THE CHILDREN'S HOUR (2012, Passasupang Kongbumrung, 180 min, A++++++++++)

เรื่อง (รัก) ลับของครูแคเรน

Though the performances by some actors in this lesbian play are not perfect, I still like this play very much, because I like stories like this. It deals with prejudice, discrimination, and evil in ordinary people in our societies. The reason why I like the story of THE CHILDREN'S HOUR is the same reason why I like the stories in these plays and films:

1.THE CRUCIBLE (2010, Malinda Pamornsuwan, stage play)
2.DOUBT: A PARABLE (2011, Ninart Boonpothong, stage play)
3.I-FAK (2004, Pantham Thongsangl)
4.THE JUDGMENT (1989, Permpol Choei-aroon)
5.THE MURDER OF MARY PHAGAN (1988, William Hale)
6.THE POB'S HOUSE (2010, Ukrit Sa-nguanhai)

Some scenes in THE CHILDREN'S HOUR are very intense. These scenes make me feel a strong urge to slap the faces of some characters in the play. It reminds me of the kind of feelings I had while I was watching the film WOMEN PRISON (1988, David Lam). In that Hong Kong film, the bitchiness of some characters and the extremely intense situations in the film make the viewers want to jump into the film to help the heroine fight against the villainesses.

As for THE CHILDREN'S HOUR, I also like the hairstyle, the costume, and the personality of the character Martha Dobie very much, because it unintentionally reminds me of the German actress Irm Hermann.

I think the ending of the play is interesting. It feels realistic to me. I wonder if I am the one who writes the play, instead of Lillian Hellman, how will I end the play? I think I may end the play by making it a revenge fantasy, instead of ending it realistically like this. I may end the play by making it resemble BAISE-MOI + DOGVILLE (Lars von Trier). In my imaginative ending, the heroines will get revenge at the end by killing Amelia Tilford, Mary, and some other people in the town, before they commit suicide.

THE FLOATING PROJECT (2012, Vidura Amranand, A++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++)

หนักที่สุดในชีวิตการแสดง ฉากที่ Sumontha Suanpholrat ประจันหน้ากับ Bo Kittpon นี่ไม่มีคำบรรยายอะไรใดๆอีกต่อไป

THE SHADOW BOX เงามัจจุราช (2012, Damkerng Thitapiyasak, A+++++++++++++++)

There are many things I like in this play, including:

1. The ending of the play, which seems to tell us that, "Whenever you are happy, don't forget you are going to die in the future." This kind of ending corresponds to my philosophy on life. It also reminds me of the ending of the film 5x2 (François Ozon), which seems to tell us that, "Whenever you are falling in love, don't forget it can end badly."

2.I like the stage decoration in this play very much. There are only two main props on the stage: a white chair with seems to hide a black chair in it, and a strange two-part wall which can be moved around in numerous ways. I like the moving around of this strange wall very much.

3.I like the character played by Peerapol Kijruenpiromsuk the most. This character is a money boy with a heart. There are three stories in this play. The story about this money boy somehow reminds of the films of Rainer Werner Fassbinder.

4.The story about a dying father, a mother (Sumontha Suanpolrat), and a son/daughter in this play is theoretically the least interesting in my point of view, but the play somehow makes this dull story very watchable, thanks to the great performance of the ever-reliable Sumontha. Though the story seems to present nothing new for me, the emotions of the actors are very strong and convincing. The moment that I like very much is the moment that Sumontha tries to talk about the airhostesses, but she cannot control her emotions anymore and bursts into tears. I also like the unreasonable quarrel between the wife and husband over the pestle very much.

5.The story about an old woman and a spinster daughter is very interesting. I admire the patience of the daughter in this story very much.

In conclusion, I worship the script and the performances in this play. If I have to match this play with a film, I will match it with COMING TO TERMS WITH THE DEAD (1994, Pascale Ferran).

VARIOUS WAYS TO DEAL WITH LOVE (RAINBOW VERSION) (2012, Pisal Pattanapeeradech, A+/A)

สารพัด...จัดสรร "รัก" ฉบับสีรุ้ง

Theoretically, this is the kind of stage plays I like very much. It is about gays and sexual ambiguities. It feels very intimate. It is about people talking about problems in their lives and relationships. It is not very different from an Eric Rohmer's film. It also reminds me of SAME OLD SONG (1997, Alain Resnais), because characters in this play burst into songs from time to time.

But I give it only A+A, because I think it lacks some "magic". It lacks some kinds of magic which will make this play very touching. However, I myself don't know what this magic is. I don't know exactly how to improve this play. I only feel that there's something missing from this play.

Or maybe there's nothing missing from this play. What is missing is my own life experience, the kind of experience which can make me identify myself more with the characters, or make me sympathize more with the characters. Though this play is about gays and sexual ambiguities, I can't identify myself much with the characters. They are very interesting characters: an effeminate guy who used to be married to a woman (Pisal Pattanapeeradech), a married guy who prefers to spend time with a male friend rather than with his wife (Pongtaris Juntara), a straight boy who has sex with a transvestite, a straight guy who has sex with a transsexual (Chatdanai Musigchai), and a married guy who likes to have sex with many men. These characters are very interesting "case studies", but I'm not sure if the play is really successful in making these characters become something more than "case studies", or become "human beings".

The scene which touches me the most is the scene in which Pisal sang the song I'M LONELY by Anchalee Jongkadeekij. It is very easy for me to understand the loneliness of Pisal's character in that moment. The lustful character (Nammon Joiraksa) also reminds me of some gay friends. But I can't sympathize much with the other three characters. Maybe it is because I wish they chose to continue exploring having sex with men/transvestites/transsexuals, instead of choosing to go back to their wives. Hahaha.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2nMI8Oma-4

In conclusion, I still like this play a lot, because it deals with how inadequate our vocabulary is for sexual orientation.

THERAPY (2012, Nophand Boonyai + Dujdao Vadhanapakorn Boonyai, A++++++++++)

This stage play gives a new experience for me -- it presents us a real-time session between an art therapist and his client/patient. It shows us how an art therapist works, and it may help us deal with our own emotional problems indirectly.

What I like very much in this play includes the character of the patient's wife (Donruedee Jamraschai). She is so interesting as a character that I regret she is not the main character in this play. I like it very much that she dares to comment on the clothes of the therapist's assistant. I think most people don't do things like that. So when Donruedee's character does that thing, I think this character has a very interesting personality, or even a very interesting psychological or mental problem. If this character becomes a main character in a film, I think that film has the potential to be as great as SEPTEMBER (1987, Woody Allen) or ANOTHER WOMAN (1988, Woody Allen).

The character of the therapist (Anupun Pruegpunkajee) is also very interesting. He is the opposite of me. He is very calm and can control his emotions very well. I wish to be like him. I think I get angry very easily, though not as violently as the patient in this play (Saifah Tanthana). Watching this play makes me realize how our emotions can get out of control very easily, and how we might be able to calm ourselves down.

