Monday, December 8, 2008

The Love of Siam---รักแห่งสยาม, or Rák Hàeng Sà-yăam

Shit im so shitty..... Im hooked up with gay-themed movie again!!!! Urgh~~~~ Thx to cousin IVY~~~~ She invited me to watch and I got addicted... Darn~~~ Anyways... Just wanna blog about it~



It was a 2 hours and 30 minutes movie and pretty long actually for a normal Thailand movie. What was the actual good part about this thai movie is the "normality" and its close distance towards reality. Unlike most of the thai movies which stressed on gay movie which filled with transgenders or transvesites, this movie revolved around two "normal"(so to speak) kiddos. They are Tong and Mew(not the one from pokemon). Lots of sources stressed that it was a gay movie but it was actually talking about so called "forbidden love" and actually from MY opinion, and also various sources, this movie had stressed at love doesn't comes from only different sexes but also the same ones too. Yes, most of the time its really deep and strong bond of friendship, yet huamns are full of miracles and when these miracles bloom, anything could happen.



Owh well i think I should go to the sypnosis part..(Copied and pasted from Wikipidea)

Mew, a stubborn kid, is neighbor to Tong, an energetic boy who lives with his parents and sister. After accidentally spitting gum into Mew's hair, Tong wanted to befriend Mew but was unsuccessful. At school, Mew was cornered by several other students was harassed until Tong stepped in to defend him. Tong was injured and apoligized to Mew for the chewing gum incident. Mew was grateful for Tong stepping in and responded that they were even. The two became good friends from that point on.

Mew plays on his grandpa's piano and is joined by his grandma, who begins to play a song. Mew asks his grandma why she liked that song and his grandma responded with telling Mew that it was played for her by his grandpa. It was a way for him to express his love to her and explains that one day, Mew will be able to do the same for the person he loved.

Tong's family goes to Chiangmai and returns without Tong's sister Tang since she wanted to stay with her friends a couple days more. Tong bought Mew a present and decided to give it to Mew piece by piece in a game of Treasure Hunt. One by one, Mew found all of the pieces except for the last one which was hidden in a tree. The tree was cut down before Mew was able to retrieve it leaving the present Tong bought for Mew incomplete. Tong was disappointed at their misfortune, but Mew remained grateful for Tong's efforts. Tang called her parent's and told them that she would extend her stay at Chiangmai until the 24th of December. Tong looks at his calendar and realizes that Tang will not be able to attend the Christmas play he would participate in.

After the Christmas play, Tong receives a phone call from his parents telling him to stay with Mew and his grandma. After spending the night at Mew's house, Tong awakens to the sight of his parents along with Mew and his grandma. Tong is told that his parents are going to Chiangmai a couple days to look for Tang. Tong lives in depression until his parents come back, only to find out that Tang may be lost. Tong is devastated and cries in front of Mew, who is trying to comfort his friend.

Months have passed and Tong's family decides to move. On the day of the move, Tong finds Mew sitting on a ledge overlooking a pier. Tong says his final words and departs in a car. Tong looks back only to find Mew walking towards the car before coming to a stop and crying for losing his best friend.

The boys are reunited during their senior year of high school at Siam Square. The musically talented Mew is the leader of a boy band called August. Tong has a pretty girlfriend, Donut. The meeting stirs up old feelings that Mew has harbored since boyhood, his love for Tong.

Mew's band, meanwhile, has a new manager, June. She looks just like Tong's long-lost sister, Tang. After meeting June, Tong and his mother, Sunee, devise to a plan to pay June to pretend she is Tang, in hopes that it will pull Tong's father out of his alcoholic depression. Tang borrows a story from the Thai film Ruk Jung, saying she has amnesia, which is why she has forgotten how to say her family's Catholic grace at the dinner table.

Mew is also the object of an unrequited crush of a neighbor girl, Ying. But Mew has strong feelings for Tong, which have inspired him to write new songs. The manager as well as the entire band were all impressed with Mew's composition.

The boys share a prolonged kiss in Tong's backyard one night after a party in honor of the return of Tang. Tong also spends the night with Mew, which causes his mother to worry.

At Christmas time, as Tong and his mother are decorating a Christmas tree, they have a heart-to-heart talk about making choices, and Tong asks his mother to let him make his own choices.

Tong then goes to Siam Square for a date with Donut. Mew's band is playing nearby, so Tong abandons Donut and tells her he cannot be with her. He then rushes to see Mew play and is guided there by Ying, who has accepted the fact that Mew loves Tong. After the performance, Tong gives Mew a gift, a missing nose from a wooden doll that Tong gave him when they were children. However, Tong tells Mew he can't be his boyfriend but that doesn't mean he doesn't love Mew.

The movie ended with Mew putting the missing nose back to the wooden puppet, saying "thank you" and cried quietly.



What was surprising was not only the story itself, but also the quality of the movie. I didn't expect thailand dramas would be this worth watching, especially when thailand's horror movies had haunted me for ages. I didn't feel the slightest bore in me when watching this for 2 and a half hours, and actually, TWILIGHT bored me like nobody's business. Owh well maybe im not that for the normal ol' romances and candy sweet stuffs... The relationship between Mew and Tong was really well developed but sometimes there are always funny thoughts pops out. Mew hadn't made a friend since Tong departed? Ok fine maybe its not friend but really close mate, but he really hold his feelings real long after 6 freaking years.. And Ying was such a sweet and nice girl! She was literally crazy over Mew! Haha, I would have accepted her if i were Mew! Yet, we ARE humans, again, you can't expect to accept just anyone, even if she is a supermodel or beauty, feelings don't just develope that way does it? I didn't ejoy the presence of Donut at any rate, the director should have just ditch her out of the movie.

