Director: Bong Joon-Ho
Starring: Kim Hye-Ja, Won Bin, Jin Goo
Released: 20/08/2010
Rating: 15
The latest offering from South Korean director Bong Joon-Ho, Mother tells the tale on an unnamed woman, forced to prove her mentally challenged son is not guilty of a murder which all the evidence suggests he committed. She knows deep down that he is not capable of murder, but can she prove it?
Beautifully shot, and with an amazing score from Lee Byeong-Woo, the thriller was selected as Korea’s entry for the Foreign Language category at this years Oscars, and while it failed to eventually garner a nomination, it deserved the pick at any rate.
The film is thoroughly enjoyable, and the story will bring audiences in, trying to solve the mystery as it twists and turns deeper into the film.
This is not, as many recent Hollywood thrillers have been, a global conspiracy type of movie but instead gets right to the very heart of things. It explores the most simple of human relationships: that of a mother and her son. Their story is at the heart of the piece, and while the murder-mystery playing out is important, it is the character study that shines through.
Kim Hye-Ja’s flawless performance in the title role brings with it both the emotions of a mother on a mission, but also a woman of great intensity. In a world where both the boy’s lawyer and the police seem largely apathetic, she is a lone force shouting against adversity.
The film is currently on limited release, but if you get the chance to get down to an independent cinema – the Broadway for example for those readers still in Nottingham – which is showing it, it will be well worth your trip.
James Gordon
Tags: bong joon-ho, mother, world cinema
