User reviews

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.

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.

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 :)

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.

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.

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.

Good to be back to a Korean movie and this time I'm happy that I picked the right one. A small budget movie produced by the Korean film board and many actors from the project did for the free. A massive victory for a debutante director July Jung after receiving a standing ovation from the audience at Cannes and the positive response from the critics, media and movie buffs around the world. From this you would know that you must not miss the film and I would say the same, but I also apprise you that it ain't masterpiece.

The story follows the police officer Lee Young-nam, who is moving into a quiet small coastal town station to take a charge after the allegation of drinking problem and other personal scandal in the capital city. Her task is to lay low for a while until everything calms down to move back. She succeeds only until a girl knocks her door, metaphorically as what the title say. An unexpected relationship develops, as well seems another trouble is on the approach. Whatever happen from there is the story, especially the second half.

The good thing is this film talk about the root cause of the domestic violence. Like alcohol is one of the major concerns for those. Small intake is okay, but the excessive and addiction is the worry. No matter its the good people or bad according to how they live and what they do, but the point remain same. Here in this story as well all the characters were associated with alcoholism, but differentiated with purpose of life they are in and responsibility. The child abuse, the family who treat their own child badly was the goal to expose for us. And what follows after that was beyond a proper solution. The point it ended and what might happen after that is still a questionable.

"Alcohol is the problem."

The girl was Kim Sae-ron from 'The Man from Nowhere' fame. She's has grown up, a teenager. In the next movie probably would play a heroine. She was very good in the role. The girl with the mentality of when everybody sided her in the society except one who begin to care for her all the sudden, that might unleash the inner evil for having a support and to relocate, but the doubt is she's capable? From the girl's perspective, all are fair and square, but what society and law's take is another arguable angle. So you might know by now, the movie is not about any section of good versus bad people, but the reality of our world/civilization/society and a strategy to stay input/alive in the life between the obstacles we face.

Slow narration, particularly in the first half. Took time to evolve the characters, but still confines the earlier events of each one of them that gave a strong next half. Nobody can know where the story is gonna go, the possibilities are several. I was stunned for the way it ended, especially the last 15 minutes were not typical, but tricky. Even for a real life, this kind of stuffs scares hell out of being an adult for caught between being a villain, but not an (serious/life threatening) offender. I said it because still in many third world countries that is how a child brought up and nobody care including government/law or the neighbours. Its no matter small mischievous thing or not intended to, or you did it. What I'm saying is the example of movies like 'Jagten' and 'In the House'. Anyway, a nice movie with the talented performers. Worth a watch and to suggest those we know.

8/10

There is soooo much human negativity in this film that it became tiresome and unbearable after about 30 minutes. Fast forwarding here and there didn't help either because I just kept stumbling upon more negativity at each stop. In this so-called twenty-first century of the human experience on this planet, it is simply no longer necessary to make films like this, unless you are some sort of maso fiend. Why? Because thanks to the internet we all get the point!

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 ...

This is the first time I'm writing a negative review on IMDb and as you can see, I am terribly disappointed.

This might be one of the worst films I've ever seen in my entire life. A perfect example of an absolute trash. It seems, that the director's biological limitations have rendered him incapable of thinking as a decent human; Someone has to apologize on his behalf, for being dealt such a hand. Sadly, it does not end there. He came up with a terrible idea:

"I'd love to make movies!".

I agree, that I'm compromised enough to be unable to speak objectively over this matter, but some of the facts must be mentioned.

First of all, imagery and technical parts of the film are quite good. Even beautiful I must say. I really liked the part, where the main character buys high amounts of mineral water, only to replace said water with VODKA. (Or whatever you call it.) The scene keeps repeating in a grim way. One of the best portrayals of depressive apathy. It was very inspiring and beautiful.

Presentation is eerie enough to keep you interested and sadly, that might be the worst part of the movie. Story-wise it is so "girl-ish" and compromised, that I swear it was almost unbearable to sit through. Some of the scenes made me feel so awkward, that I could not help myself but think about stopping it. Overly melodramatic, intimate, sick and disgusting relationships which are presented in a sexually curious, but at the same time ruptured teenager's suicidal "emo-vomitting" of a spectrum, were too much for me.

The film tries to set you on an empathetic accord towards the little girl, and in a way it manages to do it, but it is at the cost of spitting you in the face: I guarantee you will feel both awkward and insulted after watching this abomination.

Bae Doona and Sae-Ron Kim were cool/OK. Truth be told, I've never liked Doona. At all. But this time she did really well. Well, at least she was likable for me. Mostly, actors in Korean films are better than average. This case is not an exception. Too bad that the story was so unbearably sick that performances just happen to add up to the horror. Keep in mind, this is not a failure of a film. I am pretty sure that it managed to do what was initially planned, but sadly the planning part is the main atrocity here.

If you want to see an unconventional film, with disgusting and sick characters who's existences are not justified, but rather disfigured in this gigantic mass of stupid sexual awkwardness, sadness and idiotic presentations of "valued empathy"; If you want to see a movie, where subjective ideals of a retarded scriptwriter transform into "undeniable" but at the same time disabled, illogical and irritatingly childish truth; If you want to see a piece, which is atmospherically psychopathic, yet unimaginably blatant and elective, then watch this utter trash.

Though, I wholeheartedly suggest to never even think of viewing this insult of a movie.

How does this movie have only 20 reviews? This is one of the best, most realistic, movies I have ever seen. If you are into I SAW THE DEVIL and SWEET WHIP, you will ADORE this movie.

This movie is a rollercoaster of emotions. This is why we love movies from Asia! I would call this the Asian MARTYRS in its way. If you think about it, this movie tries to be realistic as possible, while MARTYRS does experiment with gore and horror trying to make it more shocking.

Every actor does an amazing job. The story is extremely strong, and even tho the movie is a slow one, it still is a full-blown masterpiece. This is what DISTURBING movies are man. You don't need GORE or EXPLOITATION for it to be shocking. The best Disturbing movies are the ones that hit the nail without any gore, or forceful shock material, like this beautiful gem.

I was about to cry a river out of myself at that ending man and then thanked God the ending was a happy one. If the little girl did the deed, id probably have cried good 5+ minutes like when I watched Grave of the Fireflies and Triangle.

This is one of those movies that you MUST watch, and it's a shame and pity that it's not more known.

I've only got 30 minutes in and hate it already.

So you can beat up a kid that's not yours and get away with it . In front of the so called chief of police ??

Some many continuity errors in just 30 minutes it's ridiculous. A glaring example is the mysterious cups of tea (maybe) that appear from nowhere when the chief goes to see the top police in his office.

Unrealistic soap drama at best.

Nonsense !