Mother
Madeo
South Korea
2009
128 Min
Color
2.35:1
Korean
Synopsis
Widowed for a long time, a mother lives alone with her only son, Do-joon. He is 28 years old, a shy and quiet young man. In the aftermath of a terrible murder, the woman’s hopeless, helpless son becomes the prime suspect. There is no real evidence against him, but the police throw groundless suspicion at him simply because there is no way he can prove his innocence. Eager to close the case, the police are happy with their cursory investigation and arrest the boy. His defense attorney turns out to be incompetent and unreliable, making a conviction seem inevitable. Faced with no other choice, his mother gets involved, determined to prove her son’s innocence. —Cannes Film Festival
Director
Bong Joon-ho
BONG Joon-ho studied Sociology at the Yonsei University and graduated from the Korean Film Academy. By 1995 he made three short films Memories in My Frame, White Man and Incoherence. He wrote and directed his first feature, Barking Dogs Never Bite, which won a Fipresci Award at the Hong Kong Film Festival in 2001. His second feature Memories of Murder won the Silver Shell award for the best director in San Sebastian Film Festival in 2003. In 2006 his third feature film, The Host, was selected for the Directors’ Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival. —london.korean-culture.org
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Michael Harbour
13Jan12
After seeing two films by Joon-ho Bong, I think I've caught on to what his movies are about: passionately devoted, though not necessarily healthy, families. "Mother" examines a small two-person family through a decidedly Hitchcockian ordeal while his previous "The Host" tested an extended family through the grinder of a monster movie.
Aaron Garrett
15Nov11
I liked Mother quite a bit although I like it the least of his films (I love the others, in particular the hugely underrated Barking Dogs Don't Bite). But I think Trevork is spot on.
TrevorK
8Nov11
(...continued from previous post) ...are vastly more stunning both visually and in terms of narrative story-telling. As I said before, Mother is a film that follows convention in many ways, from building tension (closet scene with water bottle falling) to surrealist scenes (see Karaoke scene) to the final flashback twist. Park may use these conventions as well, but he does it with--for the most part--original style.
Aaron Garrett likes this
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Articles
Our roundup of essays and articles on this film.
"Green Zone," "Mother," "Children of Invention," More
By David Hudson on March 12, 2010
"Give director Paul Greengrass a completely fictional scenario into which he can weave multiple levels of tension and anxiety — for example
The Auteurs Daily: Toronto and NYFF. Mother
By David Hudson on October 6, 2009
"After giving free-floating dread a gargantuan, tentacled form in The Host, Bong Joon-ho returns to human-sized monsters in Mother." Fernando
Cannes 2009: An American Multiplex in Seoul ("Mother," Bong)
By Daniel Kasman on May 17, 2009
Bong Joon-ho, in South Korea, is making the movies Hollywood should be making—formally precise and inventive, slyly engaging but never overturning
Cannes 2009: A Host of Fools ("Mother," Bong)
By David Phelps on May 17, 2009
The weird thing about Bong Joon-ho’s Mother is that Bong keeps the thing back from burlesque exactly by going too far: a mother-loving idiot
Bong Joon-Ho's MOTHER Hits DVD November 5th.
By Twitchfilm.com on May 17, 2011
Okay fnas of Korean cinema in general and Bong Joon-Ho (The Host, Memories of Murder) in particular, it’s time to get happy. Bong’s latest thriller – Mother – has just been announced to hit DVD in Korea
HKAFF 09: MOTHER Review
By Twitchfilm.com on May 17, 2011
There are few things more satisfying than seeing a film you have eagerly awaited all year turn out to be just as impressive as you had hoped. This is certainly the case with MOTHER, a dark, suspenseful
Bong Joon-Ho Talks MOTHER
By Twitchfilm.com on May 17, 2011
On the eve of Bong Joon-Ho’s much loved thriller Mother hitting US screens – where you can see it now – regular contributor to these pages Diva Velez had the chance to sit and chat with the director.
Vancouver 09: MOTHER Review
By Twitchfilm.com on May 17, 2011
[Our thanks to Teresa Nieman for the following review.]The opening scene of Bong Joon-ho’s Mother is playful, funny and weirdly inviting as pint-sized dynamo (or, if you prefer, revered veteran actress
Mother Review
By Twitchfilm.com on May 17, 2011
The masterfully-composed frames of Joon-ho Bong’s latest always succeeds in drawing the eye – but just as often this unconventional thriller fails at drawing in the viewer’s emotions. Centering on a mother’s
TIFF 09: MOTHER Review
By Twitchfilm.com on May 17, 2011
The crimson mantle of light and shadows before sunrise, one last bittersweet goodbye to a day almost gone; their hands in the air, sparkles of youth from many moons past all together embracing that withering
MOTHER UK Blu-ray Review
By Twitchfilm.com on May 17, 2011
Bong Joon-ho’s follow up to Host (2006) is an enthralling, tragic, mystery thriller which owes much to Hitchcock but ploughs its own distinct route to your emotions, as it explores just how powerful the
Want to Give Mommy a Korean Bluray for Xmas?