Back to Tong and Mew, ugh its just so sad to see Tong's mum going through all of these stuffs, lost of daughter, alcoholic husband, and soon-to-be gay son? Im no husband or parent yet, to me she should just let go and try her best. Tong can live a normal person's life even if he had been together with Mew right? Why not let them try? A phrase from Tong in the movie really hits me hard in the heart, in the scene when he was helping his mum to decorate the Cristmas Tree, he asked of his mum''s opinion on which doll to hand on the tree and his mum asked him to decide. "What if you didn't like my choice? You would be mad again.."

Whoa these words really have been so meaningful. I mean not only in love matters or sexual directions, this includes almost every aspects in our lives including out career, our choices and future mates or children. As a typical asian/chinese family born boy, I never dared imagine me get together with another MAN. What if my parents don;t like it? What if i had ashamed my family? What kind of problems my parents may need to endure behind their backs and right in front of their face? >shake head hard<>



The AWARDS::::

(Copied and pasted from Wikipidea)



Starpics Awards
  • Best Picture
  • Best Director (Chookiat Sakveerakul)
  • Best Actor (Mario Maurer)
  • Best Actress (Sinjai Plengpanich)
  • Best Supporting Actor (Songsit Rungnopakunsri)
  • Best Screenplay (Chookiat Sakveerakul)
  • Best Cinematography (Chitti Urnorakankij)
  • Best Original Score (Kitti Kuremanee)
  • Popular Film.

Kom Chad Luek Awards

  • Best Picture
  • Best Actress (Sinjai Plengpanich)

Thailand National Film Association Awards

  • Best Picture
  • Best Director (Chookiat Sakveerakul)
  • Best Supporting Actress (Chermarn Boonyasak)
Bangkok Critics Assembly Awards
  • Best Picture
  • Best Director (Chookiat Sakveerakul)
  • Best Actress (Sinjai Plengpanich)
  • Best Supporting Actress (Chermarn Boonyasak)
  • Best Screenplay (Chookiat Sakveerakul)
  • Best Original Score (Kitti Kuremanee)

Star Entertainment Awards

  • Best Picture
  • Best Director (Chookiat Sakveerakul)
  • Best Actress (Sinjai Plengpanich)
  • Best Supporting Actress (Chermarn Boonyasak)
  • Best Screenplay (Chookiat Sakveerakul)
  • Best Original Song
The film was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor (Mario Maurer) and Best Composer (Kitti Kuremanee) categories in the Asian Film Awards at the Hong Kong International Film Festival, but did not win.

The movie also reached a rating of 8.3 (out of 10) on the Internet Movie Database.



Goodness... Imagine that... I wanna have one of these prizes if I had the chance in the future.... Now i really wanted to learn THai~~~~ Snap i still have my japanese to work on... Ding dong....



The trailer~



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjPRZ2hMKWQ



Pieng Ter by Witwisit Hiranyawongkul.. Darn he composed it himself



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMPmHtt9sZs











four main cast From left, Kanya Rattanapetch, Witwisit Hiranyawongkul and Mario Maurer, the last girl, dun bother she suck..



Kanya Rattanapetch, she is so sweet and funny...





The main actors, Witwisit and Mario





The final scene which broke me down.. seriously...





Official Poster of THE LOVE OF SIAM~~~~





My opinion it would have been 10/10 if donut wasn't there, yet her presence for the developement of the story was crucial so its 9.4/10.0... Seriously, SPm leavers, feel bored this 3 months and dun have NS, watch this movie.. even if you are straight or what ever.. It may seemed to be gay, it meaned more than it sounded...

Honestly speaking, I would have rooted for a happy-ending movie... the scene when Tong said he can't be with mew, ugh.... really heart-breaking... The last scene was the ultimate tears... Really.... Gosh why can't stuffs work out properly and nicely? Glad i've watch this movie... Guess im going to continue indulge in this movie later.... Alrighty... Going to Genting today and lets hope its a safe trip(it better be one)

Thumbs up people and Hurray Thailand box office!!! Asian rules!!!! (maybe Malaysia need to work harder)



The really meaningful quote of the movie...

"When there is love, There is hope"



Signing Off,

Kurozakura-Binn







4 comments:

  1. FYI :

    I) "Pieng Ter" is the old song , this version was re-arranged by Chukiat (The director) , not composed by Witwisit

    II) "Roo Suk Bang Mai" (Do you feel the same? - the song sung by Mew at the studio by the first time Tong met June) was composed by Witwisit himself

    BTW. Nice Review :D

    ReplyDelete
  2. wakakka finn i just like the extraordinaries lar...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Love of Siam is thailand's first gay movie. It is an excellent movie. Although there is no happy ending, it is a very touching movie to watch. Love Mario Maurer's acting in the movie. Watch Love of Siam Full Movie Eng Sub here.

    ReplyDelete