2006 / Kim Ki-duk > In what can arguably be called his safest work to date, Kim spews forth an uneven and somewhat marginalized social commentary on plastic surgery. Ironically, what seems to be the film’s strength is the underlying knowledge that Kim likes to surprise and taunt the viewer. Unfortunately, here he fails to meet the level of his previous successes. The characters are by nature weak, and their lack of proper judgment does little to motivate the viewer to care. By the end, the storyline remains shallow, the basic thesis remains overdone, and much of the rhetoric is too obvious for it to be impactful.