Mi-sseu-baek

Brutally simple child-abuse drama, with the usual South Korean penchant for sadism I've come to know pretty well by now. Which is to say I entered expecting blood, so unpleasant moments are present, but also no surprises in this regard. What surprised me is how Lee Ji-Won keeps it all tight and focused. Instead of relying on long, pointless moments of gratuitous violence and desperation, Miss Baek shows what's enough, and maybe just a little more, to understand lives forever ruined by a horrible childhood. Thus a tale of compassion and revenge becomes an attempt at reconciliation with one's own past and memories. Amidst the horror, tenderness is abundant, and that's when Miss Baek works better for me. The final shot is nothing less than heartbreaking.

We are all (maybe) medically fit to be a parents, but are we all fit to raise a child?! Some of us think that child is just a nuisance and not a bless. And also, if we were abused as a child, would we also become an abuser later?! Couldn't we breakout of this vicious cycle and become a good parents?! This movie deals with that issue in every aspects, making it a balance movie.

Good script, good direction and good acting.

Definitely 9/10.

I just wanna point out that, if the police and social services did their job in the movie, as some commented, than the movie would be only five minutes long, so in order to be able to tell the story, you have to make some compromises. And BDW police and social services do make mistakes in real life to.

May be the story is a little bit unbelievable , but the play of the 2 main characters are really incredible. Is like a miracle the way the director lead such a dramatic story to the end. I note 8 , but is 8,5.

Shocking story for sure but just too hard to believe that South Korean police, family services and child safety could be that grossly pathetic. The timing of various events were also just too convenient.