog about a Korean movie! This movie has apparently broken all Korean movie records recently and got many rave reviews and nominations to some popular awards.Happened to watch it on the flight back from melbourne and liked it pretty much.
I would say while this is a pretty bold subject they've chosen, in the sense you dont get to see too many movies talking of extreme make-overs involving plastic surgery, (or drastic surgery as the in-flight mag put it) it's also true that you get hooked on due to some good acting and direction. The emotion flows well during the second half and the filmmakers have done well to say what they're out to say.
It's been an age-old debate of looking good vs. being good, appearance vs. substance, body vs. soul ..etc. The movie picks up from where Bridget Jones stopped writing and goes on to explore what happens when a girl decides she knows the way to get the guy and the job she wants. I think it's a bit drastic for a girl to decide to go for a head-to-toe makeover but in the end you do feel the sensitivity of the issue. Kim A-jung, the lead actress, has acted quite well as the girl after the makeover to expose the confusions in the girl's mind and the painful emotional journey she goes through during the story. Also, MAN... CAN SHE SING!!??
After all the talk of 'internal beauty' and 'appearances do not matter' and blah-di-blah-di-blah :) let's accept it. Girls can get insecure about appearances and they have to work out what to do with their insecurities. Also, the guys ought to really show it to them that they would love them irrespective just because of who their women are and they would never want their women to get a 'job' done to please the guys. The very thought makes me shudder.
Well i was quite frankly surprised by how the movie led itself. Not to say I think there aren't good movies made in Korea, but it's just the lack of awareness to us folks. Time to finally swim out of the holly/bolly wood shores and explore more! But where do we and how do we start? If readers know of any good leads of movies from the east, please write in!
I would recommend this movie to all, even if you don't understand Korean.
Extremely surprised to not see an IMDB entry (!!) Let me see if my review guru James Berardinelli has caught this movie yet?
Addendum: Found it with the original korean name under IMDB!
Minyeo-neun goerowo
