Mother

• A South Korean thriller with a disorienting story and a universal subject. The plot, steeped in darkness, delivers suspense and numerous twists. The lead character is powerful and charismatic. A solid and touching film, intelligently written, featuring excellent direction and magnificent shots. After 'The Host', Bong Joon-ho delivers a superb illustration of maternal love pushed to its absolute fever pitch!

• At times, "Mother" is a hair-raising thriller, but at other times it has wonderfully witty comedic tones. At its heart, however, the film is an oddball murder mystery led by an incredibly beautiful performance from South Korean soap opera star Hye-ja Kim. Edited and shot with dynamic precision, "Mother" is not only too gorgeous for words, it's also easily one of the best films of 2010.

• A wonderful thriller, unraveled masterfully by a director destined to leave a strong legacy in the Korean cinematic history, with exceptional performance by Hye-ja Kim playing the mother whose protective instincts drive her to extremes.

• An immense Kim Hye-ja (and I insist, truly immense) completely commands the screen with her presence. The director had to wait several years to work with this veteran of television comedy in her home country, but once you see the result, you understand that his patience was entirely justified.

• The Korean director picks up the seed of 'Memories of Murder' and opens the film with a radical, singular scene in which a woman approaches the camera dancing in an open field, kicking off a remarkably curated succession of scenes. Blending drama, thriller, and touches of dark comedy, this medley of genres takes the best from each to gradually unravel and shape them in service of the story, rather than the other way around.

1 / 5