Talking about mental problems, I think one film which presents a mental problem which is very similar to mine is SMOKING/NO SMOKING (1993, Alain Resnais, A+30). There's a scene in this film in which Sabine Azema tries to organize her own shop in a fair, or something like that, but she can't do it in time, and then she has a nervous breakdown. That scene reminds me of my own anxiety. I'm always worried that I cannot do my work, or I cannot do it well, or I cannot finish it in time. Maybe I need to see some therapists.

STAGE PERFORMANCES I SAW IN 2011

(in roughly preferential order)

1.FLU-FOOL (Teerawat Mulvilai, A+)

2.NEVER LET ME GO (Ninart Boonpothong, A+)

3.THE DAY COMRADE STORM COMES HOME วันที่สหายพายุกลับบ้าน (Ratapong Pinyosophon, A+)
http://celinejulie.blogspot.com/2011/05/day-comrade-storm-comes-home-2011.html

4.LOVE OF THE ECONOMIST เกมรัก/นักเศรษฐศาสตร์ (Ninart Boonpothong, A+)

5.BETRAYAL รักทรยศ (Damkerng Thitapiyasak, A+)

6.VILLAINESSES IN LONGKA นางร้ายในลงกา (Nikorn Sae Tang, A+)

7.FOUR IS...? (Grisana Punpeng, A+)
http://celinejulie.blogspot.com/2011/10/four-is-2011-grisana-punpeng.html

8.DAMAGE JOY (Nana Dakin, A+)

9.THE JOY LUCK CLUB กาลครั้งหนึ่งนานมาแล้ว มีแม่กับ...ฉัน (Parnrut Kritchanchai, A+)

10.TASTE OF CURRY (Jarunun Phantachat, A+)

11.NIJINSKY SIAM (Pichet Klunchun, A+)

12.APT PUPIL วิปริต (Ninart Boonpothong, A+)

13.DOUBT: A PARABLE เหตุเกิดหลังพระเจ้า (Ninart Boonpothong, A+)

14.BOXING BOYS (Ekachai Eukrongtham, A+)

15.FOUR CASES OF SADNESS: WILL YOU MARRY ME? (สี่เศร้า: แต่งงานกันนะ) (Chorlada Suriyayothin, A+)

16.FOUR CASES OF SADNESS: HOLE (สี่เศร้า:หลุม) (Wichaya Artamart, A+)

17.THE WHITE PHOENIX (Lee Swee Keong, A+)

18.KID MAI TOG...TALOG DAG (HOW TO FIGHT SADNESS WITH COMEDY) คิดไม่ตก...ตลกแดก (Sethsiri Nirandorn, A+)

19.A THREAD IN THE DARK (Sineenadh Keitprapai, A+)

20.JOURNEY OF SPIRIT (Yukio Waguri, A+)

21.PHAYATHAI JUNCTION สี่แยกรัก...พักติวหน่อย (Ninart Boonpothong, A+)

22.ZIME-ZEN OF INTERCONNECTED ME (Simona Orinsak, Latvia, A+)

23.YOU AND I (Saifah Tanthana, A+)
http://celinejulie.blogspot.com/2011/10/you-and-i-2011-saifah-tanthana.html

24.F_CKTONG (Dujdao Vadhanapakorn Boonyai, A+)

25.THE LAST CUP OF BLACK JELLY เฉาก๊วยถ้วยสุดท้าย (Suparirk Sathien, A+)

26.IMPROPER FRACTION: A STURY ON FRAGMENTATION (Thanapol Virulhakul + Vidura Amranand, A+)

27.ASLAM...FROM THE SAD-VOICED PRINCESS...OF THE FOURTH STAR อัสลาม...จากเจ้าหญิงเสียงเศร้า...แห่งดาวดวงที่สี่ (Farida Jiraphan, A+)

28.INVINCIBLE EAST: ONLY ME IN 10,000 YEARS ตงฟางปู๋ป้าย หมื่นปีมีข้าคนเดียว (Apirak Chaipanha, A+)
http://celinejulie.blogspot.com/2011/09/invincible-east-only-me-in-10000-years.html

29.I LOVE SYNDROME (Ninart Boonpothong, A+)
http://celinejulie.blogspot.com/2011/11/i-love-syndrome-2011-ninart-boonpothong.html

30.OVER THE RAINBOW (Phongpan Prapasirilak, reading, A+)

31.CHEEWITA ชีวิตา (Jutarat Karaket, A+)

32.SPACE-O-DIZZY (B-Floor + Wangnin Bunmei, A+)

33.HOLD ON ME กอดฉันที (Ninart Boonpothong, A+/A)
http://celinejulie.blogspot.com/2011/05/hold-on-me-2011-ninart-boonpothong-aa.html

34.FIN (Wasurachata Unaprom, A+/A)

35.TALES FOR THE NIGHT YOU WAIT FOR GHOSTS เรื่องเล่า คืนเฝ้าผี (Jirasak Yojew + Nattapong Chaloeiwares, A+/A)

36.A LOVE SONG (Jitti Chompee, A+/A)

37.NOMINEE ร่างทรง (Thongchai Hannarong, A+/A)

38.CHUI CHAI (Pichet Klunchun Company, A+/A)

39.REINCARNATE เกิดดับ (Nikorn Sae Tang, A+/A)

40.FOUR CASES OF SADNESS สี่เศร้า: NEXT STATION YOU...? (Sirames Akarapakulset, A+/A)

41.LIVE MUSIC BY DEUN CHONGMANKHONG AND FRIENDS (A+/A)

42.LADY MINA: VAMPIRE HUNTER (Ninart Boonpothong, A)

43.VENGEFUL แค้น (Supawat Hongsa, A)

44.LIVE MUSIC BY PARINAM MUSIC (A)

45.A LIFE IN HER DAY (2011, Hilary Chaplain, A)

46.FOUR CASES OF SADNESS สี่เศร้า: LA VIE EN ROSE (Suparirk Sathien, A)

47.BODY MOVE (Crescent Moon Workshop, A/A-)

48.MADA (Sarut Komalittipong, A-)

49.BOW PROJECT 2011 (Various Artists, A-)

50.PETER PAN (Ninart Boonpothong, A-)

51.SWEETIE E-LAH BAABOE (Pintip Satpretprai, A-/B+)

52.MUMYOKI (Igu Ikuko, B+)

53.COLORMEAMERICA (Ledoh, USA, B+)

STAGE PERFORMANCES I SAW IN 2010

(in roughly preferential order)

1.THE CRUCIBLE (Malinda Pamornsuwan, A+)

2.PORNOGRAM (Ninart Boonpothong, A+)

3.OLD TIMES (Arthri Vanichtrakul, A+)

4.SENZA SANGUE (ควันใต้น้ำ) (2010, Saifah Tanthana, A+)5.LIGHT OF FAITH OVER CHAO PHRAYA RIVER (แสงศรัทธาเหนือลำน้ำเจ้าพระยา) (2010, Jirayuth Sinthupunt, stage play, A+)

