Mother

This South Korean thriller, arthouse movie, family and psychoanalytic horror, comes from Bong Joon-Ho.
It is a terrific film in some respects, if a little disjointed and very, very peripatetic. It starts off rather lazily, a bit unfocussed in its narrative stance but with some arresting images (golf course, wheat field, threshing) and a nice line in deadpan camerawork. The appreciation of inanimate objects, the takes of camera movement rather than cutting, and some long shots of characters framed against a wall all give it a very art house feel.
The film never drags though as it suddenly turns itself into a thriller, a complex plot led one, which still finds time for some lovely visual touches but does rather let them take a backseat to the plot. At times the tone of this section reminded us of the (better film, though that is no criticism of 'Mother') 'Hana-bi', the hard violence, almost comic book, mixed with a certain grittiness. This section is good, but as it unwinds towards the end the film settles back into more of a formalist piece, with the wonderful long ending shot capping it off.
Thematically, this is a smart film. It is probably a cynical one to, taking in its wierdness, violence, the hiding and discovery of blood, a negative view of what can happen in the process of motherhood.
This is a film to relish, endlessly layered thematically and formally fascinating in parts. It meanders along a bit, with some nice pointlessness showing a certain sense of humour, and is the kind of film that will be appreciated more as it flowers in the caverns of our memories. Terrific stuff.