Mother (Bong Joon-ho, 2009)

9/10
Very interesting, very clever film directed and written by Bong Joon-ho. The film is about a mother trying to prove her mentally-challenged son innocent of a terrible crime, and that may sound plain but the movie is anything but. Bong has an uncanny way of simultaneously framing his scenes with tragedy and comedy so you're really not sure whether to laugh or feel depressed. The "murder mystery" aspect is also well done and the outcome is handled with great care when it might feel cheap in the hands of a lesser director. Two scenes as beautiful as any I've come across all year bookend the film and I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Kim Hye-ja, who is sensational in the role of the mother.