Mother (aka Madeo) (2009)

When her simple minded son (Won-Bin) is arrested for the murder of a young girl, his mother (Kim Hye-ja) sets out to prove his innocence against all odds and against all costs. The journey will take her into the very (to borrow from Joseph Conrad) heart of darkness. As a film it suffers from the same problems that plagued Bong Joon-ho's popular and critically acclaimed THE HOST, the clumsy juxtaposition of broad comedy and melodrama which seems prevalent to several Korean films I've seen. Whereas THE HOST had a terrific beginning before stumbling its way toward the end, MOTHER opens awkwardly and has an uncomfortable first hour. It redeems itself in the second hour though ... and how, when Bong tightens it up considerably and concentrates on the background of and the circumstances leading up to the girl's murder. Hye-ja's performance has been lauded and justifiably so. It's the kind of roles actresses dream about playing and Hye-ja runs with it triumphantly. She's magnificent! In a smaller role, Jin Goo is impressive as the son's dubious friend.