Korean psychological thriller looks at beauty and dangerous obsession
BEAUTIFUL (A-LEUM-DAB-DA) (Juhn Jai-hong, 2008)
Tribeca Cinemas
54 Varick St. at Laight St.
Tuesday, February 9, 7:00
Admission: free; reservations accepted at info@koreanculture.org or 212-759-9550
www.subwaycinema.com
www.tribecacinemas.com
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Juhn Jai-hong’s 2008 debut feature, BEAUTIFUL, based on an unfinished script by Kim Ki-duk, is a harrowing psychological tale of dangerous obsession. Cha Soo-yeon stars as Kim Eun-young, a beautiful woman who wants to live a normal life but is constantly harassed by teenage girls who want her autograph, refusing to believe she is not a celebrity, and men who are uncontrollably drawn to her because of her perfect face and body. When one of her many secret admirers attacks her in her apartment, she soon decides to try extreme methods to change her appearance as she begins a slow descent into madness. At first, a local detective (Choi Myeong-soo) seeks to protect her, but he becomes obsessed with her as well, leading to a violent, dramatic conclusion. BEAUTIFUL goes from the ridiculous to the sublime and back again as Kim proclaims her desire to live despite the horrible things that are happening to her, with Junh alternating between the lurid and the exploitative to the poignant and heartbreaking, in some ways a mix of executive producer Kim Ki-Duk’s TIME and BAD GUY. The film is being screened as part of Korean Movie Night presented at Tribeca Cinemas by the Korean Cultural Service; the series continues on February 23 with BREATHLESS, a film written, directed by, and starring Yang Ik-june, followed by three films in March and April (every other Tuesday) that are all being remade in America.