These four Korean movies give the audience a glimpse into different aspects of motherhood.
Take Care of Mom
On top of the list is “Take Care of Mom”, the latest movie starring Kim Young Ok. In the center of the drama is Jeong Mai Im, an 85-year-old woman with a dislikable personality. She lives alone in a classic, Western-style home in Daegu with her dog.
Jeong Mal Im has an only son named Jong Wook, who is living in Seoul. Worrying over the health of his mother, Jong Wook wants to move in with her but she refuses out of fear that she will disturb his life and his family.
Jeong Wook hires Mi Seon to look after his mother. However, she tries to drive Mi Seon away so that she does not have to be at her child’s mercy. Nonetheless, something starts growing between Jeong Mal Im and Mi Seon. They start to have a mother-daughter-like bond after some time together.
However, when Jeong Wook makes a surprise visit to his mother’s house, he sees Mi Seon wearing the shirt gifted by his wife and is overwhelmed with disappointment. The suppressed conflicts start surfacing. However, it’s the family bond that holds them and brings everyone back together.
A Diamond in the Rough
“A Diamond in the Rough” stars a familiar name in the industry, Kim Hae Sook. She plays Soon Ok who has a son named Ki Kang. Tired of life in the countryside, Ki Kang moves to Seoul for a chance to change his life.
Unfortunately, Ki Kang is condemned as a criminal and receives a death sentence. It comes as Earth-shattering news to his mother, Hae Sook. However, she is determined to be his rock during his darkest days.
She travels miles to be with him, packs him stuff, and learns words to write a letter expressing her hopes and wishes to the authority. It’s a melancholic but beautiful “song” about motherhood and a reminder to cherish every minute one has with their mother.
The Preparation
“The Preparation” stars two veteran actors Go Doo Shim and Kim Sung Kyun. Kim Sung Kyun plays In Gyu, a man with an intellectual disability. Go Doo Shim plays his mother, Ae Soon, who is diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Ae Soon’s life is filled with tragedy and ordeal. Nonetheless, she is thankful for being able to be with her son, In Gyu. Things change when Ae Soon is diagnosed with cancer.
She has the last difficult task to teach In Gyu how to live independently when she is no longer around. She instructs him how to survive by cooking and using public transport.
They are immensely difficult tasks for In Gyu with a mental disability. And it’s more difficult for Ae Soon now that she is about to leave her son. Nonetheless, the love for her child helps her push through the most improbable task.
Don’t Cry, Mommy
Yoo Rim from “Don’t Cry, Mommy” is not be missed from the list of the greatest mothers on the big screen. The drama is based on a tragic, real-life story of the rape of one girl committed by 41 despicable men.
After divorcing her previous husband, Yoo Rim lives alone with her daughter Eun Ah. Eun Ah has a crush on a boy at school named Jo Han. However, it’s his friends that commit the heinous crime against Eun Ah. They secretly film the scene and use it to blackmail Eun Ah.
Unable to carry on living life, Eun Ah ends her life. It is up to her mother, Yoo Rim, to seek justice for her daughter.
Yoo Sun was the actress behind Yoo Rim, who showed amazing acting chops in “Eve”.
If Yoo Sun is already impressive in “Eve”, she is ten times more formidable in “Don’t Cry, Mommy”. At the death of her daughter, Yoo Sun communicates the excruciating pain, anger, and gaping hurt of a mother who now lost everything. They are raw and pure emotions only known to a mother. More importantly, they can only be conveyed by a capable actress.
Source: K14
