Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
As a ‘Left Handed Girl’ myself, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this Taiwanese film, and to say that I was ‘skeptical’, is being nice about it. However, the story turned out to be vibrant, even if mildly meandering tale about a single mother moving with her two daughters to Tapei to run a food stall, each facing their own challenges.
Directed by Shih-Ching Tsou, ‘Left Handed Girl’ stars Janel Tsai as Shu Fe, an overworked, exhausted single mother struggling to run a noodle stand at a night market in Taipei, while her rebellious older daughter Ann (Shih-Yuan Ma) takes up a different job working at a betel nut stand. Shu Fe’s younger child, I-Jing (Nina Ye), is only five, exceedingly cute, and helps her mother at the stall after school. What neither the busy Shu Fe nor Ann know is that I-Jing is being influenced by her strict maternal grandfather into believing her left hand is demonic, a belief that leads her to act out secretly in surprising ways.
‘Left Handed Girl’ illustrates how family, through actions, offhand remarks, and deeply ingrained judgments, can shape people in ways they rarely recognize. For little I-Jing, her left hand becomes a conduit for mischief, shame, and confusion. Ann, meanwhile, bristles at her mother Shu Fe’s instinct to repeatedly support and pay her estranged father’s debts, the very man who chose to abandon them. Street-smart, emotionally perceptive, and fiercely protective of I-Jing, Ann nonetheless drifts into recklessness, entangling herself with her shady new boss at the betel shop where she works.
While Shu Fe struggles to pay her bills, her mother and siblings appear far more financially secure and emotionally settled. The film avoids loud, exaggerated contrasts, there’s no luxurious bungalow versus a miserable shoebox apartment. Instead, the disparity emerges quietly, in small, telling moments: Shu Fe’s mother enjoying relaxed lunches at cosy restaurants with friends, while Shu Fe toils at her cramped noodle stand, too overworked to even collect her daughter from school.
The cinematography of ‘Left Handed Girl’ engagingly captures the vibrant night streets of Tapei and the cluttered trappings of middle class family lives. Most of the film is chaos in motion, and yet there’s a familiar realism in each shot. The scenes thrum with the energy of every day lives of street vendors like Shu Fe and we see a lot of it through little I-Jing’s eyes, especially when she launches into solo walks through the night market to look at toys, and trinkets.
Nina Ye, the young performer at the heart of ‘Left Handed Girl’, easily steals the film. As I-Jing, she is mischievous, curious, and wonderfully expressive, slipping effortlessly between moods. Whether she’s pestering Ann to borrow her phone or eyeing the temptations of the bustling night market, Ye captures the restless curiosity and vulnerability of childhood with endearing ease. The film’s title finds darkly comic expression in I-Jing’s left-handedness, as her grandfather forces her to use her right hand during visits, warping her sense of self.
Janel Tsai brings a grounded weariness to Shu Fe, embodying the exhaustion and quiet frustration of a working-class single mother. Her character’s continued support of an estranged husband of course seems irrational, but stems from a complicated, deeply ingrained sense of love and duty. Shih-Yuan Ma’s Ann, meanwhile, is all sharp edges and simmering resentment, yet she remains deeply responsible, juggling work to help keep the family afloat. Together, the volatile yet tender bond between Shu Fe and Ann forms the emotional spine of ‘Left Handed Girl’.
As the story continues to follow its three primary characters through their daily lives, at one point, you begin to wonder how the creators could possibly end the seemingly haphazard tale. The climactic moments throw in a dramatic dinner celebration for Shu Fe’s mother, which turns into a spectacle for an ugly confrontation between Ann and her creepy boss, leading to a bigger emotional clash between her and Shu Fe.
The ending delivers an unexpected twist, which comes as a cruel surprise for the viewers, but also explains some of the earlier interaction between different characters. And despite an uncomfortable turn of events which puts Shu and her girls at crossroads with the rest of her family, the climax ends on a warm note.
Overall, ‘Left Handed Girl’ is a memorable film about dysfunctional families, love, and the things people do for the people they cherish.
Rating: 4 stars on 5. Watch ‘Left Handed Girl’ on Netflix.
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