Like France’s A Prophet and Argentina’s The Secret in Their Eyes, South Korea’s Academy Award submission Mother is another hard-boiled crime film. Is there something in the global consciousness that is bringing the archetypes of the criminal and the noir hero back into favorperhaps a feeling that being a moral person is more difficult than ever in today’s world? That’s the question at the heart of Mother, in which an illegal acupuncturist’s (Kim Hye-ja) life is turned upside down when her mentally challenged son is accused of a schoolgirl’s murder. Through the lens of cinema, at least, it makes for compelling, masterful art.Classic noir archetypes like a faceless hero (the main character is known only as Mother) and a single clue linking her son to the murder are the only familiar signposts in a film that quickly outstrips what we expect from American mystery films. Mother is an unlikely investigator, but proves remarkably dogged as she attempts to untangle the plot. The viewer, a level removed, has an even more difficult task. Rumination is interrupted by equally dark violence and humor, as well as true connection between characters. Director Bong Joon-ho touched on all of these themes in his last film, The Host, a mish-mash of monster movie motifs and social satire.American filmgoers who are falling out of love with movies after this year’s dismal summer fare (with a few notable exceptions) will find much to admire in Mother. It goes beyond the labels of “foreign” or “art” film and simply becomes “great cinema”, in the sense that it rivets the viewer to their seat and invites conversation as soon as the credits roll. Mother is now out on DVD. Do yourself a favor and buy it, because just one viewing won’t be enough.