Reviews

This little-known addition to the over-saturated horror>possession genre was a bit better than some more well-known films of its kind. It distinguishes itself from the pack. The CGi was surprisingly good and the scares are more than just jumps. I think that what's missing here is more chilling elements that could have been woven into the environment or into the story itself. I found our protagonist to be more sympathetic than the ones seen in most of these films. He's a well-behaved, kind teen with respectable aspirations yet doesn't come off at all creepy. He discovers a sealed box hidden within his grandmother's armoire, opens it, and learns a lesson that all thriller and horror fans know: leave mysterious boxes closed! Within it is a cross pendant that belonged to the late grandfather that his parents wished their son would have never met.

** Spoilers Begin ** Our protagonist is primarily fending off the terrifying spirit which seeks to possess him rather than the other characters attempting to rescue him. It's those who are close to him that are attacked by the entity rather than him directly. The entity haunts him at night and he leads and fairly undisturbed, normal teen life during the day until one day things inexplicably turn ugly. The change in the boy is sudden and dramatic. As an audience, we're as perplexed as those characters close to him must be. The boy's obsession with the cross pendant and with the grandfather that he can't remember is central to the haunting. The boy's faith and spirituality make him tasty prey to the spirit poised to possess him. These strengths of character also prove to be his greatest defense. ** Spoilers End **

Curiously, this film won several awards. It's made curious because it's not a great masterpiece nor particularly outstanding in any way. It is worthwhile watching if it's a slow night or you're great fan of this film genre.

Score 6.7/10

!*SPOILERS*! !*SPOILERS*! !*SPOILERS*!

It's refreshing that our protagonist has Alzheimer's Dementia yet isn't portrayed as some pitiful victim of the condition. Byung-su's mind was disappearing, but his body...his hands were still finely attuned to the act of murder as though it were a natural reflex.

Age, injuries from an old car accident, and his love for his 18 year old daughter deter him from murdering anymore. Murder, as he described, came naturally to him. He was born that way. He murdered those that he considered to be scumbags, he was taking out the trash. His victims were bad people who didn't deserve to live. So, Byung-su begins to type a detailed memoir of his life and crimes.

It is said by his caregiver that her prayers were answered by his worsening condition, he could now forget the terrible things that he had committed and be naive and innocent like a child again.

When journalists report several deaths that were similar to his own m.o., Byung-su begins to wonder if he's the culprit. Is he murdering again without any memories of the events?

He travels to an exceptionally remote bamboo forest where he once buried his victims in order to investigate. As fate would have it, he's involved in a car accident in this very isolated area. Blood drips from the damaged rear-end of a young man's car, and inside the trunk Byung-su see's a duffle bag soaked in blood. He slyly swabs the blood with a napkin in order for his police officer pal to examine it. The other driver (Tae-ju) explains that it's a dead deer. Byung-su knows Tae-ju's lying and he's a copy-catting fellow serial killer.

Byung-su struggles to differentiate reality from fantasy. Delusions, black-outs and hallucinations dominate his failing consciousness. He utilizes a hand-held recorder to capture important events and conversations. The audience experiences his confusion and fantasies just as Byung-su does. It is something like an LSD trip. Sometimes he's lucid, yet his memory is foggy at best. He experiences many flashbacks but cannot be certain if his recollections are accurate. Sometimes our suspicious antagonist seems trustworthy and innocent. He's employed as a police officer and begins dating Byung-su's teen-aged daughter. He treats her very well and the pair fall madly in love. Byung-su is far from enthusiastic about this.

This film may be confusing ride for many people, but it's a treat to be able to experience the world as a person with this condition does. It was well done and comprehensible in my experience. what's real, what's just paranoia? This film really demands your attention, I did this and wasn't too confounded by it.

This is a Korean film and the dialogue is Korean. There are accurate English subtitles. The acting is so superb that subtitles aren't even warranted for some scenes. Emotions are expressed very well through body language and voice tone.

The fight scenes and one of the car accident scenes were very intense. They were so intense that I can't imagine the actors (or stunt doubles) walking away without significant injuries. The director did a good job choosing locations and provoking strong performances from each actor/actress. The special effects and makeup artists fullassed it, their attention to detail was obvious by a raw realisticness. It's visually interesting and what we see of the landscape is fairly well done. Camera work was fine with ideal placement and adequate lighting. There's little to no music, and gore isn't excessive. The gore we do see is informational, helping the story to move along.

The story is engaging but has numerous plot holes. For example: How and when he acquired Eun-hee (his "daughter") is never explained. We can only assume that her parents were rotten people that he did away with, and he "adopted" their little toddler. It's all- together a nicely produced Asian thriller that I'd certainly recommend to friends.

