Mother

Success in 2 hours and 8 minutes!!!!!!! Rated R for Language, Drug Use, Some Sexual Content and Violence!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In Korean and English versions with English subtitles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When a her mentally handicapped son is accused of murder, a mother investigates the crime herself to absolve him. Very humorous at times despite the seriousness of the tale. The son is willful and doesn't make it easy for his mother. And I do hope real cops wouldn't be that abusive of a person like him. Kim Hye-Ja anchors the film, imbedding her deep within her character's persona. And the best part of a mystery is not knowing how it will end. I didn't. Recommended

Like always, Bong Joon-Ho delivers. This one is kind of misleading, and that's part of its charm

Bong Joon-ho seemingly approached both “Primal Fear” and the Hitchcockian “Psycho” but tautly layered in brewing the leaned maternal disturbance over the ugly truth through tonal distortion with evocative twists effectively obscured and brilliantly acted over characterized comprehension, even if the psychological study and reactive revelation may not sit satisfyingly well. (B+)

Bong Joon Ho's 2009 film, "Mother," is dark and thought-provoking like a lot of his other work. This movie is much more focused on one relationship and two characters which made it feel smaller in scale than some of the others. The film made me think it was going to play out one way but ultimately went in a direction I didn't expect, which somehow made it even more impactful. I think the main actress in this movie is excellent and her layered portrayal keeps the movie interesting. Overall, it is a film that is undeniably bleak, but also challenges the viewer to ask many moral questions which makes it a worthwhile and fascinating watch.

What it means to be a MOTHER. Bong is a genius.

An exceptional film with a unique and captivating pace. The story is packed with unexpected twists that keep you glued to the screen from start to finish. The protagonist’s portrayal of the mother is a masterstroke, delivering a subtle yet deeply compelling performance that unravels layers of emotion and intrigue. A must watch movie.

I love the fact that the mother being so eerily devoted to her son gets annoying very quickly. Anyone can relate.

Ancora un capolavoro di Bong Joon Ho che torna nell'ambiente del meraviglioso "Memorie di un assassino" con una storia tanto simile come "episodi" quanto diversa come sceneggiatura e risvolti. Una madre pronta a combattere contro tutto e tutti, senza badare alle evidenze ma soprattutto senza avere nessun tipo di capacità investigativa. E quando le sequenze sembrano portare ad un lieto fine piuttosto ovvio, avvengono una serie di capovolgimenti e di sconvolgimenti tali da lasciare senza fiato lo spettatore, spiazzato ed inerme verso le rivelazioni che giungono in rapida sequenza negli ultimi minuti. Il finale dolce amaro colpisce ancora una volta, vero punto di forza di un meraviglioso regista in grado di non sbagliare un singolo epilogo in tutta la sua lunga carriera. Un'opera da guardare e da assaporare lasciandosi trasportare dalla trama e dalla protagonista, senza porre resistenza al moto continuo della sua indagine. Capolavoro.

So…Asian movies often have a less-than subtle way of portraying people with disabilities, and this is no exception - lots of dramatic and slapstick scenes of the “slow” person doing stupid things. But then it also had some wild twists and dark turns that said so much more about the mother than I was expecting, soy feelings were mixed by the end. It actually got darker and more interesting as it went along, and, unusually, the end was actually more compelling than the beginning.