A Girl at My Door

There seems to be a lack of empathy in many ways. At first, I had high expectations because it was a film directed by Lee Chang-dong, but it felt slightly different from his films such as Mint Candy and Oasis. It looks like a kind of absurd play, it looks like a picaresque, and in many ways it makes you feel mysterious. To put it simply, I want to say that it is not a film that is easy to empathize with.

South Korean film 'A girl at my door' depicts the terrible neglect of a girl child.Before making this film,director July Jung stated that she had no intention whatsoever to talk about social issues like a little girl exposed to violence or the society that lets it happen.The film is able to have profound impact on viewers due to two minor subplots which include racism as well as lesbianism.One gets to see how a drunk father who is also a racist,ill treats his workers.There are hardly any Indians in Korean films.A girl at my door is the first Korean film which talks about the plight of illegal workers from India who have come to South Korea to earn a livelihood.Although there are many false accusations leveled against the police chief but she does not hesitate to help the abused girl.There is no value judgment about lesbianism as it is not depicted as a crime but for many police persons it is a touchy thing especially if a small girl is involved."A girl at my door" focuses on individual and private emotions of a victim and her benefactor.The director firmly believed that there are moments in this film where the audiences can really feel and share feelings of two protagonists.

This film lost its way when it addressed and highlighted the police chief's sexual orientation. Completely unnecessary when the focus of the plot, from the beginning, was a dysfunctional family, domestic violence, abuse, physical aggression inside and outside the home, neglect and abandonment of a child.

What was the writer's purpose in taking the attention away from what really mattered in the story, to focus on the intimate life of the only person who noticed, welcomed, cared and saved the girl?

I gave this film a low score precisely for that reason. It should have been a great story, if the writer hadn't made such a stupid mistake, which simply ruined the production.

This is a movie about a female police chief who comes across a young girl with an abusive home life. She does what she can to help this girl. For the most part, with the exception of a few dramatic scenes and situations, that is the movie.

The movie wasn't bad it was just really slow in my opinion. I would have liked the young girl's backstory to have had a bit more depth, a relationship could have been better understood but aside from that the story was ok. It was well acted and well shot.

It isn't a bad drama and I thought it ended well. Not a bad watch.

Very sad film depicting the brutalization of a helpless child. She desperately latches on to a new authority figure in town a policewoman (Played by the great Doona Bae) to escape her personal hell.

Sae Ron Kim gives an outstanding performance as the troubled girl. So sad because we know this kind of thing goes on all over the world. This is just a Korean version, but could have taken place anywhere.

Doona Bae won the best actress award in the "Asian Film Awards" for her performance, so if you're a fan of hers, it is a solid performance.

There were some minor sub plots, that really did not need to be in the movie, but that is only a minor criticism. I would recommend the film, but not for the faint of heart.