May 9th is Mother's Day and the Film Forum presents a somewhat unconventional tribute to Mom, from the director of The Host. Award-winning Hye-ja Kim plays the mother of 27-year-old Yoon Do-joon (Bin Won). Though an adult in years, Yoon Do-joon is naive and dependent on his mother, and is a constant source of anxiety as he often behaves foolishly--and is occasionally a danger to himself.
Walking home alone one night down a nearly empty city street, he follows a young girl who disappears into a dark alley. The next morning, she is found dead in an abandoned building and Do-joon is accused of her murder. Thanks to an inefficient and apathetic criminal justice system, Do-joon's case is quickly closed, but his mother refuses to let this be the end of the story. Trusting no one, Mother sets out to find the girl's killer and prove her son's innocence.
Mother won Best Film and Best Screenwriter at the Asian Film Awards. Hye-ja Kim won Best Actress at both the Asian Film Awards and the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. Mother was also nominated for an Independent Spirit Award.
"A slippery, marvelously crafted drama that suggests the psychological thrillers of Hitchcock or Henri-Georges Clouzot transposed to present-day Korea."
--Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com (Rated R for language, some sexual content, violence, and drug use.)
