maciek-in-LA

I saw "American Pastime" on Saturday, and my only disappointment with the evening, was the meager size of the audience. There were only a handful of people in the theater. This film deserves a wide audience, hence my score and this high and enthusiastic endorsement.

I consider myself somewhat knowledgeable about the Japanese-American internment during WWII. My father and uncle were imprisoned at Mathausen in the European side of WWII. Despite my previous exposure and direct family experience, this film was still a revelation. My previous knowledge of the Japanese-American WWII experience was based mostly on plays, documentaries, and reading. Watching documentaries, particularly with interviews of camp survivors, is always very moving and heartrending. Although a dramatic fictionalized film, seeing the daily indignities and humiliations endured by the Japanese-Americans gave me even a deeper understanding of their experience.

Let anyone reading this conclude that the film is a "downer," rest assured that despite the subject matter, it is ultimately a life-affirming, spiritually uplifting film, and ironically, entertaining. The director and screenwriter have created a compelling story, which illuminates an egregious breach of justice in US history. Yet the story is very engaging, as are the talented cast of characters. The screenplay is evenhanded and compassionate, including the point of view of the guards and townspeople near the camp. Go see it. You will learn something, while being uplifted and entertained.

I rarely see films twice, but Beautiful Boxer continues to be a remarkably evocative film even on a second viewing. I saw it last summer at Outfest, and took several friends to see it this weekend, because I knew that they wouldn't see it on their own. It was a third choice film when I first saw it at the festival. I'm not a fan of boxing, and have seen my share of documentaries on the transsexual experience, so I was not particularly interested. Since I hadn't seen a Thai film, I decided to go. What a gratifying surprise the film turned out to be! Beautiful Boxer transcends time, culture, ethnicity, and gender identity to illuminate the humanity of the characters. Asanee Suwan the lead actor who plays Nong Toom is amazing. At the first viewing I thought that there was a very similar looking stunt double who did the fight scenes. Yet in the post film discussion with the Director Ekachai Uekrongtham we learned that the Asanee is an actual Muay Thai professional boxer. This was his first acting role. That makes his performance even more remarkable. He communicates the full range of Toom's being, seamlessly integrating the feminine and masculine dimensions of his/her personality.

In Iron Ladies and in other trans-gender themed films, the transvestites are usually in your face, over the top characters. The gender themes are either campy and/or played for laughs. Beautiful Boxer on the other hand conveys the inner life of the Toom's struggle to assert her identity. I was very moved by Toom's dignity, steadfast courage, and perseverance in coming to terms with who she is. The film is poignant and ultimately inspiring. Yet it is also very entertaining. The film provides a window into Muay Thai boxing, both its beauty and violence, the socio-economic conditions in Thailand, and aspects of Thai culture. It was a most rewarding experience. BTW my friends agreed. GO SEE IT!

An excellent film...funny, charming, wry, yet also gritty and compelling. Nikita (Koel Purie) has a cathartic scene reminiscent of Liv Ullman in Bergman's "Face to Face." She submerges herself in a fugue state unflinchingly. The climactic turn of events lift the film to a more profound conclusion than the first half augured.