Cherm

Jaturanrasamee's latest offering may be an interesting study of modern-day Bangkok, but it lacks warmth.

There is little character development: Bati is likable, but an idiot and a victim, with radio as his drug.

There is very little character development and the plot is contrived. Anything good that happens is followed by immediate cosmic retribution. Actions are not consistent with consequences: a known murderer is able to exist in the same societal context without the police being aware of him? We get no background story on Nual, one of the main characters.

The visuals of Bangkok prevent this from being a waste of time, but just barely.

I saw this movie at the 2006 International Film Festival of Rotterdam. The director was present at the screening for a Q&A. English title: "Midnight, my love"

Plot: Middle aged, courteous taxi driver loves his oldies radio station. His repetitive and simple life gets nicely interrupted after he meets a prostitute, who is more than 10 years younger. As their romance develops carefully, we get more background of them through flashbacks.

This excellently acted and beautifully shot tragic feel-good movie has relatively high production values. The movie disappointed at the Thai box office, according to the director. Because both lead actors are stars in Thailand, the studio had expected a high local box office revenue. Instead, it just broke even. Wongamiao (Ong Bak) is a popular comedian, so he is playing against type here, in a more serious part.

The movie had instant appeal to me because of the lovable characters and the marvelous scenery of Bangkok at night. The plot has enough twists and surprises to keep you wanting to see the end. During the last half hour or so, the film started to feel a bit lengthy for what in essence is a pretty simple tale. Also be prepared for some overly sentimental moments.

All in all, I can recommend this movie to anyone who wants to see an original romantic drama with a couple of laughs and smiles. 8/10

Technical trivia: the movie was shot in 1.85 :1 (roughly 16x9). When taxi driver Petchtai fantasizes about himself as the hero in old radio hear plays, the image is intentionally squeezed horizontally. E.g. actors get very slim faces. These squeezed images were obtained by filming in 2.35:1 with an anamorphic lens. The presentation of the wide 2.35:1 image into the 1.85:1 frame was done intentionally by the director, inspired by the way old Thai movies from the 70's are often presented on VHS tapes and VCDs.

The love between a sex worker and a taxi/rickshaw driver is a fairly old staple in Asian film. "Cyclo" was a widely distributed effort from Vietnam a number of years ago. Bob Hoskins first made a big splash in international film with a British version of this in "Mona Lisa". Often the woman is harsh but somewhat vulnerable. Usually the man is sweet and often a little dim.

The conventions are used here in a way that accurately captures the consumer culture of Bangkok, the rhythms of the city and the world of talk radio in taxis. The acting is subtle, although the storytelling is broad, in places (but rather nuanced compared with the cartoonish plotting of most Thai films made for domestic consumption). The cinematography is excellent and one reason that this film is able to build such starkly realistic and contemporary atmosphere. It's a shame that this film is difficult to find and had a limited run even on the festival circuit.