Dohee-ya

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.

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.

The movie is about the policewoman who is dislocated to the small S.Korean town/village after her personal problems (that caused scandal in her professional life) in Seoul.

The town, she settles in, is small; Everybody knows everyone. From the first look, the place looks peaceful with friendly, provincial locals. As she spends some time there, she spots disturbing issues that locals have not problem with. The town is so corrupt and blindsided that even the local police fails to act against it. One of such issues is with the underage girl who is under constant physical and mental abuse from the member of her own family.

So the new cop faces a challenge: do something against the crime, or not? What if doing the right means harming her image and personal life? The story further focuses on her decisions mixed with her personal struggles and problems with past relationships.

The story has plot twists and despite the slow sleep and somewhat mellow vibe, never bore you.

I gave the movie 7/10 and would call it a decent movie unlike my fellow countryman whose review I read about this movie :)

A GIRL AT MY DOOR is a slice of filmed misery lit that comes to us courtesy of South Korea. It's a typically controversial little film from that country, featuring some stand-out performances from the lead characters and a whole lot of bad stuff going on. As is usual for this country's film-making, there's a professional slickness to the production, a real feeling of quality to it, that makes it watchable despite the grimness of the subject matter.

The film reminded me a little of BREATHLESS except this time around it's a little girl who's getting regularly beaten by her father. Incidentally, the girl is played by the cute kid from THE MAN FROM NOWHERE, looking remarkably grown up. The film chronicles her relationship with flawed cop Doona Bae, who must be playing the most damaged and miserable character of her lengthy career. What follows is dark but humanised, with some nice and touching moments in the mix. The ending has some very controversial and unappetising moments that appear to have alienated some reviewers on this site, but it does end in a strong way. A GIRL AT MY DOOR isn't an easy watch, but then nobody said it was going to be.

A film about a woman and a child, one person is grown up and other is minor. None of them live in a safe world considering for what they are. So, they unwillingly and by the chance become mutually supportive. As it turns up, it's their choice for life. This is a very good film which doesn't follow conventional solutions because life is also unpredictable and can't be lived by book. It also doesn't play by rules of some abstract moral compas, which is good (and brave) choice. Especially when morality which should be on their sides obviously doesn't work for them. But they don't avoid making good choices, it's just they're not great, but are necessary. Yes, this is a film about abused women and betrayal they suffer even when they do their best. Two leading actresses are simply great. And film shows that today's outcasts deserve their chances too. And that's a great thing ...