In Bong Joon-ho’s satirical masterpiece The Host, a giant monster wrecks havoc on a Korean city. Mother, Bong’s follow-up feature, presents a different kind of brute force, internalized in the figure of a fiercely devoted mother.
Mother (Kim) lives with — and sleeps beside — her 27-year-old son Do-joon (Won) in a tiny house. However, Do-joon isn’t quite normal; his blank expressions and alarming forgetfulness suggest a mental defect, perhaps retardation. One evening, he follows a young girl on the way home from a bar, and the next morning she is found dead on a rooftop, hanging over the railing. Do-joon is then arrested by lazy police officers who find evidence that connects him to the crime, and they quickly close the case without any investigation. Mother becomes his only hope, and she quickly assumes the role of a detective, desperate to prove her son’s innocence.
Like The Host, Mother refuses to adopt a single tone, and director Bong Joon-ho’s brilliance lies in his ability to make you feel different, even conflicting, emotions at the same time. He is unafraid to induce laughs at the most tragic or violent of moments, to include satire in what is on the surface a conventional thriller. This tonal ambiguity is embodied in Hye-Ja Kim’s powerhouse performance, as she consistently walks a fine line between tragedy and over-the-top comedy. It is one of the most refreshing acting accomplishments in recent years, and the director wisely allows the camera to linger on her face in key moments, her expressions speaking volumes.
Bong revels in his visual style, crafting every shot with utmost precision. From inventive uses of focus to perfectly constructed mise-en-scenes, the director clearly has mastery over his medium. He manages to construct a plot full of shocking twists and turns, keeping the audience in suspense throughout. And, he raises ambiguous moral dilemmas, refusing to offer clear solutions. While the film offers a satirical critique of obsessive parenting, arguing that close-knit families can be as dangerous as the world outside, it nevertheless finds comfort in the warm embrace of a doting mother, even if she is a little crazy.
4.5 Stars
Directed by: Bong Joon-ho
Starring: Kim Hye-Ja, Bin Won, Ku Jin
Rated R, 128 min.