6.THE SIMPLE DECEPTION เล่ห์ (Punnatat Bodhivechakul, A+)

7.KEU POO APIWAT คือผู้อภิวัฒน์ (Sineenadh Keitprapai, A+)

8.DEADSAMORE เด๊ดสะมอเร่ (Nophand Boonyai, A+)

9.EINSTEIN, MY GOD! (Kiatpoom Nuntanukul, reading, A+)

10.GREEN SNAKE (Lee Swee Keong, A+)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-g22830hUg

11.VIP ที่นี่ มีระดับ (Sakchai Kiatpunyaopas, A+)

12.FROM THIS DAY ON เชงเม้ง (Chinnat Nopkham, A+)

13.THE RULES OF THE GAME (ตีไข่ใส่ฟองรัก) (2010, Ninart Boonpothong, A+)
14.KOKASHITA (Shigehiro Ide, Thailand/Japan, A+)

15.THE P-R-I-N-S-E-CC เจ้าหงิญ (Ninart Boonpothong + Pornpen Faumnuay, A+)

16.BENYAKAI (Thanaporn Saen-ai, fragments, A+)
http://www.bacc.or.th/performance/detail/guid/c65f7eeea0a097b7d9e58f57208e0716

17.AVATAR DVADAS FOURTH: SAGITTARIUS -- THE ARROW OF TIME (Bruce Gaston + Somtow Sucharitkul, A+)

18.GHOST OF THE ECONOMISTS (Ninart Boonpothong, A+)

19.CINDERELLA TOE JAM (Mei-yin Ng, Malaysia, A+)

20.HIS GARDEN (Ratapong Pinyosophon, A+)

21.COMPOSITION EXCERPT FROM VANISHING POINT (Cathy Seago, UK, A+)

22.CHORAL III VARIATIONS (The Wang Wei Quartet, Belgium, A+)

23.THE FINAL BOW (Cathy Seago + Shi Jing Xin + Mei-yin Ng + Wang Wei Quartet + Rannvá Káradóttir, A+)

24.THE RETURN บ้านใหม่ (Rojanin Leenapornpat, reading, A+)

25.THE PRINCESS เจ้า...หญิง??? (Rinyapat Nithipatanunt, A+)

26.BANGKOK MOLECULES (Dujdao Vadhanapakorn + Jarunan Phantachat + Sarut Komalittipong + Ornanong Thaisriwong + Thanapol Virulhakul + Terry Hatfield, A+/A)
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/2010/03/23/life/Together-and-apart-30125288.html

27.THE MINISTRY OF TRUTH (Nir de Volff, A+/A)

28.CREEPS ล่า-ท้า-ฝัน (Sineenadh Keitprapai, A+/A)

29.ROCKWAY CAFÉ ภารกิจพิชิตฝัน (Piangdao Jariyapun, A+/A)

30.GREY AREA (Dujdao Vadhanapakorn + Nophand Boonyai, A+/A)

31.DETAILS CANNOT BODY WANTS (Patcharakamol Juntree, A+/A)

32.THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH มรรคบาท/ฆาตกรรม (Ninart Boonpothong, A+/A)

33.THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN A MAN AND A WOMAN WHO WERE IN LOVE (2010, Wanatsanan Sasom, A+/A)
34.XIA XIE BO WA-WHITE/A DANCE FOR THE GOD (Shi Jing Xin, China, A+/A)

35.PICNIC ON THE BATTLEFIELD (ลาบเลือด เดือนร้อน) (2010, Thianchai Isaradej, A)
http://celinejulie.blogspot.com/2010/09/picnic-on-battlefield-2010-tianchai.html

36.READING WOMEN (Paornrat Yodnain, Pavinee Samakkabutr, Sineenadh Keitprapai, Neelacha Fuangfookiat, A)

37.THE END OF THE ROAD AT BANGCARE สุดทางที่บางแคร์ (Parnrut Kritchanchai, A)

38.E-KIM A BURST-OUT VOICE WOMAN อีคิ้ม...ลูกคอปืนกล (Nat Nualpang, A)

A POSTER WITH MY COMMENT

MY FAVORITE STAGE PLAYS DIRECTED BY NINART BOONPOTHONG

1.WHEN I SLEPT OVER THE NIGHT OF THE REVOLUTION เมื่อผมหลับในคืนปฏิวัติ (2007, A+++++++++++++++)

2.PORNOGRAM เปลือยแล้วฆ่า (2010, A+++++++++++++++)

3.CASTRATED DOGS หมาตอน (2004, A+++++++++++++++)

4.NEVER LET ME GO (2011, A+++++++++++++++) seen on August 28

5.LOVE OF THE ECONOMIST เกมรัก/นักเศรษฐศาสตร์ (2011, A++++++++++) seen on June 24

6.ALT-CTRL-DEL (2008, A++++++++++)

7.APT PUPIL วิปริต (2011, A+++++) seen on July 29

8.ADD AS A FRIEND (2009, with Thanyanan Kooanupong, A+++++) seen on August 29

NINART BOONPOTHONG'S STAGE PLAYS

The more I watch Ninart's plays, the more I hope someone adapts his plays into films. His plays are great, and the films made from his plays will surely be ranked as ones of the best Thai films made in that year.

Ninart Boonpothong's stage plays that I have watched:

(in roughly chronological order)

1.CASTRATED DOGS หมาตอน (2004, A+++++++++++++++)

2.RED BUILDING ตึกแดง (2005, A+)

3.MISSING YOU (2006, A+)

4.MISERY คลั่ง (2006, with Pornpen Faumnuay, A-)

5.WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S THE TRAGEDY OF KING LEAR เย้ยฟ้า ท้าดิน (2007, A+/A)

6.WHEN I SLEPT OVER THE NIGHT OF THE REVOLUTION เมื่อผมหลับในคืนปฏิวัติ (2007, A+++++++++++++++)

7.ALT-CTRL-DEL (2008, A++++++++++)

8.LOST GIRLZ (2008, A+) seen on September 14

9.FRIENDS (2009, A+) seen on January 25

10.THE PRINCESS OF WOLF AND THE PRINCE OF NIGHT เจ้าหญิงหมาป่ากับเจ้าชายรัตติกาล (2009, with Wanatsanan Sasom and Jirawat Chantaseelkul, A-) seen on May 9

11.WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM (2009, with Rattapong Pinyosophon, A+/A) seen on June 5

12.ADD AS A FRIEND (2009, with Thanyanan Kooanupong, A+++++) seen on August 29

13.ASURAKAI อสูรกาย (2009, A+) seen on September 4

14.HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN'S THE SNOW QUEEN ราชินีหิมะ (2009, with Jirawat Chantaseelkul, Chinnat Nopkhum, Chatchai Sattayadit, A+) seen on December 27

15.THE P-R-I-N-S-E-CC เจ้าหงิญ (2010, with Pornpen Faumnuay, A+) seen on January 22

16.GHOST OF THE ECONOMISTS (2010, A+) seen on February 6

17.THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH มรรคบาท/ฆาตกรรม (2010, A+/A) seen on March 20

