Review: "Mother" (2009)

“Mother” combines family drama, murder mystery, horror and dark comedy into a suspenseful and intelligent thriller. The premise is deceptively simple: how far will a mother go to protect her child and prove him innocent of a crime?

In the hands of the talented Korean director, Bong Joon-ho, the mother is a lonely and overly-protective woman whose life is devoted to caring for her mentally disabled twenty-something son, Do-Joon. One day a young girl from the neighborhood is found brutally murdered and, based on flimsy circumstantial evidence, Do-Joon is hastily charged with the crime. Faced with a lackadaisical police system and a lazy lawyer, the mother has no recourse but to investigate the crime herself and will stop at nothing to prove her son’s innocence.

As with his previous work, Bong Joon-ho weaves together an exciting, off-kilter psychological thriller filled with mysterious characters, surprising twists and turns, stellar performances and underlying social commentary (in this case, a critique of the criminal justice system). Especially noteworthy is Kim Hye-ja’s performance as the mother: she adeptly embodies a mother’s loving and protective aspects while expressing a subtle undercurrent of hysteria that drives her obsession to free her son. Bin Won, apparently cast against type as he’s considered the “hot guy” in Korea, also gives a moving performance as Do-Joon: a gentle, innocent and moody man-boy who remains an enigma. Kudos must also be given to the cinematography: the use of distorted angles and a muted blue/gray color palette effectively communicate the film’s dark and disturbing tone.

Review: "Memories of Murder" (2003)

Based on a true story about a serial killer who terrorized a rural Korean village, “Memories of Murder” is a powerful crime thriller that combines moments of comical absurdity and gripping suspense.

While the plot unfolds as a typical police procedural, the scope of the story is much broader and it packs an emotional resonance not often seen in the genre. On one level, it’s a “buddy cop” story that focuses on the conflict between the two detectives assigned to the case: Park Doo-Man (portrayed by Song Kang-Ho in a terrific performance) is the jaded, earthy insider who relies on instinct and brute force to solve the case. He clashes with Seo Tae-Yoon, a quiet, methodical detective sent from Seoul, who values analytical thinking and disdains his country bumpkin peers. On another level, “Memories of Murder” casts a satirical eye on Korea’s military dictatorship during the 1980’s, underscoring the ineptitude of the murder investigation despite the substantial manpower resources deployed.

Although the whodunit aspects of the movie are compelling, director Bong Joon-Ho’s focus is not so much on the crimes but on the detectives, their increasing frustration and obsession with nailing the perpetrator over the course of the investigation and how they learn from each other and change. The tension is palpable as various suspects are dismissed by the evidence, with the solution always remaining just out of reach.

Acting performances are uniformly strong and the stellar cinematography underscores the dark, macabre tone. Although more a character drama than action-thriller, “Memories of Murder” boasts a very cool chase on foot sequence at night that is on par with any classic action flick and should not be missed.