''A Girl at My Door'' (; lit. “Do-Hee”) is a 2014 South Korean
drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...
directed by
July Jung and stars
Bae Doona as a policewoman who takes in an abused girl played by
Kim Sae-ron
Kim or KIM may refer to:
Names
* Kim (given name)
* Kim (surname)
** Kim (Korean surname)
*** Kim family (disambiguation), several dynasties
**** Kim family (North Korea), the rulers of North Korea since Kim Il-sung in 1948
** Kim, Vietnamese f ...
. The film screened in the
Un Certain Regard
(, meaning 'a certain glance') is a section of the Cannes Film Festival's official selection. It is run at the Debussy, parallel to the competition for the . This section was introduced in 1978 by Gilles Jacob.
The section presents 20 films w ...
section at the
2014 Cannes Film Festival.
Due to the film's portrayal of a
lesbian relationship, and the contentiousness of
LGBT rights in South Korea
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in South Korea face legal challenges and discrimination not experienced by non-LGBT individuals. While male and female same-sex sexual activity is legal in South Korea, marriage or other for ...
, as well as the initial ambiguous relationship of the two main characters, the film had to be financed largely by the
Korean Film Council
The Korean Film Council (KOFIC) () is a state-supported, self-administered organization under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) of the Republic of Korea.
History
KOFIC was launched in 1973 as the Korean Motion Picture Promotion ...
. Because of this, the budget was limited to ; Bae and Kim agreed to not be paid.
Plot
Following a personal scandal, police academy instructor Lee Young-nam is transferred from
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 of ...
to take office as a chief of the police substation in a quiet seaside town in
Yeosu
Yeosu (; ''Yeosu-si''), historically also Yosu, and known to the Japanese as Reisui during the period when Korea was under Japanese rule, is a city located on the southern coast of the Korean Peninsula in South Jeolla Province, South Korea an ...
. Young-nam keeps a low profile and tolerates the drunken excesses of the locals, but drinks heavily at home, decanting
soju
(; Hangul: ; Hanja: ) is a clear and colorless Korean distilled alcoholic beverage. It is usually consumed neat. Its alcohol content varies from about 12.9% to 53% alcohol by volume (ABV), although since 2007 low alcohol soju below 20% h ...
into water bottles.
Young-nam meets Sun Do-hee, a timid and withdrawn 14-year-old girl covered with cuts and bruises. Do-hee is bullied by classmates and beaten by both her drunk stepfather Yong-ha and drunk grandmother; her biological mother abandoned them. The locals keep quiet about Yong-ha's injustices as he is the town's main employer, an oyster farmer.
After the body of Yong-ha's mother is found floating in the water, ruled an accidental death caused by drunk driving, Yong-ha attacks Do-hee again. Concerned for Do-hee's safety, Young-nam offers to let her stay with her during the summer vacation, despite scrutiny from the villagers. For the first time, Do-hee has someone who does not hit her and who calls her by her name instead of swearing at her. Do-hee bathes with Young-nam and imitates her, wearing her uniform and cutting her hair in the same style.
Young-nam is tracked to Yeosu by her ex-girlfriend, who asks her to move to Australia with her. They argue and kiss, and are seen by Yong-ha. When Young-nam discovers that he employs underpaid illegal immigrants, Yong-ha tells the police that Young-nam sexually abused Do-hee. Young-nam is taken into custody. She states she had no improper contact with Do-hee and that taking in an abused child was her duty; the investigator responds that this was inappropriate behavior for a gay woman. Do-hee tells the investigator that Young-nam sexually abused her, and Young-nam is imprisoned. Do-hee is returned to the care of her father and given a number to call if her father beats her again.
At her family home, Do-hee undresses, dials the number and hides the phone, then caresses her sleeping father. He wakes and begins shouting at her. She cries in protest, telling him "it hurts". The police break in and arrest the father. Do-hee tells the investigators that her father told her to lie that Young-nam abused her. Young-nam is released and receives an apology. She visits Do-hee and asks her if she made what happened to her father and grandmother happen on purpose, then leaves. As she is being driven out of town, she tells the officer to stop the car. She finds Do-hee and asks her to come with her.
Cast
*
Bae Doona as Lee Young-nam, a chief of police substation
*
Kim Sae-ron
Kim or KIM may refer to:
Names
* Kim (given name)
* Kim (surname)
** Kim (Korean surname)
*** Kim family (disambiguation), several dynasties
**** Kim family (North Korea), the rulers of North Korea since Kim Il-sung in 1948
** Kim, Vietnamese f ...
as Sun Do-hee, Yong-ha's adopted daughter
*
Song Sae-byeok
Song Sae-byeok (born December 25, 1979) is a South Korean actor. After gaining attention as a supporting actor in '' The Servant'' (2010), Song played the leading roles in the comedies '' Meet the In-Laws'' (2011) and ''The Suck Up Project: Mr. ...
as Park Yong-ha
* Kim Jin-gu as Park Jum-soon, Yong-ha's mother
* Son Jong-hak as Captain Eom
* Na Jong-min as Officer Kim
*
Gong Myung
Gong Myung (born Kim Dong-hyun on May 26, 1994) is a South Korean actor. He is a member of 5urprise. He is known for his roles in the television series ''The Bride of Habaek'' (2017), ''Revolutionary Love'' (2017), ''Be Melodramatic'' (2019), and ...
as Police Officer Kwon Son-oh
*
Jang Hee-jin
Jang Hee-jin (born May 9, 1983) is a South Korean actress. She began her career as a model for the fashion magazines CeCi, Marie Claire and Cindy the Perky. Jang has appeared in several television series and films, including '' Myung-wol the ...
as Eun-jung, Young-nam's ex-lover
* Kim Min-jae as Jun-ho, Young-nam's senior colleague
* Park Jin-woo as Chief detective
*
Moon Sung-keun
Moon Sung-keun (born May 28, 1953) is a South Korean actor and politician. He has won three Blue Dragon Film Awards, two Baeksang Arts Awards, and two Chunsa Film Art Awards for Best Actor.
