Motel Mist

Well, I didn't really know what I was in for with "Motel Mist", aside from knowing that it was a Thai movie. And since I enjoy Asian cinema, of course I opted to sit down and watch this 2016 movie from writer and director Prabda Yoon.

I managed to endure 55 minutes of this ordeal. And yeah, trust me, this was an ordeal. The movie is phenomenally slow paced to the point where you are swallowed up in absolute boredom. I endured 55 prolonged minutes of torture, as I hoped that the movie would pick up in pace and actually get interesting. That just never happened, and I gave up on this rubbish of a movie, never to return to finish it.

My rating of a single start out of ten comes solely from the fact that the production value of the movie counted for something. Everything else in the movie; script, storyline, characters, etc. is just rubbish.

There was no red line to the story and script, and it seemed like just random jibberish that writer and director Prabda Yoon put together as the movie progressed.

Stay well clear of "Motel Mist". Some of us suffered from parts of the movie, possibly some even the entire movie, so the rest of you don't have to. This movie was a massive swing and a miss. Horrible movie. Just horrible.

Saw this movie at the Rotterdam film festival (IFFR.COM) 2016. It was presented as part of the official Competition section, which this year was confined to only eight movies. The latter inevitably gives rise to expectations, but whatever qualities were intended, this movie is completely lost on me. I did not understand anything of it. Neither the plot nor the story line nor the motives of the protagonists that I could spot, nor was there a morale or any takeaway message. The only thing that springs to mind is WTF?? I'm unable to write anything useful about it. Other festival visitors apparently agreed as this movie ended at a lowly 164th place (out of 178) for the audience award, and the IMDb score below 5 (out of 10) is along the same line.

The beauty of the cinematography in this film may well make you believe that you should keep watching. You hope that there is some sort of story or meaning that is worth the wait. Don't be fooled. Apart from the strangely excellent photography, this film is one that after viewing, you wish to go back in time a few hours and talk yourself out of it. The imagery is a truly excellent achievement, the acting is perfectly fine, but the writers and director should re-think their career decisions. My recommendation is to move along in your search because this one can grab your interest in a sneaky way and then do nothing with it.

This film starts off with beautiful and very impactful, cinematic shots that draw you win and take you into this hole that consumes you. As you get deeper into the film, you realize that it's a little slow paced, and it does not follow the traditional format of that of a film . And with that being said, sometimes it can work out in its own way, and that's exactly what you catch in this movie. I don't know what the directors master plan or the steps that were taken, but overall being the film junkie that I am allowed me to enjoy this film for what it was worth. The Director, whether it was intentional or unintentional deserves the credit for this unorthodox film.

This movie follows its own format. Abstract beautiful cinematography can sometimes be great or at least good! Sometimes it is left up to your own interpretation. Many movies beforehand with the same format have become classics or at least of cult statues. Give it a shot, worst exist in film land.