Mother [DVD]

"Mother" is the story of the mother of Do-joon, a mentally slow 27 year old still living at home. The mother is an unlicenced acupuncturist who sells medicinal herbs from her small town shop. After a night on the town, Do-joon is accused of murdering a school girl. The mother, believing her son innocent, investigates the facts behind the murder and slowly but slowly determines the identity of the murderer.

Bong Joon-ho, the Korean director of acclaimed films "Memories of Murder" and "The Host", has created another modern gem in "Mother". Following a slightly bizarre opening in which the mother walks through a meadow and then breaks into a dance, "Mother" slowly but assuredly moves forward to its shattering conclusion. In contrast to his previous effort "The Host", there is little in the way of special effects, and "Mother" is very much a story driven film. This is a strength of Bong's; he is able to tell a story without reverting to unnecessary window dressing. However, the real delight of the film is the portrayal of both the mother (Kim Hye-ja in a poignant performance) and of the son (Won Bin, the younger brother from Taeguk-gi aka "Brotherhood"). Both actors put in stellar turns but they are ably assisted by the supporting cast - particularly Jin Ku as Jin-tae, who puts in a crucial turn that belies his initially unsympathetic characterisation. The film's events takes place in a small (unidentified) town in South Korea, and this has a distinctly grimy and rural feel, both in setting and in its inhabitants.

Issues? Well, this is not a particularly fast paced movie and this is quite reminiscent of another director who knows how to tell a story, Clint Eastwood. Still, I think the pacing could have been picked up in a couple of places, and the director does take his time in establishing his characters before moving to the violent event that really sets the story in motion. But this is the only fault I could find, and I couldn't bear to mark this film down for that, because it is a brilliant cinematic story in all other respects.

Do-jung (played by Bin Won) is a rather simple young man that is constantly finding himself in trouble because of his friendship with local small-time hoodlum Jin-tae (Ku Jin). One night, Do-jung follows a young girl home after a drunken night out. When her dead body shows up the next morning, the police sense an easy case and arrest Do-jung for the crime. Do-jung is unable to remember the night in question and unwittingly signs a confession sheet condemning him with the crime. At this point we follow his unnamed mother (Kim Hye-ja) as she goes to great lengths -some of which are unimaginable- in which to prove her sons' innocence.

Directed by Bong Joon-ho (who also wrote & directed 2003's masterpeice 'Memories Of Murder'), this is a wonderful character study of the love between a mother and her only son. The shocking nature of some of the scenes are interspersed with absurd, straight-faced humour which constantly gives the dark subject matter even more depth and humanity. The performances are superb throughout but special mention must go to Kim Hye-ja. She is simply sublime. Each scene she plays unto itself with little regard for what came before or of what is to come later, this is the sign of a pure actress giving a performance of genuine emotion & gravitas without ever succumbing to the histrionics that other, more well known actors, would surely provide.

This is as good a film as I've seen all year (and believe me, that is too many to count) and is proof along with the harrowing chinese war drama 'City Of Life And Death' that the asian film market is currently in great health.

From the director of 'Memories of Murder', 'Mother' continues to an extent that film's theme of bungled justice. This time the accused, a young man with special needs, has his mother to fight his cause. But 'Mother' treads the tightrope between righteously defending the accused and allowing motherly feelings to overwhelm a sense of justice.

All of the central performances are excellent, but special mention must go to 'Mother' herself. Kim Hye-ja creates a believable portrait of a woman who lives equally between hope and denial. 'Mother' hurls its characters towards its shattering conclusion and in doing so leaves the viewer with a complex array of feelings towards its main character.

Another excellent example of Korean film and another film for American cinema to attempt to emulate and fail miserably