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View Full Version : Bangkok Love Story revisited ...



Smiles
July 5th, 2010, 10:00
:glasses7: I rented this movie a couple of years ago (in Canada's back country Rogers Video store??) and really enjoyed it. The photography and gloomy mood reminded my very much of Wong Kar Wai's 'Happy Together', and to a lesser extent 'In the Mood for Love', both of which are on my all time favourites list (criteria? Can I watch one 3 times and still get something out of it?). Bangkok doesn't come any grittier, and love doesn't come any more complicated.
The first half is much better than the second, when over the top violence is overplayed, and Shakespeare/Tarantino-like, all the characters are either shot, hung or blinded as the ending credits roll along.
But the first part is a tour de force of great movie-making, in a country where films rely far too much on ghosts and evil spirits being either funny or blood thirsty . . . for enthusiastic Thai audiences, often both at the same time.

For those who haven't seen Bangkok Love Story, I found it streamed on the net at << http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMjkzMDYzOTI=.html >>. It's in Thai with Japanese subtitles so you have to have some foreknowledge of the plot's bare bones: Young Thai hit man has a contract out on another young (and wildly handsome) police informant. He tries and fails to kill him and drags him off alive to his boss. Cue the Big Shootout ... the two escape ... hole up in a roof top hut ... discover things they never knew ... the hit man can't handle it ... his brother and mother have AIDS ... she's shot ... brother hangs himself ... Mr Handsome searches for his new love ... not a pretty ending.
The lack of english subtitles doesn't really detract too much, and the moods in this movie go from gentle to pleasingly edgy to coulda-done-without-it bathos.
Overall, one of the better Thai made films.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v18/sawatdeephotos/forum%20photos%202/bkk-love_still18_1.jpg

July 5th, 2010, 12:08
Which one is "wildly handsome" ? Or perhaps the word "handsome" is being used wildly ??? No offense intended.

maisoui
July 5th, 2010, 18:05
Which one is "wildly handsome" ? Or perhaps the word "handsome" is being used wildly ??? No offense intended.

Frankly, I find this frequent disparaging of someone who is not a reader of this board, ungentlemanly, saying more about the inner beauty of the posters than the outer beauty of their target.

Beachlover
July 5th, 2010, 18:12
Cool... Thanks for the plot summary. I might have to watch this. I think I have the DVD somewhere but never watched it.

I think the guy at the top is handsome... but then I like both the "cute" and the "handsome".

Cees-Holland
July 8th, 2010, 19:10
:glasses7: For those who haven't seen Bangkok Love Story, I found it streamed on the net at << http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMjkzMDYzOTI=.html >>.

(And back onTopic)

Thanks Smiles !
A nice movie indeed.

I found a link where the subtitles are English. (http://www.gayhf.com/2009/08/bangkok-love-story-pheuan.html)

Beachlover
July 8th, 2010, 19:23
Sweet... thanks cees holland. Saves digging up the DVD.

Smiles
July 8th, 2010, 22:07
:glasses7: For those who haven't seen Bangkok Love Story, I found it streamed on the net at << http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMjkzMDYzOTI=.html >>.

(And back on Topic)

Thanks Smiles !
A nice movie indeed.

I found a link where the subtitles are English. (http://www.gayhf.com/2009/08/bangkok-love-story-pheuan.html)
And thank you for that link. I found a few with English subs, but none worked as well as the one I posted above.