18.PORNOGRAM เปลือยแล้วฆ่า (2010, A+++++++++++++++) seen on June 13

19.THE RULE OF THE GAMES ความรักของตุลยา: ตีไข่ใส่ฟองรัก (2010, A+) seen on September 11

20.LADY MINA: VAMPIRE HUNTER (2011, A) seen on March 25

21.HOLD ON ME (2011, A+/A) seen on May 22
http://celinejulie.blogspot.com/2011/05/hold-on-me-2011-ninart-boonpothong-aa.html

22.PHAYATHAI JUNCTION สี่แยกรัก...พักติวหน่อย (2011, A+) seen on June 5

23.LOVE OF THE ECONOMIST เกมรัก/นักเศรษฐศาสตร์ (2011, A++++++++++) seen on June 24

24.APT PUPIL วิปริต (2011, A+++++) seen on July 29

25.PETER PAN (2011, A-) seen on August 7

26.NEVER LET ME GO (2011, A+++++++++++++++) seen on August 28

27.I LOVE SYNDROME (2011, A+) seen on November 19

I LOVE SYNDROME (2011, Ninart Boonpothong, A+)

Things I like very much in this stage play include:

1.The Stockholm Syndrome story, which is about a man who kidnaps a famous male singer in order to get revenge on the elder brother of the singer, but the captor and the captive fall in love with each other. It's like a gay version of Pisarn Akaraseranee's films, because there's some sadomasochistic pleasure involved in the love between them.

This story is very romantic for me and fulfills my sexual fantasy. In this way, it satisfies me like FORGET ME NOT (2010, Naphat Chaithiangthum, 30 min, A+++++++++++++++), which is one of my most favorite films I have seen this year. FORGET ME NOT is about the love between two boys in a rural Thai setting, and the story happens 70-80 years ago. It's like a gay version of Cherd Songsri's films.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf9YXI3fJcI

Both FORGET ME NOT and I LOVE SYNDROME use some old formulas of heterosexual stories/forms/styles and adapt them for gay stories. And I find both of them very fulfilling and satisfying.

Will this become a trend for Thai gay films and Thai gay stage plays? I don't know, but I think it will be interesting if it becomes a new trend. In the past, there have been many gay experimental films, gay films about AIDS, and gay films about unequal rights or prejudices. Recently, there have been some Thai gay TV series about real gay lifestyles, such as LOVE AUDITION, which is a very good trend, though I haven't had time to watch them yet. And now gay films/gay stage plays which use old formulas of heterosexual stories are made. It is very satisfying to see that some genres of films which have been dominated by heterosexual stories in the past are now being adapted for gay stories. And there are still many genres for Thai gay films to explore, including the folklore genre, the martial-arts genre, the rural action genre, the melodrama about love-between-different-classes genre, the conscript (ทหารเกณฑ์) genre, etc. I hope to see more Thai gay films made along these genres in the near future.

LOVE AUDITION
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWufhDEg37Y

Example from the folklore genre
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vx3a1rqNdlg

the martial-arts genre
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xS-QJj2SW5E

the rural action genre
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwMhcEs-aNI

the love-between-different-classes genre
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70O5elVu79Q

I also hope that the Stockholm Syndrome story will be adapted into a feature film. The role of the captive singer may be played by someone like Poppy. The role of the kidnapper may be played by someone like Peerawat Herabut.

Poppy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88u9QBaGHSo

Peerawat Herabut
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2344/2124823340_ee387e75a2_o.jpg

2. The fact that the Asperger Syndrome story does not have a happy ending. However, I think its ending is still a little bit too forced. In the ending of this story, which is also the ending of the play, the heroine accepts the fact that she cannot cope with her Asperger boyfriend any more, and decides to dump him no matter how pitiful or innocent he is. Later, when she reads a book about a neglected cat, it reminds her of him, and she feels very sad and wants to cry.

I like it very much that the heroine decides to dump her boyfriend, because I might do the same as her. Both the heroine and I are not virtuous or strong persons. We are just flawed human beings who are selfish, unable to solve every problem in life in a graceful manner, and we just want to survive. However, the ending scene is not successful in making the audience cry, and I think it is partly because the play doesn't spend enough time on this couple. We don't truly understand how much love the heroine might have for her boyfriend or how wonderful her boyfriend can be when they are together. It is understandable that the play contains four stories, so we cannot spend enough time on the Asperger couples. But this fact makes me able to sympathize only with the heroine's frustration with her boyfriend, but I cannot sympathize with the heroine's love for her boyfriend or her regret for having lost her boyfriend. I think this problem can solved if the story is adapted into a 60-90 minute play/film.

3.The play indirectly teaches the audience "not to trust the rumor or appearance", especially in the Stockholm Syndrome story and the Bipolar story. I like it very much that in the Stockholm Syndrome story, the rich elder brother seems like a wicked, crooked businessman at first, and the kidnapper seems like a Robin Hood or a victim who tries to get revenge. But later it turns out that the rich businessman is not as crooked as what we has assumed, and the kidnapper is the crooked one.

The Bipolar story is very interesting if you analyze it politically. But I won't analyze its politics because I know very little about politics. But I like it very much that this story about a superheroine who tries to fight a gang of bad men under an evil mafia (or politician?) is very complicated. Everything is not what it looks like. The superheroine may be a "false personality" of a girl. This false personality may be created by a person who secretly controls the girl and who may gain some profits for himself if the girl destroys the mafia. In this story, the son may betray the father, the follower may betray the leader, and the girl may betray herself.

In a way, I think this Bipolar story is at least as complicated as SHATTERED IMAGE (1998, Raul Ruiz). If this story is adapted into a feature film, its story and its political implications may be more interesting than RED EAGLE (2010, Wisit Sasanatieng, A+/A) and HEADSHOT (2011, Pen-ek Ratanaruang, A+).


4. The structure of the play. The play tells 4 four stories, each one of which has roughly three acts. What is amazing is that the play doesn't tell one story from start to finish before it starts to tell another one. But the play tells act one from each four stories, then tells act two from each four stories, then tells acts three from each four stories or something like that. But I LOVE SYNDROME is very easy to follow, and in fact, it can be considered one of the easiest plays to follow among Ninart's plays. Ninart is great in writing highly complicated stories with obscure messages. I LOVE SYNDROME has a complicated structure, but at least its message is clear (the play wants us to understand people who suffer from each of the four mental syndromes), so that's why I think I LOVE SYNDROME is one of the easiest plays to understand among Ninart's works.

5.Though I like the story of the Stockholm Syndrome the most, I think the performers in I LOVE SYNDROME are most successful in the Asperger story, partly because they play "normal university students" in this story. There is much fun in watching them talking in a fake birthday party scene in the Asperger story. In this story, the young actors play some characters who are not so far from their real lives. That may be one of the reasons why their performances can enliven the scene very much in this story.

