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Madeo (2009)

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mi-16evil
Koreans proving once again that they are making the best films in the world right now. 11 years 9 months ago
Siskoid
Post-Parasite, it's current and proper to check out the lesser-known films in Bong Joon-ho's filmography and 2009's Mother is totally worth the price of admission. Kim Hye-ja is impeccable as the eponymous, over-protective mother whose slow-witted son is charged with the murder of a school girl. There's only one thing to do and it's try to solve this murder mystery herself. But let's just say this is no Miss Marples. We're in the slums here, and desperation has been this woman's companion for a long time. What Bong Joon-ho is doing here is orchestrating a dance between cruel acts that are actually kindnesses, and kind acts that are actually cruelties, a most difficult balancing act that occasions some brutal twists of fate, well supported by his visuals. I especially like his close-ups, which are used for different effects, from the comic to the suspenseful, but always distinct and memorable. His interest in class struggle isn't as obvious in Mother, but people still prey on one another based on tiny increments of status. Mother is a more subtle work than much of what he's done since. 2 years 5 months ago
Jonathan_Hutchings
Bong joon-Ho, for my money, is the one of the best directors in the world. 11 years 7 months ago

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This movie ranks #11 in Korean Screen's 100 Greatest Korean Films

Korean Screen's 100 Grea…
11
This movie ranks #35 in BIFF's Asian Cinema 100

BIFF's Asian Cinema 100
35
This movie ranks #49 in Time Out’s The 100 Best Thrillers

Time Out’s The 100 Best …
49
This movie ranks #97 in iCheckMovies's 2000s Top 100

iCheckMovies's 2000s Top…
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This movie ranks #98 in KOFA's 100 Korean Films

KOFA's 100 Korean Films
98
This movie ranks #216 in TSPDT's 21st Century's Most Acclaimed Films

TSPDT's 21st Century's M…
216
This movie ranks #419 in TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest Films: 1001-2000

TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest F…
419
This movie ranks #470 in Cahiers du Cinéma's Annual Top 10 Lists

Cahiers du Cinéma's Annu…
470
This movie ranks #775 in Sight & Sound's The Greatest Films of All Time

Sight & Sound's The Grea…
775