Bangkok Cinema Scene: January 31-February 5, 2008

Two Thai films are opening this week: The historical drama First Flight and the supernatural historical fantasy, Siyama: Village of Warriors. Both are effects-heavy films that have been in production for a long time.

From RS Film's Avant production house, First Flight has been in the works for five years. Starring Sornram Teppitak, this is a tale of daring young Thai men and their flying machines. It is set in the early 1900s and is based on the formation of the flying corps that would become the Royal Thai Air Force.

The special effects involving flight proved to be a challenge for the production company. Meanwhile, show reels for First Flight have been shown at film markets since 2003, and in the intervening years some of the film's thunder was stolen by Flyboys, a Hollywoodized drama set in World War I France.

The trailer for First Flight plays up the comedic aspects of brave pilots puking and being chased by water buffalo, but I suspect it will be more melodramatic than it lets on, and overall it will be nationalistically nostalgic.

More nationalistic homeland defense is on tap from Mono Film with Siyama: Village of Warriors, about some modern-day teens who travel back to 1764 Siam to take up ancient arms in a desperate battle to save Ayutthaya from an invasion. Though it was in post-production in 2006, months before Naresuan came out, Siyama looks like it is riding in the same column as that royal pic, as well as revisiting themes that were furiously hit upon in 2001's Bangrajan.

Both of these are just fodder that will likely be forgotten come next Wednesday. That is opening day for the highly anticipated and heavily promoted juggernaut that is Chocolate, starring Panna Rittikrai's and Prachya Pinkaew's new star action Nitcharee Wismitanant as gifted young autistic woman who goes on a Muay Thai-inspired warpath.

Also opening on Wednesday, just in time for Chinese New Year, is CJ7, a new comedy by actor-director Stephen Chow. A science-fiction tale that looks like a blend of Kung Fu Hustle and ET, I'm really looking forward to seeing it, and hope the original soundtrack version will be playing somewhere in Bangkok.

The big Hollywood release is Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Directed by Tim Burton, this is a wonderful adaptation of a stage musical set in 19th century London, with fine performances by Johnny Depp, as a murderous, throat-slitting barber, and Helena Bonham Carter, as a woman who assists the barber by making meat pies of his victims.

There is a scene-stealing supporting performance by Sacha Baron Cohen as an outrageously tight-trousered rival "Italian" barber. The perfectly cast Alan Rickman plays an evil judge, whom sentenced Depp's character to prison in order to steal his beautiful wife and daughter. The wife poisoned herself, but the now-teenaged daughter still lives with the judge, who keeps her locked away like a bird in a cage. Timothy Spall, just seen in Enchanted, again plays the perfect toady to the villain (and he sings very well, too).

Depp and Bonham Carter are somewhat weak in the singing department, but they make up for it with their acting. They are assisted by the sumptuous orchestral backing and the fantastic production design. One of my favorite numbers is By the Sea, in which Helena's character imagines holidays at the beach with the taciturn barber. At one point, Depp is hilariously dressed in a black-and-white striped long-handled swimming suit, which looks like possibly a hold-over from Burton's Edward Scissorhands, or possibly the Corpse Bride.

There is some genuinely good singing by supporting stars Jamie Campbell Bower, as a young man enchanted by Sweeney's daughter, Jayne Wisener as the daughter and young Ed Sanders as Toby, the street urchin.

One other thing: This is not a typical musical. It is also incredibly, delightfully bloody and violent. Unfortunately, the excitement of Sweeney Todd's cinematic relase in Thailand has been tempered by censors, who demanded that some of the scenes of throat slitting and blood spraying and spurting be toned down with pixellation, or "foggy blurring."

I feel fortunate to have seen the press preview that was uncensored. It's too bad general audiences in Thailand won't be able to see this picture in its full glory.

The film has won or has been nominated for dozens of awards. It already won Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy) and Best Actor for Johnny Depp. It is nominated for three Oscars for best actor, best art direction and best costume design.

Critical consensus rates the film high, with an 87% (fresh) rating at Rotten Tomatoes.

Also opening

• American Gangster - Highly anticipated, but not as good as it was built up to be, I found it entertaining but deriviative of other gangster films and cop dramas. Star Denzel Washington is outclassed by the supporting cast that includes Russell Crowe, Josh Brolin and Ruby Dee. It has a 79% (fresh) rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
• Martian Child - John Cusack stars as a science-fiction writer, still grieving over the death of his wife, who adopts an eccentric six-year-old boy who says he's from Mars. Joan Cusack, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt and Angelica Huston co-star. Critical consensus is that this is a harmless, but overly sentimental and mushy family drama. It has a 28% (rotten) rating at Rotten Tomatoes.