It has a touching story but somewhere they lack in something, it could have been an absolute masterpiece but somewhere and somehow they missed the right spot in their story.
The acting was very good and convincing, I felt anger, despair and sadness. The acting did fit in the way that they made this movie, their work with their camera's, the positions, the emotions, the characters and the music. I woulnd't call it unique but it is different it is not the same as most of the movies.
This movie isn't giving it all away, it makes you wonder and think also in the ending of the movie. The 'dilemma' of this mother is really understandable and somehow it isn't. It is a movie that could give yourself a conflict "what would I have done in this situation?" you might ask yourself in this movie, and because of this they scored alot of points in this movie i.m.o.
Watch this if you like movies that won't give you an immediate answer.
Skip this movie if you want an easy movie that give you all the information and ends without you left thinking about it.
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Kim Hye-ja displays a reverse Oedipus complex, protective of her son. Bong's attention to detail is prevalent, using Kim's acupuncture needles as symbolism for males' genitals to reserve the male-female role. Do joon (Won Bin) also highlights a complicated male-female relationship when the murdered girl questions his masculinity, resembling when his friend questions if he has even been with a woman and replies in an outburst.
Much more daring in its use of violence compared to Bong’s similar films like Memories of Murder, Bong’s signature dark aesthetics and gritty tones is a plus in the film’s overall mood. Brutally endearing and heartfelt performances fill this feature.
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I can't begin to describe the disappointment I felt near the end. Every site I checked for this movie had great reviews and people saying that it is one of 'the best Korean movies ever made' but I strongly disagree. I've watched better Korean movies and I'm not saying this movie is bad.
It's average.
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High-quality but not something I would watch again
Mother’s story and theme is not something I normally would watch. But I recently saw Kim Hye Ja in “Radiant” and wanted to see more of Won Bin on screen so I checked it.If you are a fan of either of them, their acting does not disappoint. In Won Bin’s case, it’s such an interesting role to take side by side the gritty hard-action “Man from Nowhere” which was released in the same year. His limited portfolio is fascinatingly diverse in range.
Story-wise, there were plot developments that surprised me and though I’m not an expert, some shots were quite beautiful (more than your average cinema-pretty quality).
It’s just that the story and theme is so… morose? Which brings me back to my point that despite the film’s quality, the story and theme is really not for me and I definitely won’t be rewatching this nor actively recommending it to others.
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