Film of the Week: Joon-ho Bong's MOTHER

If you're in the mood for a thriller, then I highly recommend the Korean film Mother (2009) from director Joon-ho Bong, the director of his well known film, The Host (2006). I haven't seen a Korean film in a while, and I heard about this one a while back because I am a fan of his previous works (Memories of Murder (2003) and of course The Host). When I heard that Joon-ho Bong was back with a new film, I couldn't wait to see it. 

This director/writer doesn't disappoint when it comes to good and unique storytelling with twists and turns that would give you a good shock. The story is about a murder that shakes a small South Korean town, and the person that gets framed is a mentally unstable young man. The mother, in turn, does all she could to find out who the real killer is. It's great how this film starts off. It's calm and simple. The camera slowly and smoothly moves towards this old woman walking across an open field. The camera ever so gently tilts left and right and slowly cranes down towards the woman. The tilting, perhaps, a subtle hint that something's unstable and not quite right. And then, out of nowhere, this woman starts to dance. A little comedic element thrown in the beginning? Yes, and it sure made me laugh, but it all makes sense and comes together towards the end of the film.

Besides the storytelling that the Korean's are so well at, it's cinematography that equally stands out as well. They use the screen as a canvas as they lusciously paint it with breathtaking extreme wide shots, close-ups, etc. Mother is certainly a good example of this. There's not much harsh lighting and the color is slightly desaturated with a hint of a blue-ish hue which fits well with the mood of the film.

The acting by Hye-ja Kim (Mother) and Bin Won (Yoon Do-joon) is also very true and believable. The emotions seem so natural and nothing looks forced. This stands true for practically every Korean film that I have viewed in the past. The emotion they put into their characters are so amazing and real that sometimes it's hard to believe that they're just playing a role.

If you haven't seen any Korean films at all, do yourselves a big favor and rent something. Hell, rent Mother. It's a very good introduction to Korean cinema. And once you've seen a Korean film, you'll want to see more. Trust me. It's like crack.  

FIN