Muay Thai Chaiya Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Asian Cinema Scene: Spooky 'Kala,' Insane 'Muay Thai Chaiya'
Filed under: Action », Drama », Foreign Language », Independent », Noir », Mystery & Suspense », Festival Reports », Other Festivals », Cinematical Indie »
The Asian Film Festival of Dallas wrapped up last week with actor/action choreographer Tak Sakaguchi (Versus) in attendance to screen his directing debut, Be a Man! Samurai School. Unfortunately, I missed that night, but two films that screened earlier in the fest stood out for their unique visions.
Indonesian movies are hard to come by in the US, so I confess my total ignorance about the country and its cinema. Is Kala (AKA Dead Time) representative in any way? I don't know, but I very much liked its mix of dramatic mystery and supernatural lore. Director Joko Anwar has a great eye for composition -- he's really good with looming shadows -- and harbors no fear of traveling down well-trodden paths before adding his own odd twists. The film doesn't completely hang together in the narrative sense, and the ending is probably too apocalyptic for its own good, but any movie that features a narcoleptic journalist, a world-weary cop, and a serial-killing spirit deserves attention.
When I describe Muay Thai Chaiya as "insane," it is with all due respect for a movie that begins as a straightforward tale of three ambitious boxing buddies before nearly drowning in soapy melodramatics. What rescues it from terminal dampness is writer / director Kongkiat Khomsiri's complete embrace of a go-for-broke, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink aesthetic that's reminiscent of trashily enjoyable, "C"-level, late 80s Hong Kong action pictures. Toss in sincere regret, romantic betrayal, and more self-sacrifice than you can shake a stick at, and Muay Thai Chaiya edges into "very watchable, never boring" territory.
Unfortunately, neither film is available right now on Region 1 DVD. Muay Thai Chaiya will be playing at Fantastic Fest next month. Both Kala and Muay Thai Chaiya also have official sites.
What Were the Best Movies in Thailand This Year?
Filed under: Action », Documentary », Drama », Foreign Language », Gay & Lesbian », Independent », Romance », Sports », Lists », Cinematical Indie »
As much as I enjoy reading Top 10 lists -- and wondering if anyone actually saw all 600+ films released in the US during the past year -- I'm always looking for more, especially those from other countries. WiseKwai's Thai Film Journal has selected the "Top 5 Thai films of 2007." WiseKwai's top selection from Thailand has also found its way onto a number of US "best of the year" lists: Apichatpong Weerasethakul's Syndromes and a Century. Here's the local twist: WiseKwai says that the film screened once for the press and then was pulled from release because censors objected to four scenes, which he details in his post. He feels that "far more lurid and violent films got a pass. Thai authorities had no good reason to pick on this gentle ode to the director's parents." The action galvanized the Free Thai Cinema Movement, which campaigned for a change in how the government treats films. Unfortunately, recent legislation to create a new film ratings system "still contains provisions for authorities to censor and ban films, which filmmakers had fought against." Syndromes and a Century will be released on DVD in the US on January 15, 2008.
In happier news, WiseKwai lists his other selections: Pen-Ek Ratanaruang's "good kind of weird" Ploy, Pimpaka Towira's political doc The Truth Be Told: The Cases Against Supinya Klangnarong, Kongkiat Khomsiri's period Thai boxing crime drama Muay Thai Chaiya, and Chukiat Sakweerakul's gay teen romance The Love of Siam. Thailand's Academy Award submission for Best Foreign Language Film, The Legend of Naresuan: Declaration in Independence, got an Honorable Mention along with sci-fi comedy The Sperm. That's a poster I'd love to see!
Bangkok Fest Screening and Dealing Despite Controversy
Filed under: Action », Drama », Foreign Language », Other Festivals », Cinematical Indie »
When the Bangkok International Film Festival got underway last Thursday, I'm sure the organizers breathed a giant sigh of relief. Now in its fifth year, the festival has been plagued by long-standing problems. In February 2006, Grady Hendrix described past difficulties: "It's organized out of Los Angeles, most of the movies aren't subtitled in Thai, and money is spent lavishly to bring over industry people who couldn't care less about the festival's interest-free programming and instead love getting a free trip to Bangkok." Things didn't improve and the LA organizers were out by November 2006 -- not very good timing for a festival planned for late January 2007.Indeed, one month later the festival announced a six-month delay because they had not been able to come to an agreement with the operators of the key theatrical venue in downtown Bangkok. Further adding to their woes, the festival had been heavily dependent upon government funding, which was cut severely after a bloodless coup last fall. The announcement of Persepolis as the opening night film seemed to be a step in the right direction, but then it was yanked under pressure from the Iranian embassy. The Hungarian Children of Glory was the replacement.
Thai boxing picture Muay Thai Chaiya will close the festival, while another Thai film, the "decidedly independent" Bangkok Time (pictured), "a movie that captures its characters in a state of prolonged stupor and half-dream," according to the Bangkok Post," will also have its world premiere. Other Asian films drawing attention include The Rebel, a martial arts-fueled Vietnamese period piece, which got picked up The Weinstein Co. for a probable direct to DVD release, and the upcoming Malaysian action flick Brave, which is not playing the festival but was unveiled at the Bangkok Film Market.
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