THE MOTHER

This film features twists and turns that so surprise the viewer that you really cannot predict what is around the corner. A Korean film produced by Bong Joon-Ho is part mystery, part horror, and even a little comedy. Yet it all is woven together in a way that only a master could put into a pattern that turns out beautiful and fascinating. It begins simply enough when we see the mother , the central character and played with boldness by Kim Hay-Ja, keeping a close eye on her son who is partially retarded. He cannot protect himself and is too often taken advantage of by his best friend. Each of these characters are presented in a striking way and with completely different personnas: The overprotective mother, the simple son, and the friend who is a bully. What a triad! The film gathers steam when a murder of a sexually precocious teen ager takes place with the town folk suspecting the son. We have no idea who is the guilty party. It seems impossible to imagine that the son committed the murder. Perhaps it was his nasty friend. As the film moves quickly along there are other suspects. In spite of the huge variety of suspense,suspects, and Hitchcockian like moments, the mother remains the one constant in the story. She is single minded, daring, and willing to go to any lengths to prove her sons innocence. We sympathize with her and are amazed at how she hounds everyone in town. I highly recommend this film. If you go see it, hold onto your hats!

One of my favorite Jewish Jokes:

Yeshiva U. decided to field a crew team. Unfortunately, they lost race after race. They practiced for hours every day, but never managed to come in any better than dead last. Their coach, at his wits end, decided to send their captain whose name was Yankel to spy on the Harvard team. So Yankel shlepped off to Cambridge and hid in the bullrushes off the Charles River, from where he carefully watched the Harvard team as they practiced.

Yankel returned to Yeshiva. "I have figured out their secret," he announced.

"They have eight guys rowing and only one guy shouting."

This and That

One of the loveliest and haunting pieces of music I have recently heard is Dimitri Shostakovitch 's music,"From Jewish Folk Poetry". Prokofiev did something similar but not nearly as authentic as S. did. I know that Shotakovitch despised Prokofiev's music. I do not know whether that went both ways. I believe that Shostakovitch was one of those Soviets who believed that P. ran off to Paris for several years because he could not stand the musical competition in Russia. The irony for Prokofiev was that when he got to Paris he was in competition with Igor Stravinsky. That was also a competition he could not win. I do believe that S. suffered much more under Stalin's watchful eye and ear than P. did. There was a small period of time when S.'s music was not heard in Soviet concert halls. According to some, Shostakovitch always had his bags packed to go to Siberia. He was under constant stress. There is a lot of mythology about S. One view is that in a few of his pieces for Chamber music there is hidden meaning which was suggestive of anti-Stalin repression.

A Single Man

A Single Man

I would like to share some personal thoughts on "A Single Man". As most of the reviewers say the acting from both Colin Firth and Julianne Moore are magnificent. Colin Firth shows his great range of acting in a demanding role of a man suffering from terrible grief and loss; while Moore gives another magnificent performance to her already considerable list of great performances. She plays her role with great understanding of what it would be like for a woman in love with a man who is unavailable to her. She is also wonderful as a great lush who is feels very sorry for herself and her predicament. I do think that for gays this is a period piece. This was a time before the gay liberation of 1969 when most of us were in the closet. How heartbreaking it is for Firth to learn that he is not invited to the funeral. How typical of the time to bury their sons' homosexuality. To the movie's credit this disappointment and mean spiritedness is downplayed. After all, this was then and not now. A further example of the films' attachment to the period was the seduction going on toward the conclusion of the film between Firth and his young student. As a viewer I was hoping the two of them would get together both physically and emotionally. This would help Firth with his pain. As far as we know this did not happen. Instead there was open flirtation and nudity between them but no act of consummation. Disappointing for the viewer but BRAVO for the film.