FOUR IS...? (2011, Grisana Punpeng, A++++++++++)

What I like very much in this play, or what I think is interesting in this play, includes:

1.The structure of the play. The play is made up of short scenes which are barely connected to one another. I like this kind of structure very much, and I think this kind of structure makes it very difficult for the play creators/filmmakers to use it well. I mean if you use this kind of structure in your plays/films, it is very difficult that the end result (your play/film) will be very powerful. It is the opposite of a straightforward narrative structure in which you can build the tension/emotion gradually until it reaches its climax and resolves near the end.

Though this structure is very difficult to use, I think Grisana is successful in using it. The play is very impressive, funny, and thought-provoking.

To illustrate how difficult to use this structure, I would like to note that there are some films which attempt to use this same kind of structures, but fail to be powerful. These films include:

1.1 THE COLOUR OF HAPPINESS (2003, József Pacskovszky, Hungary, B+)

1.2 LOVE ACTUALLY (2003, Richard Curtis, C+)

1.3 MAL (1999, Alberto Seixas Santos, Portugal, A-/B+)

1.4 THREADS (2003, Hakim Belabbes, Morocco, B+)


2.I also would like to compare FOUR IS with other plays/films which use the same kind of structure and are successful. I once made a list of my favorite films/plays which use this structure here:
http://celinejulie.blogspot.com/2008/05/twentieth-poll-barely-connected-stories.html

In my personal opinion, I like WELCOME TO NOTHING (2008, Nophand Boonyai), THE PHANTOM OF LIBERTY (1974, Luis Buñuel), and VIDEO 50 (1978, Robert Wilson) a little bit more than FOUR IS, partly because WELCOME TO NOTHING, THE PHANTOM OF LIBERTY and VIDEO 50 are crazier. FOUR IS seems to be governed by more logic or reason than these three works. The logic and reason make FOUR IS "more meaningful", but "less crazy", and thus, "less powerful in my point of view" than these three works.

Having said that, I want to point out that the words "less powerful" here only denote my personal taste, and I don't mean to say that FOUR IS is inferior to or less successful than these three works, because I guess that Grisana didn't intend to make a "very crazy" play in the first place. I guess he wants to say some specific things to the audience or wants the audience to think about some specific subjects, so the fact that FOUR IS still seems to be governed by some logic or reasons means that it may serve the purpose of the director very well, though this fact means that it might not satisfy my personal taste perfectly.

3.The mystery of the main theme. I'm not sure what the main theme of this play is, but I like this kind of mystery very much, because it is very thought-provoking. FOUR IS makes me think about Alexander Kluge's films, because some of his films are made up of barely connected stories. The mystery of the main theme of FOUR IS also makes me think about what Kluge said. He said that:

"Understanding a film completely is conceptual imperialism which colonizes its objects. If I have understood everything then something has been emptied out.

We must make films that thoroughly oppose such imperialism of consciousness. I encounter something in film which still surprises me and which I can perceive without devouring it. I cannot understand a puddle on which the rain is falling—I can only see it; to say that I understand the puddle is meaningless. Relaxation means that I myself become alive for a moment, allowing my senses to run wild: for once not to be on guard with the policelike intention of letting nothing escape me.”"

4. Though I'm not sure what the main theme of FOUR IS is, there are many interesting subjects in this play, including:

4.1 The unknown truth, such as the news reporting scene, in which no one knows for sure if the woman's death is the result of a brutal murder or a mercy killing; or the last scene, in which the story of a frog and an insect can be elaborated in many ways, and no one knows for sure which story is truer than others. The last scene also shows that people can easily create a fictional story to serve their political purposes. The scene in which a man and a woman tries so hard to understand some characters' motivations also emphasizes that the truth about something may be out of our reach, and we must not forget that we can only guess about it. We must not assume that our guess must be right. We must not rule out other possibilities or other explanations.

4.2 The hypocrisy of people, which is related to "the unknown truth". People like to pretend that they are good and generous. They donate money for disaster victims, because it is good for their publicity. They console their friends so that they will look good. I also like the award acceptance scene very much. In this scene, a man thanks no one and nothing in his acceptance speech. The man acts the opposite of what most people do when they accept some awards. What the man does in this scene emphasizes how hypocritical most people do in the same situation.

4.3 How we create our (false) identities on the internet or Facebook. There is also a dialogue in the play which talks about the ticker section in Facebook, which is a very recent phenomenon. I like it very much that some plays/short films respond very quickly to latest news or latest important events in our lives. This kind of quick response to latest news is hard to be found in other art forms.

4.4 The apocalypse

5.One of my most favorite scenes in FOUR IS is the scene in which Chorlada Suriyayothin talks about the expectation of a middle class life, while she is cooking some hazardous dish, using such ingredients as bathroom cleaner in her food. Her monologue in this scene reminds me of one of my most favorite scenes of all time in THE DEVIL, PROBABLY (1977, Robert Bresson), because both scenes show us how empty a middle-class life is. You can watch this scene here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A80p5W6Mxv8&feature=related

But the action in Chorlada's scene is worth to be included in THE DISCREET CHARM OF THE BOURGEOISIE (1972, Luis Buñuel).

At first, I tried to interpret every action in this scene. I tried to find the connection between what the character says and each ingredient she uses. I thought each ingredient has some symbolic meanings. I ignored what Alexander Kluge said, because he said that the audience should not " be on guard with the policelike intention of letting nothing escape me."

After a while, I gave up trying to interpret everything, and did what Alexander Kluge said. I relaxed, and allowed my senses to run wild while watching this play. It doesn't matter whether the cooking scene has many symbols in it or not. All I know is that the scene is very memorable, and that's enough for me.

In the talking session after the play, Grisana revealed that the cooking scene comes from his dream. I like this fact very much. It also reminds me of other films which originate from the dreams of the directors, such as ON THE MOON (2007, Dhan Lhaow, 6 min, animation). A scene in THE SACRIFICE (1986, Andrei Tarkovsky) also originates from the dream Tarkovsky had in 1977 or something like that.

In conclusion, I like FOUR IS very much because it partly reminds me of Alexander Kluge's films. I think Alexander Kluge likes to create films "which inspire the films in the viewers' own heads". FOUR IS is also like that for me. FOUR IS inspires me to think, imagine, and create "a play in my own head".

YOU AND I (2011, Saifah Tanthana, A+++++)

What I like very much in this play, or what I think is interesting in this play, includes:

1.The dilemma of the characters. The play makes me ask myself what I would do if I were the heroine (Wanatsanan Sasom). I don't know if I should:

1.1 Tell my best friend about what happened, so that she would know the real behavior of her boyfriend. But I don't want to keep the hero (Anupong Sakulmongkollarp) for myself. I just don't want my best friend to have an unfaithful boyfriend like that.

1.2 Tell my best friend about what happened, so that she would dump him, and I would have him for myself.

1.3 Don't tell my best friend. Don't talk to her boyfriend. Act like a virtuous, extremely nice heroine. But I think the secret will weigh too much on my conscience. I think if I choose to go on this way, I will feel awkward and guilty every time I meet my best friend.

