Freelance: Ham puay... Ham phak... Ham rak mor

We were expecting to see the usual zany rom-com from Thailand, but we were totally surprised by its honesty and relevance in these present times.

The story couldn't be simpler... Yoon (Sunny Suwanmethanont) is the busiest 30-year-old freelance graphic designer and retoucher in Thailand. After staying up working for 5 days straight, strange rashes start to appear on Yoon's body. Yoon eventually relents and brings himself to a public hospital. There, he meets "Doctor Imm" (Davika Hoorne) and his life is changed forever.

Did I say it isn't a rom-com? It isn't, not in the strictest sense. However all the publicity and trailer seemed to suggest it is. What the movie does amazingly well is that it plays the game of "will they or will they not" brilliantly.

The movie is quiet, meditative and contemplative. It insightfully studies Yoon, a workaholic and what makes him tick. It is the same old narrative arc done a thousand times where a character loses sight of what is most important in his life, but thankfully it is never cliché and the director inserts levity in an otherwise dull subject. It also never engages you in a top-down approach and approach the subject in quite an original matter. I like some of the interesting scenes. For instance Yoon is so into his work that even during his best friend's father funeral he is searching for a wifi signal to do his work. Some of the more subtle scenes also moved me a lot like how in the beginning he was living from assignment to assignment, and later he was living from medical appointment to medical appointment.

The movie felt sluggish in the middle act but Suwanmethanont's nondescript facial expression is a delight to watch and his engaging performance smooths out the rough edges. His character is always mild-mannered but yet very captivating. We were willing him to do something with regard to Dr Imm and for him to slow down to smell the roses. How the movie does this in a way without the usual platitudes is a refreshing wonder.

This film tells the story of a hard working freelance computer graphic designer, who is skilled, responsible and dependable. He takes pride in not sleeping to deliver the work on time, but it affects his health adversely. He sees a doctor but the health advice is conflicting with his work schedule. He has to make a difficult choice.

I am surprised that the Tuesday evening screening of "Heart Attack" is full! I guess it is getting good word of mouth. The film starts off really funny. The whole cinema laughs hard on many occasions. I really like the fact that Yoon's thoughts are super funny. The sound effect is great as well. There is this one scene where uplifting music (that signals something is coming up) is suddenly stopped, creating a powerful effect.

The actors and actresses are great as well. Yoon is nerdy but really likable. The doctor Imm is charming as well. Je is really lovely too, and she is just such a supportive friend. I think "Heart Attack" is a funny and delightful film. I enjoyed it, and i am glad it is shown in cinemas in Hong Kong. I would not have discovered this film otherwise.

Beautifully wrote and directed. Was fully immersed into the plot as it unfolded. 100% Recommended.

Much like the treatment, I feel like this film can be shorter but that's not saying I won't see it anymore if it's any longer haha. Watching it was such a treat that I paused midway to check how much time was left and I was really excited to know there was an hour more. However, that changed when the film was still stuck at the same narrative without intent of bringing anything new. It could have been really great but the story did not improve with exception on Yoon and Je's friendship. Coming into Heart Attack without an idea of the plot, perhaps I expected this to be a cheesy or tear-jerking romance so I feel slightly robbed. (I just wanna be mushy tonight haha) Nevertheless, it was a new experience to get a glimpse of the life of freelancers and agencies. I always wanted to be like them when I was a child but I also knew how taxing their careers are. Glad to see them represented here along with the whole workforce that's basically moving the world. It's sad and enraging how work conditions are still worsening despite our modern times. We're struggling to separate work from our worth so we always compensate by doing more than necessary. Still a painful reality that we need to outgrow because we all have only one life to live and to enjoy. Let's see sunsets as much as we can!

What is the meaning of life? Is it work? Is it survival? Or is it love? Humans must have goals, Yoon went to the clinic to see a doctor before starting a new social circle and regaining his concern for others. This is not a love story, It is a lonely existence story of urban people.