Career
Moon was born in Tokyo, Japan. His father was ...
as Nam Gyeong-dae, police superintendent in Seoul
* Kim Jong-gu as Boss Choi
* Arvind Alok as Bakeem, foreign worker
* Robin Shiek as Salam, foreign worker
* Pokhrel Barun as Hoang, foreign worker
* Lee Hyeon-jeong as Young-nam's landlady
Reception
At the film's official Cannes screening at the Theatre Debussy, the audience gave it a three-minute
standing ovation
A standing ovation is a form of applause where members of a seated audience stand up while applauding after extraordinary performances of particularly high acclaim. In Ancient Rome returning military commanders (such as Marcus Licinius Crassus a ...
and it received mostly positive reviews from the media. ''
Screen Daily'' called it "a resolutely left-field and refreshingly off-kilter drama
..a deftly intriguing tale of
alcoholism
Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomi ...
and
abuse that starts off as a seemingly familiar domestic drama before spiralling off into something more unnerving and vaguely disturbing. It is driven by a strong cast and makes the most of it rural location that should be an idyllic but in fact its surface beauty covers up a series of rather dysfunctional people. The film is given heart and soul by a magnetic performance by the excellent Doona Bae."
''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' wrote that the "wrenching drama" is a "layered expose of violence and bigotry in provincial Korean society" powered by "mesmerizing" performances by Bae Doona and Kim Sae-ron. It described Bae's portrayal as "both towering and frail," while "Kim is electrifying." ''
Twitch Film
Screen Anarchy, previously known as Twitch Film or Twitch, is a Canadian English-language website featuring news and reviews of mainly international, independent and cult films. The website was founded in 2004 by Todd Brown. In addition to films, ...
'' praised it as "Korean cinema at its finest," "gripping from start to finish
..with its fair share of high drama, but unlike most of its Korean compatriots, it never overplays its hand and treats its audience with respect," and "so well-wrought that one can't help but be swept up in its artistry, which effortlessly plunges us into an intellectual reverie." ''
The Korea Herald
''The Korea Herald'' is a leading English-language daily newspaper founded in 1953 and published in Seoul, South Korea. The editorial staff is composed of Korean and international writers and editors, with additional news coverage drawn from int ...
'' said it "deftly blends mystery and thriller," "does an impressive job of tackling modern Korean social issues, including alcoholism,
homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to pe ...
, small-town politics,
migration
Migration, migratory, or migrate may refer to: Human migration
* Human migration, physical movement by humans from one region to another
** International migration, when peoples cross state boundaries and stay in the host state for some minimum le ...
and labor," and praised "the three lead actors, especially Bae," who "offer memorable performances as troubled, lonely and searching souls."
''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...
'' was less impressed: "While Jung's efforts to avoid
sensationalism
In journalism and mass media, sensationalism is a type of editorial tactic. Events and topics in news stories are selected and worded to excite the greatest number of readers and viewers. This style of news reporting encourages biased or emotio ...
and employ multiple threads are very admirable, the result is a mild-mannered piece short of a sufficiently substantial exposition of its plethora of characters and the problem they face. All this leads to Bae giving an internalized performance dangerously close to blankness; fortunately, Kim is on hand with a turn that suitably brings to the screen the psychotic state of her battered character." ''
Film Business Asia'' also singled out Kim as "the standout performance in a generally impressive first feature by 34-year-old writer-director July Jung, that could have been even better with one more script revision and more animated playing by Bae. Despite that, it's still an involving drama with few dull moments, continually shifting the power balance between the three main protagonists.
..All of this is a rich concoction that Jung generally brings off. But there are also annoying loose ends that weaken its dramatic impact,
uch as
Uch ( pa, ;
ur, ), frequently referred to as Uch Sharīf ( pa, ;
ur, ; ''"Noble Uch"''), is a historic city in the southern part of Pakistan's Punjab province. Uch may have been founded as Alexandria on the Indus, a town founded by Alexand ...
the backgrounds of the three leads are thinly drawn; and the final act has a slightly too manufactured feel. The film could easily lose 10 minutes to its benefit, by shortening or eliminating the repetitive scenes of the girl's beatings."
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
''A Girl at my Door''at
Korean Film Council
The Korean Film Council (KOFIC) () is a state-supported, self-administered organization under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) of the Republic of Korea.
History
KOFIC was launched in 1973 as the Korean Motion Picture Promotion ...
*
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Girl At My Door, A
2014 films
2014 directorial debut films
2014 drama films
2014 LGBT-related films
2010s Korean-language films
2010s South Korean films
South Korean drama films
South Korean LGBT-related films
Lesbian-related films
LGBT-related drama films
Films set in South Korea
Films shot in South Korea