1.4 Don't tell my best friend. Be the secret lover of her boyfriend. But I don't think I can do something like this.

After thinking about these choices, I think if I were the heroine, I will choose No. 1 or No. 2. According to the situation in the play, I don't think I will feel ashamed of myself for the fact that I "unknowingly" have sex with the boyfriend of my best friend. But I will feel bad for myself if I don't tell my best friend the truth about what happens. The truth will surely hurt my best friend at first, but I think if I lie to her, the lie will hurt her much more in the long run.

In conclusion, I like it very much that YOU AND I makes me really contemplate about this issue. Most films and plays don't make me seriously think about the problems of the characters like this.

2.I seriously think about the dilemma of the characters, because the play doesn't give the audience easy answers. And I like this kind of thing very much. At the end of the play, the heroine is left with difficult choices. I can't guess what will happen in her future. I can't guess what she will decide to do in the future. All I know is that whatever she decides to do in the future, someone will get hurt. There's not a choice which will lead to "a happy ending for everyone".

The dilemma of the heroine weighs on my conscience. And I like this kind of thing very much. It is the opposite of such Hollywood films as SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE (2003, Nancy Meyers), in which Diane Keaton suddenly dumps Keanu Reeves at the end, and doesn't seem to feel guilty at all, or THE WEDDING PLANNER (2001, Adam Shankman), in which the hero dumps his girlfriend at the end, and he doesn't have to feel guilty for it, because his girlfriend "suddenly" doesn't want to marry him!!! There are many films like this. If YOU AND I was like this kind of films, the best friend would be portrayed as a villainess, so that the audience would feel that she deserved to be cheated by her boyfriend. Or the boyfriend would turn out to be a bad guy at the end, so that the heroine and the audience would be able to decide very easily what the heroine should do.

Fortunately, YOU AND I is not like that kind of films. There's no villain or villainess in this play. YOU AND I gives us really tough choices.

3.Though there's no villain or villainess in this play, the hero is not "a really nice guy" in my point of view, but a flawed human being like us. I think his main flaws are his cheating on his girlfriend and his attempt to open the forbidden box.

I like the moment when the hero tries to open the forbidden box very much, because

3.1 It's the dilemma of the audience. In that situation, the audience knows that opening the forbidden box is not a good thing. It is not the right thing to do. But the audience wishes that the character would do the wrong thing by opening the box, because the audience wants to know what is inside that box. That moment in the play lays the guilt on the audience, and makes the audience partners in crime.

3.2 It is like a symbol of rape in my point of view. The man uses force to enter the forbidden box of a woman. This moment in the play unintentionally reminds me of "the symbol of rape" in the film LOLITA (1997, Adrian Lyne), in which Jeremy Irons put his fingers inside Dominique Swain's mouth so that she would disgorge the thing which annoys him.

3.3 It is the test to measure how good the hero really is. If he is really a good guy, he will not open that box.

However, one thing I like very much about the hero is that he seems to want to tell the truth to his girlfriend. I like this kind of thing. I think it's better to have an affair and tell the truth than to keep it a secret.


4.The heroine is not flawed like the hero, but the play still can make her look like a real human being, partly by the great performance of Wanatsanan, and partly by her peculiar behaviors, especially her categorizing of things according to different emotions, and her collection of songs which "can make her feel good instantly". I like the play's focus on the heroine's habits very much.

5.The tone of the play. I like it very much that the play seems very natural or very real for me. It is not too melodramatic. It is a little bit romantic at times, but not too much.

There are some moments in the play which seem to be a little bit boring. The excitement drops in these moments. The characters seem to talk about something unimportant or do something unimportant. But I like these "undramatic" moments very much, because these moments seem real to me. The play doesn't try to capture "only important moments" in our lives, but it tries to present us what happens in real time between the hero and the heroine in the morning after they first had sex. Because it tries to present what happens in real time, the play should also include "undramatic", "unimportant", or "boring" moments like these, because our real lives are full of these moments. Our real lives are not mostly made up of "dramatic moments" in which some ultimate truths are revealed, something important happens every minute, or everything we speak is worth remembering or analyzing.

I'm not sure if the "undramatic moments" in the play come from the intention of the director or the playwright or not, but I like them very much. These undramatic moments remind me of one of my most favorite quotes of all time from Ray Carney, my favorite film critic. Ray Carney said that Mike Leigh and John Cassavetes "show us how extraordinary the most ordinary life can be. They show us that it’s not the complexity of events that makes for interest but the complexity of a character’s feelings.

The turning points in life usually occur in the simplest settings and situations. Not racing somewhere in a car, but sitting in a room and suddenly realizing something. Not yelling and screaming, but reading a magazine and feeling bored or discouraged. If you feel your character has to have something extraordinary happen to her to make her interesting, ask yourself why ordinary life does not matter enough to hold your interest."

6. Like what Ray Carney said, YOU AND I fascinates me because it presents me "the complexity of a character's feelings", including:

6.1 The hesitation of the heroine. She doesn't know what she should do. She doesn't know how she should handle the situation. At first she tries to force the hero out of her house, because it's what she thinks she "should do", but is it the thing she really "wants to do"? She seems to like him a lot, and she must fight with herself. A part of her wants him to go away, so that her life would not be complicated, but the other part of her wants him to stay, because she feels good to be with him. I like it very much that the main conflict of the play does not seem to be between the hero and the heroine, but seems to be between the heroine and herself.

6.2 The complicated feelings of the characters towards the car key. I like it very much that while the characters are searching for the car key, they are not sure whether they would really like to find it or not, because as long as they don't find it, the hero would have an excuse to stay with the heroine.

7.The props of the play. I think it is very lovely that the stage of the play is adorned by boxes of small things. At first I thought these boxes are unimportant, but later these boxes turn out to be important and are one of the most memorable things of the play.

8.The "taste" of the play. I mean the play is like a cup of coffee which gives me a "bittersweet" feeling, but more sweet than bitter. I guess most sweetness of the play comes from the playwright (Wanatsanan Sasom), not the director.

The sweetness of the play fulfills my romantic longing or my sexual fantasy. I would be very glad to have a one night stand with a handsome guy like that or to have a guy like this fall in love with me. But the play also has its bitter parts when the characters face the dilemma.

In conclusion, I like YOU AND I very much for both its sweetness and its bitterness. Its sweetness fulfills my romantic fantasy. Its bitterness gives me a very difficult dilemma to ponder about.

9. YOU AND I makes me think about many films which deal with romantic relationships in a more or less natural tone. I think I can divide these films into two main groups. The first group is the films which present romantic relationship with a sweet taste or a bittersweet taste, like YOU AND I. The second group is the films which leave a bitter taste in my mouth forever.

9.1 The first group of films may include:

9.1.1 L'ÂGE DES POSSIBLES (1995, Pascale Ferran, France)

9.1.2 BETTER THAN SEX (2000, Jonathan Teplitzky, Australia)

9.1.3 DISTANCE (สิ่ง-ไหน) (2010, Chonlasit Upanigkit, 55 min)

9.1.4 AN ENDLESS ROOM (2011, Emerson Reyes, Philippines, 20 min)
This film doesn't exactly focus on the romantic relationship, but the long natural conversation between the lovers in this film reminds me of YOU AND I.