I agree with the majority of the finely articulated reviews previously posted. There are deviations from the novel that are inexplicable and a nuisance. Firstly, the geography, moved from Russia to Scotland yet the characters indicate a tale better suited to the American South.

It's vigorous exercise to accept that certain events and behaviors took place. If they were excluded though, it would have made for a much less entertaining film!

The pacing was brilliant, not too slow not fast. It's hard to judge how much time has lapsed. How long was Katherine subjected to harsh subservience following her wedding before the "Masters" left her? How long did she toy with Sebastian and take daily strolls before he appears at her bedroom door? How long did their torrid, carnal affair last before the Masters of the home returned? There are indications that long periods lapse between each event but one cannot be certain.

The setting was subtly striking and realistic. It's not opulent nor colorful as seen in other period films. The most colorful object is a royal blue, restrictive dress Katherine wears as she sits silently, austierly... quite literally bored stiff. The furnishings and style of decor show great attention to detail and accuracy. As others have mentioned, only the breed of the cat is maligned to the time period. I didn't find it to be a bother, I was pleased a cat was there at all since they were necessary in manors.

Most of the characters are nasty, unsavory people with little or no redeeming qualities. Poor long- suffering Anna, an indescript servant girl, the Grandmother Agnes, and little Teddy are the only ones with measurable humanity. They add heart where there's otherwise nothing but selfish indignity and ruthlessness.

Katherine is a cunning villianess, a sociopath from the high class. She's not only driven by boredom, rebellion and lust but deep seated sadism, entitlement, and indifference for others. She has no remorse for her actions, not ever. That's the very definition of an anti-social personality. Perhaps her husband rejected her because he could read behind her facade.

A more likely explanation for the husbands rejection and objectification of Katherine is that he did not want to give the father he resented the satisfaction he desired. He too, was rebellious and felt restricted. Thus, he fathered a bastard child with an "inappropriate" woman, and when his controlling father BOUGHT him an "appropriate" bride and demanded an heir, he resented it and refused to comply. His motivation seems clear enough to me.

Sweet little Teddy, the aforementioned "bastard" child should have been embraced by his paternal family not hidden away, and he should be the rightful heir to the estate. When he comes to claim his birthright we know he stands little chance. When Katherine unexpectedly warms to Teddy, and we watch their relationship develop, we have hope. We see genuine gentleness. Hope is short-lived as Teddy's presence becomes inconvenient. He becomes another victim of Katherines scheme that she and Sebastian live as Queen and King of the manor.

Katherine's plan was doomed even with the murderous elimination of human obstacles. Even moreso, because of them. I believe Sebastian would soon be fed up with her smothering ways and selfishness and he would have jetted. Sebastian was impetuous, selfish and predatory but he was not beyond feeling guilt or regret. I don't think that Katherine revealing that she was pregnant would have kept him there either.

In the last moments of the film, with Sebastian, Anna, and Agnes now fine we see Katherine contemplating her predicament. She's pregnant, alone, and the birth of the child will be her undoing. One shudders to imagine how she'll eliminate the next victim.

Character development is well communicated, even in silence. It was beautiful to watch how well the performers conveyed their thoughts and emotions with a simple stare or expression. The direction was near flawless in this respect. The camera- work was also noteworthy with picture-perfect framing and angles, and also with the scenic shots.

The last 12 months have been cinematically impressive ones, producing works such as this. It is another that I will eagerly add to my collection.

***SPOILERS***

This is the sort of film that will not resonate well with general audiences. It's a major allegory. There is a great deal of symbolism and some shocking scenes.

It's disheveled, bizarre, heavily message-laden, and at times unbearably cruel. Simply put, it's crazier than a bag full of wet feral cats.

If you're easily offended or dislike the type of material I described , I suggest you remove the lug wrench from your posterior orifice and go watch "My Little Pony" instead.

There's a husband, he's an aloof, day-dreaming, revered poet struggling with writer's block. He has a certain disconnection from his wife. His wife is younger, beautiful, creative and capable. She's nurturing and attentive. The couple live alone in a large, lovely country estate. The house had previously been destroyed by fire and mother is working very hard to restore the home. Curiosities abound as she does home repairs. She wants to reconnect with her husband, see his writing succeed, and have a child.

A traveling man mistakes the home for a B&B, but mother's husband openly welcomes the guest. It turns out that he didn't make a mistake. The man (Adam) was dying and he desperately wanted to meet his idol, the poet. The man complains of abdominal pain (rib) and the next day his wife arrives (Eve).

The man's wife (Eve) is obnoxious and meddling. She accidentally breaks the one item in the home that she was told not to touch: a crystal-like stone that the husband recovered from the ashes of his home (the Apple of knowledge/free will). The husband is devastated by this and furious for a while, yet he continues to host his guests.

