

Director: Kim Ki Duk
Cast: Ha Jung-woo, Park Ji-Yeon, Sung Hyun-Ah

Synopsis
A highly insecure and irritable woman feels that plastic surgery is the only way to sustain her boyfriend's interest in her, and stay by her. Hence, without telling him, she disappears for a period of 6 months in order to appear as a new person ... The story gets interesting when the boyfriend also decides to go for plastic surgery ... why?! and how will all these end?

My thoughts ...

There are 3 things I like about the film ...

(i) It does raise important issues concerning INSECURITY and IDENTITY. What exactly maketh a person?! What exactly do we like about people we love?! ... In a way, he also evokes questions about LONELINESS and LOVE ... And because plastic surgery is surging in popularity, say in Korea or other parts of the World, the film also critique the SOCIETY at large and its SUPERFICIALITY ...

(ii) A gripping way of presenting the story 
... the opening scene and a later scene presents you with the realism of what happens in the operating room (with the intention to deter one from plastic surgery) ...
... in terms of moving the plot, the director is great at generating "question marks". the audience are kept wondering whether every "unknown" woman who subsequently appears is indeed the girl after the plastic surgery ... these sets of questions are repeated as the audience wonder again whether every "unknown" man who subsequently appears is the guy after going through the knife ...
... and throughout, one cannot help but wonder how the director intends to end the story ...

(iii) few people mention, but i really like some of the sculptures that appear in the film ... WOW ... 
e.g., the hands
e.g., the sun tan
etc
There are a few others ...

also, there are a few scenes that look "cinematic" ...
e.g., every scene with the hands sculpture ...
e.g., the winter scene
e.g., in the beginning, the doors of the plastic surgery clinic ...

If anything could be better, these are my 3 minor complaints ...

(i) If we were to scrutinize the film very deeply, it may stretch slightly in terms of its credibility ... not that it is impossible, but at times, a bit strained and stretched ...

(ii) Not that we advocate it ... and i believe we do understand the director's concern over plastic surgery ... but the film seems to take a very one sided and harsh stand on plastic surgery (esp. after you have finished watching the film) ... to the extent of being "preachy" ... I would have prefered a film that better portrays the dilemma of the phenomenon and practice ...

(iii) frankly, i do not like the ending ... at times, i do suspect the director may have grappled with how to end the film and does not exactly know how else to end it ... but this is just my humble opinion ... do tell me if you like the ending ...

Conclusion
Recommended, with its pros and cons.

PS: do tell me if you like the ending ...