By Twitchfilm.com on April 30, 2011
I know, I know, horrible pun. But when it’s news this welcome, everything goes.The Korean Bluray market has been notoriously lagging, mostly because it’s still a niche market and most people don’t really
Bong Joon-ho's 'Mother' wins big at Asian Film Awards
By Twitchfilm.com on April 29, 2011
Bong Joon-ho’s thriller Mother was the big winner at the fourth Asian Film Awards on Monday evening in Hong Kong taking home six AFAs including Best Film, Best Actress and Best Screenwriter. The City of
An Exclusive Clip From Bong Joon-Ho's MOTHER!
By Twitchfilm.com on April 29, 2011
With Bong Joon-Ho’s much acclaimed thriller Mother hitting US theaters Friday – i.e. in four hours – we have just been passed an exclusive clip from the film. What we get her is a clip of the title character……
Win A Signed Poster From Bong Joon-Ho's MOTHER!
By Twitchfilm.com on April 29, 2011
Look at that lovely poster for Bong Joon-Ho’s Mother. Admire it. Maybe stroke your screen a little. No imagine how good it would look signed by the director himself and hanging on your wall.Yes, Mother
MOTHER UK Blu-ray Review
By Twitchfilm.net on September 19, 2010
Bong Joon-ho’s follow up to Host (2006) is an enthralling, tragic, mystery thriller which owes much to Hitchcock but ploughs its own distinct route to your emotions, as it explores just how powerful the
HKAFF 09: MOTHER Review
By Twitchfilm.net on September 15, 2010
There are few things more satisfying than seeing a film you have eagerly awaited all year turn out to be just as impressive as you had hoped. This is certainly the case with MOTHER, a dark, suspenseful
Vancouver 09: MOTHER Review
By Twitchfilm.net on September 15, 2010
[Our thanks to Teresa Nieman for the following review.]The opening scene of Bong Joon-ho’s Mother is playful, funny and weirdly inviting as pint-sized dynamo (or, if you prefer, revered veteran actress
TIFF 09: MOTHER Review
By Twitchfilm.net on September 15, 2010
The crimson mantle of light and shadows before sunrise, one last bittersweet goodbye to a day almost gone; their hands in the air, sparkles of youth from many moons past all together embracing that withering
Mother Review
By Twitchfilm.net on September 11, 2010
The masterfully-composed frames of Joon-ho Bong’s latest always succeeds in drawing the eye – but just as often this unconventional thriller fails at drawing in the viewer’s emotions. Centering on a mother’s
Bong Joon-Ho's MOTHER Hits DVD November 5th.
By Twitchfilm.net on August 20, 2010
Okay fnas of Korean cinema in general and Bong Joon-Ho (The Host, Memories of Murder) in particular, it’s time to get happy. Bong’s latest thriller – Mother – has just been announced to hit DVD in Korea
Want to Give Mommy a Korean Bluray for Xmas?
By Twitchfilm.net on August 20, 2010
I know, I know, horrible pun. But when it’s news this welcome, everything goes.The Korean Bluray market has been notoriously lagging, mostly because it’s still a niche market and most people don’t really
Win A Signed Poster From Bong Joon-Ho's MOTHER!
By Twitchfilm.net on August 20, 2010
Look at that lovely poster for Bong Joon-Ho’s Mother. Admire it. Maybe stroke your screen a little. No imagine how good it would look signed by the director himself and hanging on your wall.Yes, Mother
An Exclusive Clip From Bong Joon-Ho's MOTHER!
By Twitchfilm.net on August 20, 2010
With Bong Joon-Ho’s much acclaimed thriller Mother hitting US theaters Friday – i.e. in four hours – we have just been passed an exclusive clip from the film. What we get her is a clip of the title character…
Bong Joon-Ho Talks MOTHER
By Twitchfilm.net on August 20, 2010
On the eve of Bong Joon-Ho’s much loved thriller Mother hitting US screens – where you can see it now – regular contributor to these pages Diva Velez had the chance to sit and chat with the director.
Bong Joon-ho's 'Mother' wins big at Asian Film Awards
By Twitchfilm.net on August 20, 2010
Bong Joon-ho’s thriller Mother was the big winner at the fourth Asian Film Awards on Monday evening in Hong Kong taking home six AFAs including Best Film, Best Actress and Best Screenwriter. The City of
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Reviews
Displaying 4 of 4
Mother
By Amir Syarif Siregar on May 1, 2010
Tahun 2009 mungkin dapat dikatakan sebagai salah satu tahun yang paling membanggakan bagi industri film Korea Selatan. Bagaimana tidak, dua film mereka, yang sama-sama bergenre thriller, mendapat rekognisi… read review
See, anyone is capable of murder … Madeo [Mother]
By jaredmobarak on April 11, 2010
The poster for Joon-ho Bong’s newest work Madeo [Mother], along with the one word title, screams thriller where the mother at hand will do anything for her child. Bin Won’s Yoon Do-joon appears wide… read review
Untitled
By Andhika Eka Buana on November 12, 2009
if i am an academy voter,i will try my best to make MOTHER become one of the nominee of 2010 oscar for best foreign film. that statement just tells just how brilliant this movie is. This is comes as… read review
Untitled
By Teddy Cheong on September 5, 2009
I will preface this by stating that Mother takes nurturing to a whole new level. This goes beyond simple breastfeeding and cooing. In fact, one particular scene even bordered along taboo lines. However… read review
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