Longtime housemaid Margaret decided to hang up her apron and retired. She faithfully cleaned our house for 7 years. At first, it was weird seeing a woman ironing clothes and scrubbing the linoleum, as my Mom was off doing errands. Margaret recommended a replacement. When I got off the bus from school, I came into the house to find my Sister upset sitting in our living room. I asked, "What's wrong?" With a choked-up response, "Mommy took the car and drove that drunk woman to the Q4 bus stop." Shocked by her spontaneous remarks, she also explained what occurred earlier when she arrived home from school. As she entered the house she heard noises coming from our basement. She slowly went down the steps and found a middle-aged woman drinking a bottle of liquor at our bar. The woman yelled over to her, "Where you goin, child? Wanna nip?" My sister high-tailed herself out of the house scared out of her wits, as she paced and started to cry wondering where Mom is? Luckily, my mother showed up a few minutes, later and tactfully escorted the inebriated floozy out of our home. Housemaid is another of my international film gems which keeps you wondering how terrible a situation gets festering into a gigantic disaster. This film was made in South Korea. Without spoiling the story, I personally felt that the beginning and the ending should have been edited out of the movie and let the story speak for itself without a second interpretation by outsiders. Mr. Kim (Jeung-nyeo Ju) is a piano composer hoping to score the big one getting one of his tunes published He also is a piano teacher giving private lessons in the privacy of own home. One of his actions will come back to haunt him. Kim lands a job as a music teacher in a factory. With the upgrade, he moves his pregnant wife played by Ju-Jeung who helps financially with the sewing, constantly working on a sewing machine in the home. The Kim's have two children, starting with the elder of the two, Daughter Ae-Soon (Lee-Yoon-n) who is physically challenged using crutches to get around. The younger sibling, the boy, Chang Soon (Ahn Sung-Ki) is basically a wiseacre, to his sister. With the extra won (Korean currency) coming in from the new factory position they hire a housemaid. On first impression, she looks frail and harmless and perfectly pulled off by actor Lee Eun-Shim. She comes off apprehensive and appreciative. Her body language speaks volumes as she aims to please rather than her attractiveness which I didn't see. New home, baby on the way with the extra helping hands of our Housemaid. Everything seems to be in place. Infidelity and other acts of unfaithfulness put a wrench in the works and totally disrupt the whole family. Great physical acting by Lee Eun-Shim as her layers peel off right before your eyes from timid housemaid to a treacherous force, spewing her venom throughout the household with threats and manipulation. Very visual and I would even claim you would get the gist of the movie without the use of the subtitles. Action-packed horror within the cramp confines. The kind of film you can't walk away from. You sit through the frustration and wonder how this family ended up in a world of trouble. Things go from bad to worse as the film progresses. Plus other factors manifesting into a macabre atmosphere.
Review of The Housemaid