9.1.5 GOOD MORNING, LUANG PRABANG (2008, Sakchai Deenan + Anusone Sirisackda)
The ending of YOU AND I, in which the heroine wants the hero to spend some time to think carefully before deciding to do anything, reminds me of the ending of GOOD MORNING, LUANG PRABANG.

9.1.6 MY GIRLFRIEND'S BOYFRIEND (1987, Eric Rohmer, France, 103 min)
I wish I could screen this film with YOU AND I. I think this film and the play match perfectly. Reading the review of MY GIRLFRIEND'S BOYFRIEND in TIME OUT FILM GUIDE, I found many sentences which can also be used to describe YOU AND I. In MY GIRLFRIEND'S BOYFRIEND, the heroine "finds herself growing closer to her female friend's boyfriend. Questions of fidelity and betrayal, delusion and deceit lie at the film's heart, which is large indeed, extending ample compassion to the characters. Once again the performances of the young cast are miraculously naturalistic, and equally impressive is the director's mastery of mood." The review of this film also uses the words "gentle eroticism", "fraught with embarrassment and unspoken feelings", "funny, moving " and "an absolute charmer". These words and sentences can certainly be applied to YOU AND I, too.

9.1.7 MY SEX LIFE...OR HOW I GOT INTO AN ARGUMENT (1996, Arnaud Desplechin, 178 min)

9.1.8 WE DON'T CARE FOR DEMOCRACY (2010, John Torres, Philippines)
This film doesn't exactly focus on the romantic relationship, but the natural conversation between the lovers in this film reminds me of YOU AND I.

9.2 The second group of films may include:

9.2.1 BERLIN CHAMISSOPLATZ (1980, Rudolf Thome)

9.2.2 BLUE LOVE (ก่อนรักจะกลายเป็นความผูกพัน) (2011, It Khaena, 16 min)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gd38MNB1zfQ

9.2.3 BLUE VALENTINE (2010, Derek Cianfrance)

9.2.4 THE CRYING WOMAN (1979, Jacques Doillon)

9.2.5 DAMAGE (1992, Louis Malle)

9.2.6 THE LACEMAKER (1977, Claude Goretta)

9.2.7 THE MOTHER AND THE WHORE (1973, Jean Eustache)

9.2.8 THE PHANTOM HEART (1996, Philippe Garrel)

9.2.9 THE SCHOOL OF FLESH (1998, Benoît Jacquot)

9.2.10 THE THINGS OF LIFE (1970, Claude Sautet)

Wanatsanan is 25 years old, and I wonder whether the plays that she will make in the future will correspond to the second group of films or not. I think the more you grow old, the more likely you may feel bitter towards life. Anyway, I wish her plays in the future will turn out to be like the second group of films, because I like these bitter films very much. Hahaha.


10. Wanatsanan is always great in choosing songs for her soundtrack. I also like one idea in YOU AND I very much. It's the collection of songs which "can make me feel good instantly".

If I have to make a CD of this kind of songs, or if I have to make a film about a character who has this kind of CD, my CD will include the following songs:

10.1 BEAUTIFUL MORNING (1995) – Lisa Moorish
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykYZbwTpJw0

10.2 BRIGHTEST STAR – Drizabone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZ2TxyI6D90

10.3 GOOD LIFE (1988) – Inner City
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=998P6HEzCdI

10.4 HEAVEN GIVE ME WORDS – Propaganda
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1qb8McqaFo

10.5 KANOJOTO TIP ON DUO – Miki Imai
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuPk1f1ry9E&NR=1

10.6 I SAW THE LIGHT – Workshy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpbpRskZa7s

10.7 IT'S A FINE DAY – Opus III
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjIPzyVlK60

10.8 IT'S GONNA BE A LOVELY DAY (1992) – The S.O.U.L. S.Y.S.T.E.M.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aN6itwnzrKg

10.9 LOVESICK – Undercover
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSixmK3cJks

10.10 MY BABY'S HEARTBEAT – Eighth Wonder
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IviC3fRL0M

10.11 ONE NIGHT IN HEAVEN (1989) – Wink
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnNTyle8d7U

10.12 ROCK 'N ROUGE (1984) – Seiko Matsuda
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXYA37y5pvM

INVINCIBLE EAST: ONLY ME IN 10,000 YEARS (ตงฟางปู๋ป้าย...หมื่นปีมีข้าคนเดียว) (2011, Apirak Chaipanha, A+)

--Though I can't say the whole of this play touches me deeply, I still give A+ to this play because I like some moments near the end of this play very much. My favorite moments start from the moment when Pu (Athapol Anunthavorasakul) talks to Aom (Saowanee Wongjinda) about the real reason why he stages his play INVINCIBLE EAST.

The acting of Athapol in that moment is superb. I felt as if there is an aura of seriousness, or of something deeply felt, or some deep feelings, coming out of his body. Suddenly his character turns into a real human being in my point of view.

Starting from that moment, the play seems to shift its tone. I feel as if the early part of the play is just a comedic, moderately entertaining thing. The early part of the play is full of "moderately interesting characters" in my opinion. They seem to be the kind of characters you can easily find in any averagely good plays/TV series/films.

But in the latter part of the play, I feel as if the characters veer towards real human beings. I started to care for these characters. The characters seem to have real flesh and blood, real feelings and emotions in the latter part. The tone of the play becomes dramatic and serious. I like this tone very much.

What I like the most in this play is some uncomfortable, awkward moments between characters near the end. It's when these characters open their hearts and say some ugly truths. These moments thrill me a lot. And it reminds me of some great moments in SECRETS AND LIES (1995, Mike Leigh).

--Another thing that I like very much is that Pu, which I think is the protagonist of the play, is an unlikeable character. I mean it is safer to make a play or a film in which the main character is "likeable", or the main character with whom the audience can easily identify. But Pu is very unlikeable in my point of view. And having an unlikeable character as the protagonist will surely disturb some audience. But I think it is a little bit bold for the play to present an unlikeable protagonist like this.

I think Pu is unlikeable because what he does is very bad. I mean if he is a good guy, he should have told his girlfriend straightforwardly that he is gay whenever he learns this truth about himself. He shouldn't have tried to tell his girlfriend indirectly like this. But though Pu is not a good guy, he is still a human being. And I like a play or a film which shows us the flaws of human beings like this.

One thing that I think is very funny in the play is the moment when Pu tells his girlfriend that he "has become the Invincible East". This character can't even say that he "is gay". He dares not pronounce the word "gay", and chooses to use the word "the Invincible East" instead. This character is really a deeply flawed human being.

--I also like the self-reflexiveness of this play. This is a play-within-a-play, and some parts of the play make me wonder if they are inspired by some real things happening in the Thai theatre circle or not.

