OBSERVER: Rourke’s Reviews
Mother
(M). 127 minutes. Now streaming on Netflix.
Not to be confused with Bong Joon-ho’s outstanding 2009 drama, this dark look at a destructive mother-son relationship is also first-rate viewing, even if its unflinching approach may turn off some audiences.
Masami Nagasawa stars as Akiko, a single mother who floats through life, sponging off the goodwill of others, in particular her parents and younger sister.
Aikiko’s young son Shuhei (played at this age by Sho Gunji, then later in the film as a teen by Daiken Okudaira) stays by her side, despite the growing fact that his mother shows disinterest, even disdain, for his wellbeing.
After her family refuses to help any more, Akiko meets wild club host Ryo (Sadao Abe), who seems as irresponsible as she is, and the two begin a tumultuous relationship.
Following two confrontations, one of which is Akiko telling Ryo she is pregnant, the story takes a number of messy, disturbing turns. As this disquieting drama plays out (built upon a true-life incident which occurred in 2014), I couldn’t help but think of Hirokazu Kore-eda’s 2004 masterpiece, Nobody Knows, except in this case, the parent is still present in the child’s life. Akiko infects Shuhei’s mind so completely, that he sees himself both disconnected from everyone around him, while feeling there is an overwhelming bond with his mother that cannot be broken. Nagasawa (Our Little Sister, I Am A Hero, Before We Vanish, Masquerade Hotel), one of Japan’s best actors, is extraordinary as Akiko, delivering a searing performance that avoids cliche or character simplification.
Abe (Dreams For Sale, The Apology King, Birds Without Names), another acclaimed performer, also offers a terrific turn as the unreliable Ryo, Kaho (Bindly In Love, My Friend A, A Beloved Wife) is reliably strong as a kindly social worker, while Gunji and Okudaira are perfectly cast as the young and teen Shuhei respectively.
Co-writer/director Tatsushi Omori (The Ravine Of Goodbye, Seto & Utsumi, the two Tada’s Do-It-All House movies) refuses to bring any kind of sentimentality to the material, not wanting to soften the edges of this doomed tale, and as such has created a film that will be hard to shake for many viewers.
RATING – ****
Gretel and Hansel
(M). 87 minutes. Now available on DVD.
Relying on a heavy sense of mood and atmosphere rather than cheap shocks or gore, this understated, beautifully crafted feature proves to be an intriguing variation on the classic Grimm fairy tale. Gretel (Sophia Lillis, from both It movies) this time around is a teen who experiences dreamlike premonitions, who along with her much younger brother Hansel (Samuel Leakey), are kicked out of their meagre home by their mentally unstable mother, who cannot afford to keep them anymore.
Wandering the woods, the two initially come across a kindhearted woodsman (Charles Babalola), who offers them brief shelter, but later on during their travelings encounter the much more enigmatic Holda (a wonderful Alice Krige), whose residence appears humble outside, but is impossibly spacious inside.
Holda serves up a non-stop buffet of elaborate, mouth-watering food to her guests, but Gretel begins to wonder how their host can continually produce such bountiful feasts every day. She will soon find out.
Screenwriter Rob Hayes plays around with the famous story in a fairly clever manner, but it is director Osgood Perkins (February, I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives In The House, Longlegs, The Monkey), aided by a superb technical crew, expertly transports us to another time and place, and creates something that is truly gorgeous to look at.
Though Krige steals the film, Lillis is good as the level-headed Gretel, even if her American accent grates against the decidedly European setting and British cast.
Apart from a rather unnecessary voiceover narration, Gretel & Hansel is a low-key gem that is worth seeking out. I just wish that such a visually stunning film was also available on blu-ray.
RATING – ***½
Aaron Rourke