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MOTHER (MADEO)Movie Reviews
Korean language crime drama about a fiercely devoted mother who will stop at nothing to discover who framed her simpleton son for the murder of a young woman. Cast:Kim Hye-Ja, Won Bin, Jin Goo, Park Eun-kyoDirector:Bong Joon-hoRelease Date:March 12, 2010DVD Release:July 20, 2010From:MagnoliaRating:RLength:2 hr 8 min
Mother (Madeo) played in key cities to outstanding reviews. • Joe Morgenstern wrote in the Wall Street Journal, "An absolutely phenomenal film by the Korean director Bong Joon-ho... This is filmmaking of a high order." • And V.A. Musetto wrote in the New York Post, "...another winner by Bong... Now if only someone in New York will release his feature debut, the biting black comedy 'Barking Dogs Never Bite' (2001)." More Reviews Below...
James Berardinelli, Reel Views: VERY GOOD(cg) "Unique and weirdly compelling in its entirety... concludes in a manner that solves all (or nearly all) outstanding riddles and leaves the characters in satisfying states."(See all of James Berardinelli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 713 words, 03/17/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...labyrinthine and deceptive... Long after a conventional thriller would have its destination in plain sight, 'Mother' is still penetrating our assumptions."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 831 words, 03/25/10
V.A. Musetto, New York Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...yet another winner by Bong... Now if only someone in New York will release his feature debut, the biting black comedy 'Barking Dogs Never Bite' (2001)."(See all of V.A. Musetto's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 342 words, 03/12/10
Andy Klein, Chicago Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "The easy comparison here is to Hitchcock, but Bong moves at a slower pace, more like Claude Chabrol.... Bong certainly knows how to generate suspense..."(See all of Andy Klein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 590 words, 03/26/10
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: MODERATE "...wonderfully loopy... Bong has been to too many film festivals and seen too many glacial Asian dramas.... The finale is good and nasty, but it's too long in coming."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 181 words, 03/12/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...labyrinthine and deceptive... Long after a conventional thriller would have its destination in plain sight, 'Mother' is still penetrating our assumptions."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 831 words, 03/25/10
J. Hoberman, Village Voice/LA Weekly: VERY GOOD "Bong Joon-ho's follow-up to 'The Host'... a more subtle, yet no less visceral, horror-comedy, fully worthy of its primal title."(See all of J. Hoberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 431 words, 03/10/10
Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Beautifully lensed -- a shot of a puddle growing from a bottle of spilled water moving across the floor is stunning... has all the elements of a top-notch dramatic thriller."(See all of Linda Barnard's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 475 words, 03/26/10
Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a noir murder mystery, a family melodrama, a social comedy, a political allegory. But the wrapping is less tidy here and, occasionally, the strain shows."(See all of Rick Groen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 692 words, 03/26/10
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "Mother is more grotesque than heroic. Yet as freakish as she sounds, she comes across not as a caricature, but merely as a kind of profoundly misguided Everywoman."(See all of Michael O'Sullivan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 503 words, 03/26/10
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...offers a series of beautifully composed scenes and sequences, and there's an eerie, Hitchcockian vibe, but also a bit of Lynchian weirdness..."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 231 words, 03/19/10
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle/San Francisco Chronicle: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...alluring... an artful whodunit that melds shrewd plotting with resourceful camera work and sympathetic characters that are fascinatingly, morbidly off."(See all of Amy Biancolli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 566 words, 03/18/10
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "With 'Mother,' you get it all: sex, cops, suspense, family melodrama, multiple homicides, comedy, acupuncture and big heaping helpings of poetic injustice."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 502 words, 04/02/10
Richard Nilsen, Arizona Republic: EXCELLENT(cg) "...it's accessible at every moment, and we come away feeling that human character is more complex, and perhaps darker, than any studio is willing to test an audience with."(See all of Richard Nilsen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 389 words, 03/26/10
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...in his mesmerizing murder mystery, Korean writer-director Bong Joon-ho doesn't shy away from taking on the nurturing, the unconditional, even the nutty."(See all of Lisa Kennedy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 551 words, 04/16/10
Clint O'Connor, Cleveland Plain-Dealer: GOOD(cg) "...has an interesting look and tone... Unfortunately, Bong dwells too long on his less interesting scenes, which weighs the production down with sluggish pacing."(See all of Clint O'Connor's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 317 words, 04/23/10
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Bong is an enormous talent, filling the film with ideas and emotions, bringing the story through surprising turns... A great film."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 177 words, 03/26/10
Tom Long, Detroit News: EXCELLENT(cg) "Disturbing, enthralling and filled with interesting shots that reflect an artist's eye... the film reveals itself slowly, with the tight pain of a needle being pushed too far into skin."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 498 words, 04/16/10
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: VERY GOOD(cg) "The movie's utter lack of predictability helps to keep you engaged, even if some of the plot turns are a bit baffling... You've never met a mother quite like this one."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 482 words, 04/23/10
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (6 Reviews)
J. Hoberman, Village Voice/LA Weekly: VERY GOOD "Bong Joon-ho's follow-up to 'The Host'... a more subtle, yet no less visceral, horror-comedy, fully worthy of its primal title."(See all of J. Hoberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 431 words, 03/10/10
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...the finest work yet by a filmmaker who knows how to turn the toxins poisoning our lives into a figment of savage power and delight."(See all of Peter Keough's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 166 words, 03/22/10
Noel Murray, AV Club: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Bong carefully turns this into a classic gumshoe tale, with red herrings, interrogations, and moments of sublime suspense.... the movie is also a superior character sketch..."(See all of Noel Murray's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 381 words, 03/11/10
Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...takes an unpredictable approach... The audience never knows when 'Mother' will make concessions to the formula, and when it'll deconstruct them."(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 472 words, 03/17/10
HIGHBROW PRESS (3 Reviews)
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: OUTSTANDING "...absolutely phenomenal... By turns the story is comical... satirical... startling... sometimes deeply shocking.... This is filmmaking of a high order."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 540 words, 03/12/10
Anthony Lane, New Yorker: GOOD "...a tribute to the leading actress Kim Hye-ja... Toward the end, something wrecks the movie's equipoise... Still, there remains so much to relish and remember..."(See all of Anthony Lane's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 781 words, 03/08/10
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
Derek Elley, Daily Variety: VERY GOOD "Less visionary than Bong's 2003 serial-killer mystery, 'Memories of Murder,' but with the same skillfully natural evocation of a rural community hiding dark secrets..."(See all of Derek Elley's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 646 words, 06/02/09
Maggie Lee, Hollywood Reporter: OUTSTANDING "...zooms in on one character with smothering intensity to examine the primal quality of motherhood.... a superb murder mystery..."(See all of Maggie Lee's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 585 words, 05/17/09
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: OUTSTANDING "...absolutely phenomenal... By turns the story is comical... satirical... startling... sometimes deeply shocking.... This is filmmaking of a high order."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 540 words, 03/12/10
14.6 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Mother (Madeo)'s reviews are separated by an average 14.6 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Mother (Madeo) (35 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Mother (Madeo)'s reviews cover 44.0% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 16,075 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 459 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 45.3 Hours After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Mother (Madeo)'s reviews on average broke 45.3 hours after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Mother (Madeo)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Mother (Madeo) (35 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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