***** Mother (2009)
If there's any doubt that the quality of filmmaking in Korea has significantly raised the bar over the past decade, perhaps Mother, the superbly crafted thriller from Bong Joon-Ho, will quiet the skeptics. And what a decade it's been for Korean films; it's no coincidence that names like Park Chan-wook, Kim Ki Duk, Im Kwon Taek, Hong Sang Soo and the aforementioned Bong are now attached to high-profile film festival circuits. A cynic may dismiss this wave of attention as a corollary of Hallyu, or the increased popularity of Korean entertainment around the world, but such simple (and obtuse) criticism overlooks the rich and engrossing brand of storytelling that has become a staple of Korean cinema.
Consider the premise of Mother: a mentally handicapped man is charged with the murder of a young girl. His mother, a widow living on scant means, is unflinchingly convinced of her son's innocence and sets out to gather evidence and testimonies that would exonerate her son. If this were a Hollywood film (and I'm certain it will be, as a remake in the near future), the cliches would be endless: an over-the-top "retard" performance (but not "full-retard") by a well-known star hungry for a statuette come March; an aging-yet-still-impossibly-gorgeous actress cast as the Mother (think Diane Lane or Kim Basinger); a supporting detective character who helps the Mother when no one else would hear her story; a romantic side story with the Mother and the detective; a climactic, tearjerking courtroom scene a la A Time to Kill; and an epilogue with a firmly established ending, one with all the storylines and conflicts neatly resolved.
Before you watch the inevitable remake (which I'm strangely excited for), please watch the original. It never cops out, never relents. The story, for all its unpredictable twists and turns, never descends into Shyamalan country; all the surprises are firmly grounded with richly layered characters with real, pivotal stakes. Kim Hye-ja's performance is a revelation - a brief glance of her eyes can communicate years of anguish, guilt and grief.
A definite recommend for anyone who is curious or interested in Korean cinema.
I also like this film. I think the most outstanding component of the film is the tremendous acting of the star Kim Hye-ja. Kim amplifies the Mother’s already nervous condition with progressively aggravating situations.
ReplyDeleteBut my most favorite film from Bong Joon-Ho is still "The Host".