Miss Baek

Assalamualaikum, good day dearest ! I'm being quite anxious because I have no idea when the result announce for UPU. Last time I check it will be announce tomorrow but then, there was no news (haven't check today) yet. Ugh, it kind of sucks. Well, let's get back to the topic. Today's review will be a South Korea movie from two years ago.

Title : Miss Baek

Runtime : 98 minutes

Genre : Drama, Suspense

Country / Language : South Korea / Korean 

Released year : 2018

Director : Lee Ji Won

Writer : Lee Ji Won

Cast : Han Ji Min, Kim Shi Ah, Lee Hee Joon

Warning : Child harassment, domestic violence

Plot : 

Baek Sang Ah or also known as Miss Baek is an ex-convict. Through her childhood brought up, Miss Baek shut people out of her life. She then met Ji-Eun, a nine years old domestic violence victim by her game-addict father and his girlfriend. Miss Baek sees herself in the girl and decided to protect her even if it meant risking her own life.

SPOILER ALERT

The first time I came across this movie, I started thinking of a k-drama called 'Mother' (this review is in Malay) and it was aired on the same year too. Despite that, I still gave this movie a go and it was pretty intense and very intriguing. It is not exactly like the drama because the main character only had a similar childhood but not their current life. 

I love Miss Baek character as she actually did care for Ji Eun but she keep questioning herself. Why did she cared for Ji Eun so much. She had a tough upbringing making her close off but with Ji Eun, she let herself go. She started to care more for the girl to the point she's thinking of being her mother even though she feels like doesn't deserve to be a mother.

The most thrilling moment was when Ji Eun tried to escape from her home. She was shoved to the bathroom after get beaten up by her father. Miss Baek came to her house to give her farewell but they unfortunately didn't meet. Ji Eun resolved to escape from her house by climbing out through the bathroom window even though her house was on the second level of the building. That was a crazy scene there. I fear for her that it made me teared up.

Every other party, the father and his girlfriend, the policemen, the child protection department and the social worker are all useless and shitty. It made me so angry how lenient they took her case. Ji Eun once came to the police station after being beaten up only to have them sending her back to the hell. The child protection department refused to have her in the center because of 'full quota' and have the social worker to check on her. And that person in charged called before coming ? I mean that might be normal for everyone else but this should be included in the special case. By giving a head up, the abuser could stop the abuse for the time being. See how useless everyone was ? Oh, don't get me started with Ji Eun's parent figure. They are the source of the problem. 

One thing that I really didn't get was Ji Eun's father's girlfriend. Why the hell she stayed with that useless dump-like man ? He obviously spent his time, energy and money on video games. She definitely could do better than that that that ughhh, there's no curse word that suit that type of people. Why did he even took her in when his ex died ? Piece of shit. These two really had me curse on them every time they're on. 

I'm really glad that Ji Eun in the end had her good share of childhood. However the punishment received by her so called parent are a little infuriating. That girlfriend should get more year to serve because she is far worse than Ji Eun's father. Miss Baek ? Well, it is left with a question that even I couldn't answer. 

Miss Baek trailer

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-thes