SuckSeed: Huay Khan Thep

If you're wondering about the title of the movie, that's the name three high-school kids give to their band, in tacit acknowledgement of their actual musical abilities vis-à-vis their peers. But while their band may, for the lack of a better word, suck, rest assured that this high- school musical drama doesn't- in fact, it has plenty of spunk, loads of verve and infectious spirit to make it one of most original and lively Thai films we have ever seen.

First-time feature film director Chayanop Boonprakob is also the co- writer of the film, and he brings 'oomph' to what could otherwise have been a standard teenage drama about friendship, falling in love and getting the girl. Koong (Patchara Jirathiwat) and Ped (Jirayu La- ongmanee) are the two protagonists- the former confident and ostentatious, and the latter shy and reserved. But despite the differences in personality, Koong and Ped have been childhood friends and it is Ped whom Koong turns to one day to start a rock band and compete in the Hotwave Music Awards for high-school bands across the country.

His motivation is less than noble- Koong's twin-brother Kay is a talented guitarist in a rock band called The Arena and the object of affection of many high-school girls, so Koong decides to follow in Kay's footsteps partly to upstage him and partly to attract girls. The one they attract is their primary-school classmate- a sweet, charming girl called Earn (Natcha Nualjam)- whom Ped has had a crush on since they were young.

In fact, Boonprakob begins the film from their early childhood years when Earn lends the musically clueless Ped a cassette tape after their music class- a Loso song if you must know- that marks the start of Ped's feelings for Earn. Nonetheless, the older Ped is equally timid to admit his feelings to either Koong or Earn, and even more so when Koong declares that he likes Earn. And like any such teenage rom-coms, you can probably guess that Ped and Koong's affections for the same girl will turn their bond of friendship sour.

Still, Boonprakob and his four other writers boldly take liberties with formula by getting Koong to pluck up his courage to tell Earn his feelings halfway through the movie, such that Earn will leave their band even before they start competing to join The Arena. Just as well, Boonprakob doesn't miraculously turn Ped, Koong and their drummer Ex (Thawat Pornrattanaprasert)'s band into some kick-ass team by the end of the movie- rather, the trio pretty much remain true to the name of their band, which is coincidentally the title of their self-composed song too.

Sure the movie celebrates the underdog spirit, but kudos to the scriptwriters for keeping their film real and not resorting to a happily-ever-after ending in order for the band to go from zero to hero. Rather, the make-believe embellishments come in the form of music-video interludes featuring popular Thai rockstars- Pu Blackhead, Big Ass, Paradox, So Cool and Bodyslam. Some of these references will likely be lost on a non-local audience, but these vignettes are nonetheless colourful and entertaining.

A lot of the movie's raw charm also rests on the chemistry of the young cast. Jirathiwat does go over-the-top quite often, but he nails most of the funny lines and the setups well. La-ongmanee gives a pleasantly sensitive performance as Ped, especially in portraying his character's suppressed affections for Earn. But the scene-stealer here is newcomer Nualjam- the daughter of veteran Thai blues axeman Laem Morrison has a natural unaffected charm and awesome musical talent on the guitar.

Contrary to what its premise may suggest, this is more than just a teenage drama for the high-school crowd. Indeed, it celebrates the best and the worst of adolescent years- standing out, fitting in, falling in love, and most of all, holding on to our dearest friendships- with such exuberance and empathy that you can't quite help but be moved and stirred by it. Add to that some infectious rock tunes, and this is one high-spirited celebration of being the best you can be- even if you may suck!

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Suck Seed It is a film from the Thai film label that everyone is well known like GTH. The story of a group of teenagers that are about the confusion Filled with love, friendship and music, this is a great movie with a fun and warm feeling. Which reminds us of that age again by making the funny scenes very funny The love scene is cute too. Which this movie is different from general teen movies All the actors performed very well. And another interesting thing of this movie Is to insert various songs To match the storyline, thus making the audience feel very involved And finally, this movie is also very interesting, it is probably a love story in many aspects of the characters and friendships. That, despite the changing of time, cannot make their friendship fade away Which the movie is doing very well In giving an idea And it also inspires young people who are interested in playing music.

This movie was simply A-Mazing. I'm usually not the kind of guy to watch teen comedies or that such, but this movie was so good, I had to write my first review for this film. What can I say, everything about it is great. This film really made me laugh out loud literally nearly every five minutes and the rest of the time, with a broad smile. Not only is it funny, but the story and acting are also executed perfectly. As the story gets more emotional near the end, it really shows us another side of the movie that really makes it great: the value true friendship and love. It may sound like a really corny film for a macho guy to watch but I guarantee you that you'll enjoy it if you're under 30. I think this film should receive more attention because nearly everyone thinks thai film makers only make horror and tony jaa films. No one would really expect such a movie coming from the same famous film production company that made those good horror movies.

The other reviews do a good job telling you the plot. I had seen the soundtrack for this film several times in the Thai record stores and was intrigued by the track list and artists who were involved. Otherwise I didn't know anything at all about the film. The album cover made me suspect it was a dumb teen comedy. But when I saw it listed in Thai Airways' AVOD system on a recent flight I decided to check it out. And I was very pleasantly surprised.

Far from being a dumb comedy (although there are plenty of funny moments) it's really one of those unrequited love triangles. And I love those kinds of films. I'm not ashamed to admit I shed more than a few tears. The acting is excellent, especially Ped. I imagine that for an actor playing that type of withdrawn, shy character must be a real challenge. And while the relationship between Ped and Ern seems to be the center, it's really the relationship between the boys, Ped and Koong that is what holds the film together. Their break up and reunion had a palpable realness to it that really hit me. Poor Ped just can't figure out how to ask for what he wants or needs from anyone. So he is a bit isolated. You feel really sad for him when he loses the girl and the boy.

The music is great. And I also enjoyed the cameos from the music stars. Definitely worth checking out!

I was given the chance to sit down and watch the 2011 Thai movie "SuckSeed", and of course I jumped at the offer, as I enjoy Asian cinema, and "SuckSeed" was a movie that I had never heard about prior to getting the chance to watch it.

Well, I must admit that "SuckSeed" fell quite short of my usual movie interest and utterly failed to entertain me. I managed to endure about an hour of the movie, then I just had to give up. Why? Well, because I didn't care an ounce about the storyline or the characters, nor were I at any point entertained by what transpired on the screen.

"SuckSeed" is definitely aimed at a younger audience, which I am not a part of. And whatever director Chayanop Boonprakob had on heart with this movie was something that just failed to captivate me.

I can definitely see how the movie would be interesting for a younger audience, no doubt about it. But I was not in that target audience.

It should be said that the movie was nicely produced and filmed, and I am sure that the actors and actresses in the movie were doing good jobs. But I hardly noticed, because the characters didn't matter one bit to me. In fact, all the male characters in the movie just seemed like one and the same to me.

I am rating "SuckSeed" a mere three out of ten stars, and this is not a movie that I have any intention of returning to finish at any given time. The movie was just a massive swing and a miss for my liking.