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[dotcom]

Jai Dee, on 2009-01-11 07:37:23, said:

I liked this comment: "I was caught up in the familiar-feeling rhythms of both urban and rural life..."

I'm sure many of us have been there and seen that... should be interesting.

Sounds like it has approximately nothing to do with Soi Cowboy. I'll boycott it because the guy sounds like a dolt.

[JimsKnight]

lightstar, on 2009-01-11 05:34:55, said:

the only great thing I think it captured, was the noise of BKK. the whistle blowing, the roar of traffic. so true.

it started off well enough, including ummm... long shots of toaster, grannie with zimmer frame... but just what the f&*K is that ending about!!??

What could have been an insight into thai-farang relationships (as though we need one, but hey) turned into a load of tosh.

if anyone can explain the ending to me, and it's relevance to the rest of the movie, I'd love to hear...

I took one look at the synopsis and binned any idea of watching this film.
It's just some idle dross using Thailand as a crutch to tell a very mundane and lame film.

[girlx]

i tried to watch this film, i really did, but i ended up walking out at the scene where they got to ayutthaya... it was just too tedious and depressing.  i felt really bad for the farang, but then again he was a slob.  if i hadn't already lived in thailand for most of the past decade, it might have had a little more impact on me- but i knew already how pathetic certain sex tourists and their prizes are so there was no big revelation for me.

[Groongthep]

I went to see the 1610 showing of the movie yesterday (Sunday the 11th) at the Paragon. It was certainly not what promoters of mainstream films would ever refer to as "The feel-good movie of the year". It is indeed the type of film one would usually see at an art house theater but IMHO this film is nearly completely lacking of anything artful. The first half of the film was shot in black and white to accentuate the darkness of the characters and their lives. Adding to the dreariness was the fact that both main characters were over-the-top caricatures of the worn out stereotypes many of us have grown sick of.  There was next to no character development which left many unanswered questions, not the least of which was "Why?" We all know there are many relationships of convenience here in Thailand but the one depicted in this film defied belief. The second part of the film then mercifully switched to color and went into an equally difficult to watch pointlessly violent storyline. Many scenes in the second half were shot using a dizzying hand-held camera effect that reminded me of the Blair Witch Project. Usually these types of films are made with the intent of having something of value to say to the viewer but I left the theater completely puzzled as to what the f#ck this one was trying to tell me other than Thailand is bad place filled with bad people. Save your 180 Baht and see something else.

[sabaijai]

I thought Soi Cowboy was an interesting film. Not a great film (not sure who WiseKwai is trying to impress with his 5 stars!) and certainly not a popcorn entertainer. If you're not interested in film for art's sake, you probably won't like it.

Director Clay used Aphichatpong's cinematographer so we get the same blurred foliage, etc as in Tropical Malady. If you like Aphichatpong films, you'll probably like Soi Cowboy. I'm not an Aphichatpong fan, yet I found this slightly more watchable than TR.

The assistant director is a friend, and after I saw SC, he explained how the two sections of the narrative related to each other. The second, colour part, represents the novel that the fat Dane is writing on his laptop (and discussing over the phone) during the first, b&w part. His real life is dull and routine, but the novel lifts himself and his girlfriend into a world of gangsters and debauchery.

Almost none of the actors in SC had ever appeared in a film before, except for ex-boxer Somluck Kamsing, which suited the indie style all the more. Luuk khreung singer Art Supawatt Purdy played the singer in the final scenes and I thought he was good.

The same local production company, DeWarrenne Pictures, co-produced The Elephant King, which premieres this week at Paragon and Esplanade. Compared to Soi Cowboy, it's a comprehensible and entertaining film, with accomplished actors and cinematography by up-and-coming Diego Quemada-Diez.

[girlx]

Quote

Director Clay used Aphichatpong's cinematographer so we get the same blurred foliage, etc as in Tropical Malady. If you like Aphichatpong films, you'll probably like Soi Cowboy

i also thought Tropical Malady was horrible... can't believe it got so many rave reviews

[bkkjames]

girlx, on 2009-01-20 13:32:55, said:

Quote

Director Clay used Aphichatpong's cinematographer so we get the same blurred foliage, etc as in Tropical Malady. If you like Aphichatpong films, you'll probably like Soi Cowboy

i also thought Tropical Malady was horrible... can't believe it got so many rave reviews

similar to most movies shown here, like UBC they believe if they continue to show absolute garbage and tell us that its fantastic, sooner or later we will become conditioned into believing it.

[dave9988]

Tedhead, on 2009-01-11 09:12:07, said:

I dunno so much, looks an interesting flick to me. I remember having a French girlfriend and being dragged along to see some French art-house muck called 'Bon Travail'. One part consisted of a man smoking a cigarette for 5 minutes standing on top of a rock. No dialogue or monologue, just the sound of the wind and him staring meaninglessly into the distance. This film is an action-thriller by comparison.

lol. reminds me of "the brown bunny" which contained, initially, a 7 minute scene of the main character driving around a race track in a motorcycle. its just pseudo intellectualism from people who dont actually have anything interesting to say.

[Super Hans]

dave9988, on 2009-01-20 14:15:05, said:

its just pseudo intellectualism from people who dont actually have anything interesting to say.

What is? ThaiVisa?

[HankChinasky]

Super Hans, on 2009-01-20 22:08:17, said:

dave9988, on 2009-01-20 14:15:05, said:

its just pseudo intellectualism from people who dont actually have anything interesting to say.

What is? ThaiVisa?

So true!

  

[girlx]

Quote

QUOTE (girlx @ 2009-01-10 23:14:21) *
is this the film that was banned at the film festival this year?

That was Children of the Dark.

anyone know if Children of the Dark is obtainable in any format?

[GizmoBKK]

lightstar, on 2009-01-11 11:34:55, said:

it started off well enough, including ummm... long shots of toaster, grannie with zimmer frame... but just what the f&*K is that ending about!!??

[...]

if anyone can explain the ending to me, and it's relevance to the rest of the movie, I'd love to hear...

Just came back from watching the movie and felt the same. Glad to find this one:

sabaijai, on 2009-01-12 13:50:35, said:

The assistant director is a friend, and after I saw SC, he explained how the two sections of the narrative related to each other. The second, colour part, represents the novel that the fat Dane is writing on his laptop (and discussing over the phone) during the first, b&w part. His real life is dull and routine, but the novel lifts himself and his girlfriend into a world of gangsters and debauchery.

Well that makes... umm... "sense" and will allow me to stop thinking about it and go to sleep

Thanks sabaijai

[dave9988]

Our own Maigoo played the lead role. Just FYI.

[night_rider]

No US release. Still looking online. If anyone finds it, please post.

[MKAsok]

girlx, on 2009-01-20 13:32:55, said:

Quote

Director Clay used Aphichatpong's cinematographer so we get the same blurred foliage, etc as in Tropical Malady. If you like Aphichatpong films, you'll probably like Soi Cowboy

i also thought Tropical Malady was horrible... can't believe it got so many rave reviews

Haven't seen Tropical Malady, but I really liked Blissfully Yours.

girlx, on 2009-01-20 23:34:04, said:

anyone know if Children of the Dark is obtainable in any format?

DVD release scheduled for 25th February 2009. Official website here (all in Japanese though)...

[mc2]

dave9988, on 2009-01-24 23:33:23, said:

Our own Maigoo played the lead role. Just FYI.

why does that not surprise me.