: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.
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Originally Posted by bobsaigon