The couple is later visited by their quarreling sons. They are fighting over their father's inheritance (old testament, Cain and Abel). One son kills the other in the home, but mother is unable to remove the bloodstain. It will not vanish (evil/violence), it has permeated the wooden floor.

Mother and husband argue yet end up having intercourse. The moment she awakes she ridiculously announces that she's pregnant. They are both overjoyed and the husband is suddenly inspired to write the most remarkable poem ever written. It's soon published for the world to read.

The last two-thirds of mother! is insensible and difficult to watch at times. Mother is heavily pregnant and heart-breakingly helpless to stop the flood of intruders who have come to praise or show their repulsion with the husband/poet. Hell breaks loose. Mother is unable to restore order and protect her beloved home. Her husband seems oblivious. There's total chaos as the house is overrun by reckless people from all walks of life.

The peaceful, beautiful house that was lovingly restored by mother is in shambles. The house had once lived and breathed, as though the house and mother were one entity.

Her husband nonchalantly forgives the destructive trespassers and revels in their worship of him instead. He was mesmerized by his "fans" admiration and praise and ignored their terribly rotten behavior. He could have stopped the madness but chose to ignore it instead.

mother! is certainly not for everyone. Director Aronofsky plainly said in an interview that he doesn't care whether viewers love it or hate it, he's just pleased that viewers have strong reactions.

Reviewers who claim that the film was written in just 5 days are mistaken. Only the first draft was completed in 5 days. It took much longer for the final script to be completed.

It's strongly religious, emulating various biblical figures and events while conveying a critical message about our abuse of our planet/environment. If you do not have a good understanding of the bible/Christianity then you will be hopelessly confused. On the other hand, those with a strong Christian understanding and faith may feel insulted.

I appreciate Aronofsky's bold and brazen vision. I watched the movie a second time and it will be a fine addition to my massive collection. A good film will always leave the viewer with something; it could be a song, a joke, paranoia, arousal, curiosity, anger or introspection. The latter two can be attributed to mother! It will make you think.

*** For those of you wondering what the yellow powder mother consumes is...it is POLLEN. Mother obviously represents Mother Nature. She stays indoors at all times though, never outdoors. Pollen is flora seeds, they're critical to the reproduction of living things. When mother woke one morning and proclaimed her pregnancy, she threw away the pollen.

*Very Minor Potential Spoiler* 7.3 Stars. This is a film based upon a novel.

It's 1999 in New York. Our leading lady is an apathetic yet flaky woman who is leaving an office building where she has just been fired from her job as a temp. She isn't affected by it much, it's an inconvenience and it seems she's no stranger to getting fired nor quitting.

She comes home and tells the lounging silhouette of her jobless boyfriend Primo all about her day before eventually realizing he's stone dead. While the remote still rests in his hand, she nonchalantly presses a button to change the channel before she calls authorities who question her. We learn she's been in a relationship and living with her boyfriend for 6 months, but that it wasn't a relationship she considered serious. Neither party was particularly invested.

The next day, Mary and her best friend Zoe have a chance encounter with an art dealer who was romantic with Primo in his college days. The art dealer reveals Primo to have been someone completely different than the aimless, loser boyfriend she'd found dead in her apartment. He's an acclaimed writer and artist?! He went to college?! He actually had a romantic connection with another human?!

With piqued curiosity and graced with ample free time, Mary sets out to learn more about the dead boyfriend she never cared to know. Sordid and bizarre facts are discovered sometimes by pure chance, other times from candid tales shared by the very peculiar people Primo had been involved with during his life.

Mary begins to feel vested in something and no longer so indifferent about her dead boyfriend, nor about her own life as this wacky, twisted story unfolds.

Heather Graham stars as Mary, and although Heather is 46 years old she portrays a woman who is 26-32 and does it so well that I did a great deal of fact checking to convince myself that this was not a film that was actually shot in the late 90's/early 2000's. The filmmakers certainly could've gotten a 29 year old star for the role but their casting decision could not be more perfect. Graham was the late 90's/early 200's IT GIRL, and that made this somewhat nostalgic movie even more appealing. Everything was set perfectly to the time period, the fashions, the music, the technology and scenery, the dialogue and overall energy.

The film is billed as a comedy, I didn't find anything worthy of uproarious belly laughter but I stayed amused and chuckled out especially near the ending. There were more attempts at humor than were being conveyed, still I enjoyed it. There are a few sequences where we see into Mary's creative imagination and bizarre little scenes play out either of her past or of her dead boyfriend performing ridiculously. These didn't contribute much.

As is the case with many books-turned-movie's, the driving force is good storytelling that engages the audience. We not only learn a lot about the quirky characters in this story, but we have good fun in the process and are sent for a few dizzying loops.