Today sees the UK Blu-ray release of Mother, a South Korean thriller directed by Joon-ho Bong (The Host and Memories of Murder), which screened in the Un Certain Regard category at Cannes back in 2009. The story of an unnamed women (Kim Hye-ja) whose only son, the mentally handicapped Do-joon (Won Bin), is accused of murder. The protective mother then takes it upon herself to prove her son's innocence by mounting her own criminal investigation. The film is suspenseful, but also darkly funny throughout. Joon-ho is supremely skilled at mixing genuine tension with humour in this way. Maybe Sam Raimi and the Coen Brothers strike the same delicate balance when working at the peak of their powers, with these filmmakers able to inject absurdist black comedy into horrific events without detracting from their impact (the kidnap scene in 'Fargo' springs to mind). Like those American directors, Joon-ho is also to make his scenes of graphic violence extremely visceral without verging anywhere near the "torture porn" end of the spectrum. There is also something of an obsession with bodily fluids in his work, with urine, saliva, blood, vomit and sweat all very much on display, contributing to this feeling of unsettling tangibility. But for all the grimy detail, Mother is certainly not an ugly film. In fact it is quite the opposite, with Hong Kyeong-pyo (Brotherhood) lighting the film beautifully and with Joon-ho painting this story on a large canvass. The film is set in a small village, but this doesn't stop the director from making the film feel big and cinematic in scope. It is also not a realist film, being highly stylised whilst retaining credibility at all times, even when a lawyer begins a bizarre karaoke as a way of talking to his client or when a couple of youngsters start a fight with a bunch of old businessmen on a golf course.
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Kim Hye-ja is really outstanding as the titular mother, playing her with a touching fragility, but also bringing across her obsession and resilience superbly. The film is at its very best when exploring the disturbing, almost incestuous relationship between the mother and Do-joon, played by the model-turned-actor, Won Bin. He is pretty effective too, carefully avoiding pastiche in his portrayal of mental disability. Jin Goo is also really good as Jin-tae, a local ne'er-do-well and friend of Do-joon. He seems born to play a charismatic troublemaker, a role he plays with a delicious ambiguity. It is difficult to say too much more about Mother - at least in terms of plot developments - without spoiling the film. I will say only that its conclusion is surprising and highly satisfying. Mother is, without qualification, the best thriller film I have seen in several years. If The Host and Memories of Murder suggested Joon-ho Bong was one to watch, then Mother confirms his status as a major talent.
QUALITY/EXTRAS
As a Blu-ray, Mother is pretty nice though there is nothing amazing here. The picture and sound are superb, as one would expect from the HD treatment, however the number of features is quite limited. Aside from the (unusually grainy) theatrical trailer on offer, there are three documentaries. Well, the menu says there are three documentaries anyway. Really there is one, a quite detailed and interesting 42 minute look behind the scenes, made on the set with some to-camera interviews with the crew. The two additional short documentaries (which run at 7 minutes and 5 minutes) are made in the exact same style feel a little like they are deleted scenes from the main documentary. One wonders why these two weren't simply edited into the longer doc. Mother demands purchase, simply because of the excellent film, which looks stunning here. But if you look for that bit more in your Blu-rays, then this is a fairly bog-standard array of features. Mother is on Blu-ray release from today.