Movie #79 Mother (2010)

First off I have decided to start posting the year a film was released in the Title of my blog.  I hope that it helps me when it comes time to list my year end favorites next year.  I should state that my current "Best of 2010 Lists" are based only on movies that I saw in theaters that were released in 2010.  But now I watch so many movies on Netflix and other mediums that I need a better way to track them.  I decided to start this process with the movie Mother.  The reason I started with Mother was because if I was counting movies I saw outside the theater released in 2010, Hye-ja Kim would have made my Best Female Performances list.  She is a tour de force in this film.

Mother is about the mother of a slightly mentally challenged young man.  This is no "Forrest Gump" or "Radio" Hollywood treatment of mentally challenged.  This is a funny and frustrating and tender and irritable young man.  You know, kinda like in real life.  Anyway, the young man is charged with a murder of a high school aged girl.  He is imprisoned and his mother will stop at nothing to clear his name.

Much like the film Winter's Bone (with my favorite female performance, Jennifer Lawrence) this is a non-traditional detective story.  This movie is directed by Joon-ho Bong.  If you haven't noticed this is not an American film.  It is another film in the booming Korean movie market.  Joon-ho was also the man behind 2006's The Host.  A modern take on the monster genre that I loved.

Mother is a long film at 128 minutes, but I thought the time flew by.  I was completely invested in the mother and her quest.  Maybe it's just me but I saw a lot of Coen influence in this picture.  It really is a gumshoe noir told through Korean eyes.  The cinematography is splendid and the music is haunting. Joon-ho has a great eye for where to put his camera and how to move it.  Not only that he somehow holds long shots the perfect amount of time.

Mother has more twists and plot turns than the Korean streets, but I was never confused.  Keep in mind this is all communicated through sub titles.  Mother is skilled craftsman at work and I loved it.  I give Mother 4.5/5 stars.  Check out the Trailer Park to see for yourself.