Too Beautiful To Lie

Cast:
Kim Ha Neul as Joo Young Ju
Kang Dong Won as Choi Hee Chul


A woman on parole is set to visit her marrying sister when she met a man who is about to propose to his city chick girlfriend. Both of them are on the train. The woman was sleeping when the man’s engagement ring (inherited from his late mother) accidentally fell under the woman’s legs. The woman mistaken the man as a pervert so the latter started explaining to her what happened and he inevitably told stories to prove that he is not that kind of person. The woman eventually saw a pickpocket steal the man’s ring so she, as an expert in fraud took back the ring from the thief. Being too busy and pleased with her act, she left her bag in the train. She is now on her way to YongKang (the man’s hometown), to return the ring and retrieve her bag (which has her present for her sister’s wedding). Upon her arrival, she met a series of fortunate events that helped her on her way to the man’s home and eventually to the man’s heart.





Kim Ha Neul played the role of Joo Young Ju, the aforementioned woman whose parole was immediately approved after her moving story in front of the authority. In this particular movie, she is as likable as her previous roles in movies such as My Tutor Friend and Almost Love (both with actor, Kwon Sang Woo). She is a very simple but quite talented actress. Although her roles may seem to be a bit plain for her to be renowned in the acting race, she makes sure that her acting is perfectly fit for her role, the movie and its audience. Kang Dong Won who played the role of Choi Hee Chul, the man who lost his ring for his girlfriend provided most of the humor evident in the film. He is just adorable on screen that first time viewers of his acting will easily fall for his charisma and realistic gestures.



I like the different take on lying in this drama. Although not really highlighted, some lies stem from the truth. Human beings plunge into lying because of being too truthful. The role of Joo Young Ju proved that she has no intentions of lying but because of her true intentions about the people around her, the truth was exaggerated into the boundary of lies. Even when she was interrogated and evaluated for her plead to be on parole, she used all the truth that she can think of at the time when she needed to lie. She mentioned her sister, the woodwork that she has been doing for her sister and even the cruel life set for her. The only loophole that I have noticed upon the interweaving of events in the drama is the failure in characterization. The audience will know that Young Ju was put into jail because of fraud. Nonetheless, it is very important to take note of the consistency in her character. Was the fraud because she was set up? Was she really guilty? Did she live a good life prior to her imprisonment? On the other, Kang Dong Won’s character failed to be given strength. If he is a good student, won’t he at least do a thorough investigation of Young Ju before deciding to be with her in the end? Why is he very afraid of his father? It seems that he is close to his family but they never really knew his whereabouts. How come they believed Young Ju instead of him? Is it even realistic to marry someone who had been in jail in our society?

These are array of questions the movie failed to answer, at least from my point of view. Yet, I will still give commendations when it comes to the movie’s attempt for a simple screenplay that can fork into significant ones. I also admire the plot likened to a jigsaw puzzle that settles everything into its place. So I must say this movie is too beautiful to be rejected, too beautiful to lie that I didn’t like it.