Mother on Blu-ray was a visual and aural treat. But… as close as it was to being a great movie, it seems that modern Korean sensibility doesn’t translate easily. I remember being excited by the discovery of Ki-duk Kim’s magical Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring, and the subsequent, well-received screening of it at MovieNight. I think it worked because the subject matter was so other-worldly to us: a monk raising an orphan on a raft in the middle of a tranquil lake. I liked a lot of 3-Iron, Kim’s follow-up feature, but ultimately the premise was weak, and left me wanting. Although his next movie, Time, also had some great moments, the plot was fantastically silly. Perhaps a suspension of reality is a prerequisite to appreciation of such a movie (like a Bollywood epic?).

I wonder what our two Korean MovieNight guests thought… ?

More about this film on IMDb