Bangkok Cinema Scene: Movies opening October 29-November 4, 2009

Three Thai films are opening this week in Bangkok cinemas, and none of them are from the major studios.

Probably the most promising of the three is the purely indie feature, Seng Ped (เซ็งเป็ด, Boring Love, by writer-director Sarawut Intaraprom. He previously did the indie animated feature Boyfriend, which had a limited run in Bangkok in 2007.

Boyfriend was developed from a webcomic that ran on the popular Pantip.com forum, and Boring Love is adapted from a novel that was serialized on Pantip.

It's about a love triangle that develops when when Kai (Intira Kateworrasoonthorn) dumps her boyfriend Ped (Nattaphon Nilphoom) for a new guy. She then discovers that Ped has fallen in love with her new sweetheart Ooy (Athiwat Lumgool) and the three of them shack up together.

Boring Love is in limited release in Bangkok at the Lido cinemas. The trailer is on YouTube and it's embedded here.



In a wider release is Ja-Ae ... Goi Laew Jaa (จ๊ะเอ๋... โกยแล้วจ้า) from Five Four Three Two Action Film, which released the martial-arts drama Ha Teaw last year. They're back with this ghost comedy romance starring "Poy" Treechada Marnyaporn, who is probably best known as the winner of the 2004 Miss Tiffany Universe pageant -- a pageant for transgender competitors. This year's pageant, now called Miss International Queen take place on Saturday.

Poy, seeking to be taken seriously as an actress, portrays a young woman who commits suicide and returns as a ghost, waiting for her boyfriend to come back to the village. She scares off all the villagers and when her fella returns he doesn't realize she is a ghost, until she tries to persuade him to commit suicide to be with her forever.

Along with Poy, there's the usual cast of comedians like Somlek Sakdikul and Kom Chanchuen to liven things up. There's a trailer for this one too.

It's directed by Nati Phunmanee, who previously helmed the 2006 crime comedy Zapp.



Also in wide release is The Scout (Bit Pi-Pop Ta-Lu Lohk, บิดพิภพทะลุโลก). Produced by Logo Motion Picture, it's a children's adventure film by Pleo Sirisuwan. He previously directed 2006's Vengeance (recently reviewed by Peter Nellhaus) and like Vengeance The Scout has a giant snake.

I think possibly this venom-slobbering super king cobra is too prominent in the trailer (embedded here) and on the posters, because once you let a giant CGI snake loose, where else can you go? But Pleo must be confident in his his kid actors and their work in front of the green screen as well as his CGI creations, which aren't bad. There are other critters too, like sharp toothed toads with bat wings. Yikes!

The story is about schoolchildren on a scouting field trip, who stumble on an old temple where things are not as serene as they seem. The Scout was initially promoted for release on October 15, but it's out today.

Also opening

Treeless Mountain -- This acclaimed South Korean film is about two young sisters who are abandoned by their mother, who goes off looking for their estranged father. The girls are first left in the care of an alcoholic aunt, and they learn further lessons in determination and self sufficiency on the farm of their grandparents. At House.

The Rebound -- Catherine Zeta-Jones stars as a 40-year-old divorced woman who makes a fresh start in New York City. Sparks fly when this cougar hires a young man (Justin Bartha) to be a nanny for her two children.

Taking Woodstock -- Ang Lee's first try at comedy has been greeted with a collective shrug from critics. The handsomely mounted story centers on a family's rundown hotel in upstate New York, which becomes the epicenter for the generation-defining event that became Woodstock. With Sixties air swirling around -- and lots of hairy naked hippies -- a young man comes to grips with his sexual identity.

Scandal Makers -- This South Korean comedy is about a former teen idol who is surprised to learn he's a grandfather. And he's only 35.

Doreamon the Movie: Nobita and the Green Giant Legend -- This new episode in the long-running anime series concerns a plant that sprouts legs and walks around, amidst much concern for the environment.

The Echo  -- An ex-con is ensnared by a curse in an old apartment building. At Major Ratchayothin.

This Is It -- By all accounts, this is a fitting farewell to the King of Pop. The documentary is culled from hundreds of hours of film shot for the rehearsals for Jackson's This Is It concerts, and shows that despite his frail looks and troubled personal life, Michael remained extremely talented as a singer, dancer and musician. It's screening at most cinemas until November 10.

Also showing

Blue and All the Best have repeat screenings this weekend.  Visit www.BollywoodThai.com or call (02) 225 7500 or (089) 488 2620.

Take note

The 7th World Film Festival of Bangkok starts next Friday, November 6 and runs until November 15 at Paragon Cineplex. The festival website is up and running and has a list of films it's showing. The program is still being hammered out. There are many highlights, but most of all, I don't want to miss the opening film, Mundane History by Anocha Mai Suwichakornpong.