Mother

Directed by: Boon Ho-Jong

Starring: Hye-Ja Kim, Bin Won, Ku Jin, Mi-Sun Jun

Synopsis:

Yoon Do-joon is a mentally-challenged young man who lives with his mother,. When a teenage girl is murdered late one night, Yoon Do-joon is implicated in the crime and the police consider it an open-and-shut case, deciding they have better things to do than investigate further. It is up to Do-joon’s mother to prove her son’s innocence, at any cost…

Review:

Director Boon Ho-Jong has followed up his internationally acclaimed creature-feature, The Host, with an intricately played murder mystery with a very unconventional heroine.

The opening scenes of Mother tells the audience everything about the relationship between Yoon Do-Joon and his mother: She is reluctant to let him out of her sight, even when she should be concentrating on the roots she is chopping in her boss’s storehouse. Do-Joon on the other hand wants more independence, even though he really doesn’t know how to cope with it.

We also learn a lot about Do-joon’s mental problems – he has difficulty remembering anything or concentrating on what he is doing. When he and his friend Jin-Tae go to the golf course to get revenge on some snooty professors who knocked Do_Joon over in a hit-and-run, he loses track of why they are there and needs constant reminding by his friend.

It takes a while for the “who-dunnit” plot to kick into gear. Before that we are shown the callous attitude of the police. It’s been years since the last murder in their town, and they want to get this one squared away as soon as possible. The fact that there is a golf-ball with Do-Joon’s name on it near the body is enough to convince them that he is the murderer. Even though the lead detective is aware of Do-Joon’s mental problems (he dealt with the incident on the golf course earlier), he is content to let Do-Joon sign a confession he can hardly understand.

Once Do-joon’s mother starts to investigate, the film really starts to shift, as she uses her old-lady demeanour and charm to disarm and tease information out of people and begins to build a completely new perspective on the motives behind the murder. Hye-Ja Kim’s performance is what carries the film, her devotion to her son and determination to prove him innocent driving events. What makes her interesting is that she isn’t infallible: she is prone to jump to conclusions as much as the police did, and her assertions that her son couldn’t hurt anyone flies in the face of the advice she’d given him to kick the ass of anyone who calls him a retard. Her investigation challenges her expectations and prejudices – and those of the audience. The plot never takes the easy option, no matter how obvious the signposts may seem..

Bin Won also does good work as the simpleton Yoon Do-Joon. Without resorting to “Rain Man” style tics, he makes Do-Joon a lovable and sympathetic character, in danger of being chewed up by the draconian judicial system. Ku Jin, as Jin-tae, is also excellent and plays a complex character, at times reprehensible, sinister and sympathetic.

Mother utilises a lot of interesting filming techniques. Steadicam is used to propel the viewer through the winding streets and alleyways as Do-Joon drunkenly makes his way home. When we first see the body of the murdered girl, she is hanging forward over a roof-top balcony, with the camera looking up at ground level. After a moment, a person peeks into the shot, followed by another, making both look very isolated. However, soon the camera pulls back a little to show that these are two of the detectives, surrounded by scurrying crime-lab assistants.

I have one niggle with the film. When the truth behind the murder is finally revealed, it is told be someone who himself has been implicated through a certain piece of evidence. There is a slight logic gap here, which I’m sure some of you will pick up on. However it by no means derails the denouement, which provides one final kick to the gut.

Verdict

An excellent, character-driven murder mystery, centred on a great performance by Kye-ja Kim. Recommended.

8 out of 10 (MikeOutWest)

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