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One for the collectors
This is in the vein of the 1959 Mae Nak Phra Khanong, with the first half of focusing on their life together before Mak leaves for war. It's light, almost frivolous and overtly romantic.The latter half was clearly and understandably made for an audience who knows the story already and skims plot detail to centre its attention on the emotions. This made for some of the most emotionally effective scenes I've seen in a Mae/Nang Nak so far. I'll likely watch it again for that but may skip through some of the first half.
I didn't make proper review notes when I saw it (it wasn't in the database then) but my recollection is that the horror element was fairly minimal and brief but not absent. MDL's very broad use of "horror" as a genre doesn't work well with Thai movies and how they approach some of their ghost stories.
If you don't know the Mae/Nang Nak legend though, the best to start with is the 1999 Nang Nak.
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This review may contain spoilers
Props or people?
Others have explained the problems with this follow-up so I'm just sharing some ideas from a conversation with a friend about whether the director Golf sees characters as props or people. It was a useful question and came about because of two other series from Golf.I didn't mind that the Our Skyy was primarily about Wat and the film competition. I would have been happy for two episodes of Ayan and Akk just living their best together life. Or maybe a bit of them figuring out their relationship and themselves post-high school. Something like Khan and Thua got. Why were the 2nd couple given something like plausible consistency with their main series characters and better writing than not-Akk and not-Ayan? Maybe they were just generic enough it was the easiest route?
Given the complete and utter lack of understanding of the main characters though plus the focus on the film maker plus the length of the director's cameo, I do wonder if this wasn't more about Golf than the characters. Maybe it's unfair but it's the only explanation I have for the result. Or maybe it's too generous and the explanation is more a lack of competence. First and Khaotung carried the main series through the emotional depth of their acting after all.
Meanwhile in this it's like First didn't bother with characterisation and just played it as a version of himself. I guess if all you're here for is actors snogging that will do you. But why not fanservice which respects the characters as well? It wouldn't be difficult to keep both types of fans happy.
In short, Khaotung and First made Ayan and Akk people and that's why The Eclipse works despite many moments of questionable writing and plot. Golf made Akk and Ayan into props and that's why the Our Skyy 2 is a self-serving disaster.
Ayan would NEVER do that to Akk. Any director or screenwriter who thinks he would failed to understand the character or how it would destroy Akk.
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Cinematic poetry
This is both a family drama of changing times in early 20th century rural Japan and a beautiful, poetic melodrama depicting a romanticised and idealised version of the life of an idealistic young man who, after his death, became one of Japan's most loved poets and writers. It feels a very fitting tribute for Miyazawa Kenji.So far in JFF Online I've seen three films which include arts and creativity - The Lines That Define Me (sumi-e ink painting), Single8 (1979-era amateur movie-making) and this one. In all of them, characteristics of the art form shape and inform the ways the stories are told. If Miyazawa Kenji had been a different writer, this would have been a different film.
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An ancient dance tradition, a gentle but determined child, and his family
Because there's no synopsis, I'll start with one.A shy young boy, Orca, becomes interested in Khon traditional dance because of a school art project. His mum is raising him and his sister Fern on her own so money is tight. She also knows how difficult this style of dance is as her mother was a teacher and she has painful memories of that time. Orca is determined nonetheless.
The young actor who plays Orca is delightful. It's a sweet story about the value of traditions, love and family. As Orca learns about the dance, so do we.
Information about Khon dance, which dates to the 1500s if not earlier, via this link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khon. It is based on the Hindu Ramayana and its style of masked dance combined with music and narration.
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Nakak = Masks
This is going to be a bit vague and brief. I haven't figured out how to touch on its themes without diluting its poignancy or giving important things away. If you're considering watching it, just go ahead. It's only two hours and, in my opinion, well worth the time.*This review is also written from the point of view of a western viewer who pays attention but still has much to learn. Some of my sense of disorientation came from the combination of a short story's brevity and it clearly being made for an audience who readily understands context I had to piece in from elsewhere, like SOTUS hazing, or wonder about. None of this was a deal breaker by any means - that sense of old but new-to-me things to learn about is lovely - and everything which needed to came clear in the end.
The beginning is uneven. A 40 year old actor plays a 1st year uni student in flashbacks. His SOTUS seniors look like they have lived. A lot. It skips around so it's not clear if it's a bit of a ghost story or what's really going on.* There's a brief touch of tourism promotion for the Dan Sai district (Loei province, NE Thailand) and a decent amount of education about one of their customs, the masks of its title.
