The Mother [Blu-ray]

Mother adopts a wicked fluctuating screenplay that relentlessly nurtures its characters. Joon-Ho, of 'Memories of Murder' fame, imports his infamous dark humour into another murder mystery. However, instead of instantly replicating the aforementioned triumph, he alters the perspective of the investigation to be that of a lamenting mother. The results indicate that South Korean cinema is quite possibly the best exports for thrillers in the entire world. Let me go ahead and put that subjective statement down as fact. I've seen enough of them to know that Korean directors understand the genre through and through, with Mother reaching the top echelon. A hard-working widow strives to prove the innocence of her intellectually disabled son, who has been framed for the murder of a young girl.Ravenously exploring the concept of how far a mother is willing to go for their own flesh and blood, Joon-ho's script is packed with an alluring sense of unpredictability and poetic thrills that present a darker side to South Korean culture. When the opening cinematic sequence is of the titular parent eerily dancing to a pop song in the middle of a wheat field whilst looking directly at the camera for five minutes, well, you start to develop an idea on what type of film this is. Joon-ho cleverly throws the audience off target on multiple occasions, to showcase a variety of different emotions and themes that our unnamed mother experiences throughout her arduous journey. Pain. Melancholy. Anger.His consistent juggling of tones, a trademark he has essentially acquired throughout his filmography, allow us to feel these emotive consequences with the protective mother. In just one scene, most notably the prison visitation, Joon-ho injects sorrow from the mother's perspective, unshaken trepidation from her son and hilarity from the actions taken whenever someone says "retard" to him. Occasionally, it does relinquish the intended tone in order to make room for dark humour, but for the most part it provides a refreshing interpretation of the genre. To keep a story engaging, thrilling and suspenseful whilst making it intelligently humorous is quite the achievement. There were multiple scenarios where I certainly did gasp in shock and horror over certain plot details, proof that Joon-ho has crafted yet another captivating mystery.It must be said though, none of the above would've been as effective if it wasn't for Hye-ja's unprecedented performance. Phenomenal. Absolutely incredible. She commanded every scene through her ornate acting that exhumed fragility, power and sentimentality. Tackling the case head on, despite the detectives rarely caring about the situation, in what must've been a physically and emotionally demanding performance. Bin also gets a mention for his engrossing role as the accused son. From a technical standpoint, it's flawless. Joon-ho's directing techniques, Kyung-pyo's cinematography and Byung-woo's score. Sensational, with each element enhancing the dark world that Joon-ho has lovingly created.This rollercoaster definitely deserves your attention. You'll laugh at the dark humour, bite your nails during thrilling sequences (although didn't your mother tell you that's a bad habit!), and empty your soul during the third act. Mother, yet again, is another example of pure South Korean cinema at its finest. It still hasn't convinced me to experience acupuncture though...

After reading all the positive reviews, I had high expectations for this movie. I thought the main lead actress played the role very well, but at times I found the story confusing and I didn’t really understand the ending. Was he guilty or not? I didn’t find the story line clever or interesting and I wouldn’t want to watch it again. If you want a better movie, stick to Parasite, it’s a million times better.

Having watched Parasite and Okja, I can safely say I am a huge fan of Bong Joon Ho's work and the stories he tells but I am embarrassed to say, I had let this film slip under the radar. The film was only brought to my attention a few weeks ago by an Empire magazine article and having just finished the movie, I can safely say it was amazing. If you're looking to watch a good mystery film that won't send you over the limit in terms of overthinking every detail (which I'm guilty to say I do often with Mystery films), this is THE perfect film. After first reading the description of the film, there is the prediction it will be a heavy watch, but Bong Joon Ho as well as Eun-kyo park, perfectly ties the plot together in such a way with the characters and dialogue that elevate the film and make it an easy watch whilst the key integral themes remain, and the emotion behind the mother's drive to help her son connect you to this painful journey.

Bong joon ho has not dissapointed me with any of his movies, the host, parasite, he's always got something good to give, mother brings you a story that keeps you guessing and will leave you shocked and stunned, would recommend to anyone who wants to get into Korean cinema

Two points:1.The director specifically made this film with Kim Hye-Ja in mind and spent four years convincing her to make it otherwise he wouldn't make the film.The wait was worth it.2. In the Extras section one of the producers said that it should be the mission of the Korean film industry to try and make a better film than this.He may be right!

From a superb asian director (maybe the best around now) a film that is a profound and disturbing drama about a mother-son relationship, with a violent side that makes it even more compelling and unsettling.Personlly I prefer The Host and Memories of a Murder (from the same director) but this is a definitely must see

Interesting and intriguing storyline.I don't think I'm giving anything away if I say the story is ultimately tragic as it might not be in the way you that you think. Not one to watch if you are looking for something to brighten your day.This has some good performances from the actors and has a degree of cultural insight which helps to make it interesting to watch.

Not a great movie