The MoFo Top 100 Neo-noir Countdown

Mother is a slow moving film that is as much about it's titular character's growing desperation as it is about the murder mystery at its centre. It can be tense and unnerving at times, but as with many of Joon-ho's other films, it still contains the occasional dose of dark humour that is a little more obvious in the first act than later on. The film starts strong, then meanders a little in the middle, before closing with a strong finish. The first time I watched it, I found it so compelling that I didn't even notice that the central character was never given a name.

Kim Hye-ja's performance as the unnamed mother is simply fantastic. Her character's commitment to her son is the driving force behind the plot, and as such Hye-ja carries the bulk of the film's emotional weight on her shoulders. While the mystery she is attempting to unravel is interesting enough in its own right, it is the mother's plight that captivated me throughout the film. It's hard not to sympathize with the poor, single mother who, though a little overbearing, clearly loves her son.

The son's mental disability is never fully explained, but I don't think giving the audience his diagnosis would change anything. He's clearly a little naïve, and has issues with recollection and handling unexpected and stressful moments. The first scene at the police station is evidence that he'll agree with an incorrect version of events when someone else leads him into them, and that is all that is needed to set up his later situation. I appreciate the manner in which the story is told, and the unexpected turns it takes to set it apart from the typical thriller.