As the series progresses though, it more clearly becomes a moving and poignant short story. I'm not telling you about what. If you want to know, watch :)
Perhaps it is also a love letter to the Dan Sai people. I hope to learn much more about them.
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"Let's be afraid together"
A single event brings four strangers into each other's lives. They're all very different and struggling with their own concerns, which leads to friction as well as understanding.This gentle lakorn takes on serious, heavy issues and wraps them in warmth and kindness. It's about friendship, acceptance and helping each other. It is beautifully done, from the gentle acoustic closing song to the quirky coffee shop with Mackintosh metalwork to the care that's taken with the progression of the characters' growth individually and in their friendships.
The characters feel real and believable, especially the four central ones, along with the issues they face and the changes they make in their lives. All in all, this is one of the most emotionally satisfying series I've seen.
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Less is so much more
The story for this is rich enough it could easily have been made into a full length film or series.It would have been less if it had. The acting and directing are exquisite. They convey everything they need to tell this story through a look, or a few words. Together, this richness and brevity make for an emotionally powerful story. There is nothing extraneous to dilute its impact.
Cinematography and music complement it well, making the perfect atmosphere.
Cannot recommend this one highly enough. It is quietly, gently, heartbreakingly beautiful.
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Realistic, grounded portrayal of young people and some of their difficulties
The film centres around two high school students, Maki and Akira, who are both a bit lost because parents and find friendship with each other. I didn't understand some of the symbolism decided on by other students but it was easy enough to just go with it. Perhaps it's a Japanese understanding, maybe it's idiosyncratic to the director. Motivations are consistent and clear, even when they're not explained straight away. Maki is acting out because of x, a boy does what he does because of y, Akira is kind.There are many small touches evoking place, like views of the countryside and the beautiful ice cream serving technique of a grandmother. It all feels very real and grounded. This is my favourite film of all the ones I've seen in this autumn's JFF+ Independent Cinema festival. If you like youth drama and film with realistic portrayals of the difficulties young people struggle with as they grow up, this is well worth seeking out. Maki especially is a character I'll remember and I hope to see Nagasawa Itsuki, Nakagawa Tsubasa and some of the others again.
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I understand this more after reading about it
This hour long film is a combination of documentary and fiction centered around actual events like the Fukushima tsunami, with Soto Zen Buddhist monks in three of the roles. There were moments I didn't understand, like why monks were walking through muddy land driving sticks into the ground. Reading reviews and interviews helped me make sense of it in retrospect. I don't feel qualified to give it a rating and would prefer not to make such a judgement from one viewing. I gave it a rewatch value of 10 as I think I would gain much from seeing it again, perhaps a few times. But I found its screening on the JFF+ Independent Cinema festival too late to do so.It's an intentionally unpristine view of monks and their struggles. It reflects on questions like whether allergies might come from the damage we've done to the world? What should our mission be in the present? What's needed at this time? An elderly and well respected nun gives her answers to the last two. For her, it is sharing the wisdom of the Buddha. How these practices are relevant to well-being and mental health in particular is shown through the monks' lives and advice on a suicide help line.
These are the articles I found most helpful:
https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/13055417
https://www.sousei.gr.jp/tenzo/en/
https://www2.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/sight-sound-magazine/reviews-recommendations/tenzo-katsuya-tomita-buddhist-monk-hybrid
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Wow
This is both a gorgeous pair of love stories and a crime mystery that's so intense it's difficult to watch at times. It goes deep on all the emotions, but it's worth trusting in it and giving it time, attention and patience.The writers, film editors and cast made a complicated plot line harmonize beautifully. I keep trying to talk myself out of writing that it's the best thing I've ever seen, but honestly, I can't think of another. Can't recommend it highly enough.
The site wants 500 words and I have many to go :) So things I really liked about it: great use of the theme music to underscore key emotional moments; that I could feel both Wu Yu's love for Tan Jiao and how she felt being in that love; the secondary characters who had their own growth and change; that as uncomfortable as the lowest lows were I've forgotten about them for the happiness and love; the gentle emotional sensitivity of many scenes.
I've not rewatched it yet but I gave it a high rating because there's plenty of complexity and things to watch out for through all the twists and because I really liked spending time with the four main characters and the music <3
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Powerful lakorn about trauma and abuse
As of this writing, the tags are misleading and inappropriate. I'm compiling evidence (which means going back through every episode trying to find dialogue to screenshot) to get them changed.If they are changed, I'll make a note here since those misleading mistakes are part of the context for earlier reviews and comments.
