Left-Handed Girl Movie Review

This solid film is written, directed, and produced by Shih-Ching Tsou and co-written by her filmmaking partner, Sean Baker, who also co-produced. ​

With Baker, Tsou produced “Red Rocket” and “The Florida Project,” both of which performed satisfactorily for them. Working together often, they know one another, and it shines through this film, as it has in others.

This story is well-paced. No time will be taken to look at the clock. It’s impressive, and the little girl Nina Ye, who plays I-Jing, will leave an impression on your soul. There are shots of her on a bike, playing with a meerkat, and dancing around that will have you pushing rewind; she’s so adorable! Casting was perfect all around, but you’ll thank them for not passing on this child and hope there’s more to come from young Ms. Ye, soon. I-Jing has to deal with her teenage sister, I-Ann (Shih-Yuan Ma), who watches I-Jing while mom is at work.

I-Ann doesn’t appreciate being stuck with practically raising her. She wants to be free at night, not to babysit. Thankfully, she gets a job, but it’s at a place where mom has to worry about whether she can stay out of trouble. Life in Taipei, Taiwan, for the now single mother Shu-Fen (Janel Tsai) can be difficult. She’s raising her two daughters, who are, seemingly on purpose, a handful. Grateful, Shu-Fen gets work at a Market in a noodle shop to keep the family afloat. Both she and I-Ann work at night, so I-Jing has too much free time to explore on her own. This being the case, I-Ann, being a responsible big sister, is even more critical.

As if things weren’t bad enough, when Shu-Fen visits her parents, her youngest, I-Jing, is told by her father that using her left hand is of the devil. Using the left hand would have called for execution in the old days. When mom isn’t around, he scares I-Jing to death, telling her that she will not use it in his home. He wraps it so it can’t do any evil around him. If the devil is in her hand, it could be blamed for things that are done with that hand. She can’t be held responsible for, say, the shoplifting it does.

This becomes an essential lesson for the child, and you’re given exceptionally well-edited sequences to enjoy as you watch this whole matter unfold.

It isn’t hard to fall in love with this family, and when additional family issues surface, you’ll root for them even more. Here, you’re watching them adapt to their new lives and conquer their old. The storytelling of these three souls is best when nothing is being said. The cinematography and lighting are superb.

This is so well made that I will use the word marvelous to describe it.

You MUST catch it on Netflix tonight!!