CIFF 2009 – Mother (2009, South Korean)

Though less of an outright entertainment than The Host, Mother may be Bong Joon-Ho’s most accomplished film to date, focusing on the question of whether or not the truth is always good for us. A middle-aged shopkeeper’s (the amazing Kim Hye-Ja) mentally disabled son is arrested for a bizarre murder, and though the cops and community are convinced he’s guilty, she goes on a crusade to prove his innocence. Despite the dramatic – and somewhat tragic – storyline, Bong doesn’t dispense with his by-now trademark visual humor, some of which ventures into the range of slapstick. It’s a daring choice, as it could deflate the sense of seriousness necessary to the film, but instead the comic registers jarringly, heightening the tension inherent to the whodunit aspects of the film. It's a compulsive watch, cementing Bong's growing reputation as one of the most interesting new international filmmakers.