Rakkaew is a powerful psychological - almost Shakespearean - lakorn about trauma and abuse, sexism, controlling parents, control and abuse in other family/non-family relationships, and how the wealthy are able to use money, power and position to skirt the law.
It is dense and complicated, messy in content but well-structured in form, with callbacks, symbolism and use of parallels between characters. There's a lot going on but it's always clear, at least if you pay attention, especially to things like who is making incorrect assumptions and why Sai says some of the things she does.
And those stunning monologues delivered by Cris which wouldn't be out of place on a theatre stage. They explain a lot, like why Rangrong couldn't have been written as a male character. Amongst other things, societal and parental sexism are very much part of why she is as she is.
There is something of a romance tucked within but it isn't a focus. There are a lot of supportive friends, and a found family accumulating around Sai. The tags I'm asking to be added are mostly heavy, but like the majority of Thai works, it adds plenty of warmth, light and compassion to the shadows.
Three older characters say homophobic things. Three younger characters are very clear in explicitly saying the opposite. This is in keeping with the call for social change in things like approaches to parenting.
I don't know if the 1971 novel went in for a psychopathic man-hating lesbian trope. I suspect there was always more, given the repeated thematic significance of the title, Rakkaew (Taproot), about parental love (or lack) and the consequences of how children are raised. In the hands of this director, writer and actors, the story is very much an exploration of deep trauma. They are careful to repeatedly and explicitly root Rangrong's actions, feelings and psychological state in the sexist abuse she endured.
If you're looking for GL, this isn't it. If you're looking to watch as a form of fictional gossip, there's plenty to react to. If you're willing to give this your attention, it is compelling and absorbing - like a Shakespearean play with 18 hours to explore and reveal itself.
And it is very much worth that time and attention. Rakkaew is amongst the best I've seen.
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Serious social commentary wrapped in comedy wrapped in lakorn
Did all the reviewers panning this for depictions of bad behaviour fail to realise how many of them were called out, whether in the dialogue, reactions, context or consequences? Sometimes the call outs were gentle, like Chon's maa telling him something he did was wrong, sometimes they were bold, like Chon's maa in the last episode. Always appropriate to the context.It's a clear critique of toxic masculinity in several forms, including misogyny, objectification, peer pressure, outdated attitudes and of course homophobia. It's full of good messages and positive examples too.
This deserves to be watched with more attention than most here seem to have given it, including those who see it only as light-hearted fluff. It's laugh out loud funny, with the warm, open-hearted generosity of Thailand's best comedy, but it's also delivering some important messages.
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National treasure of a tragic love story
The (incomplete) list of related titles will give you an idea of how popular the legend of Mae Nak, which has its roots in the 1800s, is amongst Thais. This version - the 1999 film with Inthira Charoenpura and Winai Kraibutr - has the clearest explanation of the story I've seen. If you're only going to watch one, this is the one to choose. If you're inclined to watch more, it's the best to begin with. Even one which stands alone as well as Pee Mak has additional layers if you know Nang Nak. For other subsequent adaptations, it really does help to have this as reference so you understand how each one finds its own way to move our emotions.And as a film, it's well done. Moody, atmospheric, but also balanced with light and warmth. Some excellent cinematography (like the way the film-maker used light, shadow and Kraibutr's musculature), just enough horror, and of course the love story at its heart. If you don't know the story, just watch it and get caught up in the suspense.
I've seen this four times now. When I began seeking out all the Nang Nak/Mae Naks as I could find, it was out of interest in the different ways film-makers find to tell stories. What I've come away with, six different movies in, is how much love Thais have for the story, and this version in particular. Is it perfect? No. But that's not what matters.
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Nang Nak set as coming of age
Modern coming of age adaptation of 1999's classic Nang Nak, with some nice extra nods to that like Nard's full name. Low budget with inexperienced actors but, like every Mae Nak, it's all about the emotions - the love between the young parents and the love Thailand has for Mae Nak's story.This isn't one to watch because it came up in algorithms or you're after horror. You'll be missing the context of a story told many times where the intended audience knows nearly every turn, and how each adaptation finds its own way to move our emotions.
if you know and love Nang Nak though, give it a go and watch it with your heart.
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Creativity, ingenuity and determination
Inspired by the then newly released Star Wars, a high school student is determined to make a film of his own and is focused solely on the special effects. Along the way, he and his friends use a lot of ingenuity and a bit of advice from their history teacher and a university film student to solve the problems needed to make their vision a reality and to give the story they tell meaning.It's left me with a big smile :)
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