Madeo

English title: Mother

Genre: crime drama

With: Hye-ja Kim (Mother), Won Bin (her son Yoon Do-joon), Jin Goo (Jin-tae, Do-joon’s friend), Je-mun Yun (Je-moon), Mi-seon Jeon (Mi-sun), Sae-byeok Song (Sepaktakraw Detective), Yeong-seok Lee (Junk Shop Elder), Hee-ra Mun (Moon Ah-jeong), Woo-hee Chun (Mi-na)

Director: Bong Joon Ho

Screenplay: Bong Joon Ho and Eun-kyo Park (based on Bong Joon Ho’s story)

Release: 2009

Studio: CJ Entertainment, Barunson E&A

Rating: 14A

MBiS score: 8.6/10 

 

I Guess It Runs in the Family 

 

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Story-line: Bong Joon Ho’s film transports us to a South Korean town where ‟Mother” tries to make ends meet by selling herbs and stuff while watching over Do-joon, her mentally-challenged son who has a knack for getting into trouble. On this particular day, Do-joon is run over by a speeding Mercedes – right in front of Mother’s shop – and luckily comes out of it unharmed. The real trouble begins when he tries to find the driver with the help of his friend Jin-tae.

Pluses: convincing acting by Hye-ja Kim (as the sympathetic, resourceful Mother), Won Bin (her frustrating son) and Jin Goo (the suspicious-looking Jin-tae), good support from a competent cast (playing mostly untrustworthy types), expert direction that wastes no time and stages the mystery effectively, a creative and brilliant screenplay, clean cinematography, satisfactory production values, a superb musical score (by Byung-woo Lee) and a really stupefying ending.

Minuses: none.

Comments: I remember hearing Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel – a long time ago but it’s still fresh in my memory – explain how their job as film critics was wonderful when a movie is good but excruciating when it’s a dud. Not being a professional critic, I don’t have to watch everything out there… and I’m rather fussy about the films I watch. So rest assured, movie buffs: MOTHER is one motion picture you will rave – and not rage – about. Easy on the eyes, nourishing for the mind and intriguing till the very end, Bong Joon Ho’s work is astounding as well as devastating. Never discount a mother’s instincts… and an offbeat movie like this one.  

 

MBiS 

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