Mother Blu-Ray CoverThe 1st of 500! I started out my movie pilgrimage in South Korea, within the mind of the deliriously brilliant director Bong Joon-Ho and his newest film Mother. Unfortunately I am not so sure that was a smart move, because I find it hard to believe I will watch another movie this perfect in the next year, even if I decided to watch 1000 films. With a plot that may sound straightforward, the mother of a simpleminded man must prove her son's innocence when he is accused of a local high school girl's murder, it will not take long for you to realize this movie is not going to be familiar formulaic American fare. Not even close. Instead what Joon-Ho delivers is a mesmerizing look into the love and devotion of a woman who's entire existence is centered on protecting her boy. What she finds within the depths of her small Korean town is horrifying if nothing else. Mother (she is never given another name) will stop at nothing to uncover the truth, but what is so frightening is the woman's fanatical drive to reach her goal, perhaps becoming a monster far greater than anything she hopes to find.
The Host South Korean Poster
What I found most compelling about this film was Joon-Ho's patience with his storytelling, and the courage to trust his film and his lead actress (Kim Hye-Ja) to venture as far as they needed to go. If you are expecting a film like the director's 2006 monster movie The Host than you might feel slightly disappointed. What very little comedy there is in Mother is not as black as The Host, and the quirkiness that the family in his earlier film shared is no where to be found in Mother. Still, this film is a must-see, a must-own, and must-love film. Bong Joon-Ho is clearly stepping above his peers like Chan-Wook Park and achieving the heights of his obvious influences, who among others must be Hitchcock. Mother is candid where Rear Window could not be, and far darker than Psycho or even Lifeboat.