16 Mar 11
Director: Bong Joon-Ho
South Korea
2009
129 min
When an ageing herbalist (and back-street acupuncturist) discovers her mentally challenged son is to be tried for the murder of a young girl after a drunken night out, she embarks on a relentless quest for justice, no matter the emotional cost. Gorgeously photographed, flawlessly acted and tautly structured, the film moves along slowly and relentlessly, enveloping the viewer in the battle between the near-obsessive mother determined to protect her child and the authorities who appear to be equally determined to get a quick result. Mother is a thoughtful and challenging Hitchcock-flavoured small-town thriller, full of surreal tragic-comic moments and characters.