In conclusion:

1.I give A+++++ to 10% of this play. It's the awkward, uncomfortable moments between the characters when some truths are revealed. I think these moments are as powerful as SECRETS AND LIES.

2.I give A+ to 20% of this play. It's the romantic relationship between Bomb (Watcharayut Suradet) and Aom. This subplot really satisfies my sexual fantasy. I think it is as sexually satisfying as some subplots in some French miniseries, such as THE SOB OF THE ANGELS (2008, Jacques Otmezguine) and 3 WOMEN...ONE SUMMER NIGHT (2005, Sébastien Grall). These miniseries have some handsome young men falling in love with some middle-aged female characters. It is the kind of fantasy that I like very much.

However, though the subplot of Bomb and Aom satisfies my sexual fantasy, it does not touch me deeply, and it is not totally convincing. Maybe it is just because it is the subplot, not the main plot.

If possible, I hope someone makes the sequel of INVINCIBLE EAST: ONLY ME IN 10,000 YEARS by focusing on the romantic relationship between Bomb and Aom. And I wish this imaginary play not only satisfies my sexual fantasy, but also turns out to be as convincing, powerful, and heartbreaking as COFFEE LOVE (2009, Sakchai Kiatpunyaopas), which concerns the love of a fat woman and a handsome man, or as the films LE PETIT AMOUR (1988, Agnès Varda) and MOURIR D'AIMER (2009, Josée Dayan), each of which presents the romantic relationship between a 15-year-old boy and a 40-year-old woman.

3.I give A- to 70% of this play, which I think is moderately entertaining.


--Another thing that I think is interesting in this play is that the whole story of the play seems to take place in a very short period of time (if I remember it correctly). Though the story happens in a short period of time, it still makes us understand some important things in the lives of the characters, such as the ten-year relationship between Pu and Mik, Mik's fear of being a spinster, and the trauma of Aom.

This time-constraint technique reminds me of what Fred Kelemen said. If I remember it correctly, he said something like, "If you want to present the whole life of a character or the whole war, you don't have to show the audience many stages in the life of that character or the war, you can show only one day in the life of that character or one day in that war. That one day can contain the essence of the whole life of that character. The audience may see only "one day" in the life of that character, but the audience will understand the whole life of that character."

Because I like this time-constraint technique very much, I decided to make the list below:

My favorite films/plays of which the stories, or most of the stories, concern only a short period of time

(in alphabetical order)

1.BEFORE SUNRISE (1995, Richard Linklater)

2.CLÉO FROM 5 TO 7 (1961, Agnès Varda)

3.FAREWELL: BERTOLT BRECHT'S LAST SUMMER (2000, Jan Schütte)

4.FATE (1994, Fred Kelemen)

5.INVINCIBLE EAST: ONLY ME IN 10,000 YEARS

6.LOVE, NOT YET: TO BE A MUM, TO BE A WIFE (2011, Anuchit Mualprom)

7.A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM (ไม่เป็นเรื่อง) (2006, Patruja Kanjanakosol, play)

8.MY NIGHT AT MAUD'S (1969, Eric Rohmer)

9.NEVER LET ME GO (2011, Ninart Boonpothong, play)

10.NIGHTFALL (1999, Fred Kelemen)

11.ZOETROPE (2011, Rouzbeh Rashidi)

30 DAY CINEPHILE CHALLENGE: DAY 25

http://www.facebook.com/pages/30-Day-Cinephile-Challenge/184987868220596?ref=ts



Day 25: An actor/actress who you feel is wasting his/her talent on crappy films – Nophand Boonyai. I think Nophand is one of the most talented Thai actors, but he stars in one of the worst films ever made – BOA (2006, Chanin Muangsuwan). Fortunately, he can show his real talents in many stage plays.

APT PUPIL (2011, Ninart Boonpothong, A+++++)

One of the things I like very much in this stage play is that it talks about the motivation of the character Hun. Hun was involved in the massacre in the past. He killed a lot of innocent people, and he has tried to justify his killings by telling himself and other people for many years that he did it for the sake of the country. He wanted to improve his country so much that he decided to kill a lot of people for several years to cleanse his country from unwanted foreign influences and other things. He also told himself and other people that "I JUST DID MY DUTY." This kind of fascist/ultra nationalist thinking is extremely horrifying, but sometimes you may find that some of the nationalist people around you may harbor some kind of thoughts which are not far from Hun's thoughts.

Another thing I like very much in this stage play is a sentence which a Khmer man said to a young Thai boy named Siam. The Khmer man said, "ONE DAY YOUR COUNTRY WILL BE LIKE MINE." This is easily one of my most memorable sentences of the year.

The details of this stage play can be found here:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=182925805105712

HOLD ON ME (2011, Ninart Boonpothong, A+/A)

For those who want to see this stage play, the details are in the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=119835178096957

There is a scene in this stage play that I like very much. It is a scene in which the characters try to make a porn film. In this porn film, a soldier is dancing, keeping humming "KILLING COMMUNISTS IS NOT A SIN. KILLING COMMUNISTS IS NOT A SIN," and then the soldiers try to rape a female university student, saying that raping her will turn her from a revolutionary student into a good wife and mother.

This scene is very funny, and extremely scary, especially in a time of intolerance like this.

I give this scene A++++++++++.

THE DAY COMRADE STORM COMES HOME (2011, Rattapong Pinyosophon, A++++++++++)

For those who want to see this play, the details are in the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=176550569061535

I would like to compare this stage play with other Thai political stage plays I saw:

1.In a way, I think this play is the opposite of IMPROPER FRACTION: A STUDY ON FRAGMENTATION (2011, Thanapol Virulhakul + Vidura Amrananad, A+) and CHUI CHAI (2011, Pichet Klunchun, A+/A), because IMPROPER FRACTION and CHUI CHAI are very oblique for their political messages, while THE DAY COMRADE STORM COMES HOME is straightforward.

2.I'm not sure if I agree with the political message of THE DAY COMRADE STORM COMES HOME or not, but at least I think its message is much more agreeable to me than LITTLE BASTARDS (ลูกคุณหลวง) (2007, Pa-un Jantarasiri, A) and ONE-LEGGED RABBIT (2007, Pichet Klunchun).

3.THE DAY COMRADE STORM COMES HOME is much "smaller" than LIGHT OF FAITH OVER CHAO PHRAYA RIVER (2010, Jirayuth Sinthupunt, A+), KUE POO APIWAT (2010, Sineenadh Keitprapai, A+), and THE OTHER LAND (แผ่นดินอื่น) (2008, Teerawat Mulvilai, A+), though I think THE DAY COMRADE STORM COMES HOME is as "effective" as these three bigger stage plays.

4.THE DAY COMRADE STORM COMES HOME, which uses three actors, is a bit bigger than HIS GARDEN (2010, Rattapong Pinyosophon, A+), which uses only one actor. However, I prefer THE DAY COMRADE STORM COMES HOME to HIS GARDEN, partly because I think the actor (Wasu Wallayangkoon) in COMRADE STORM is a little bit more convincing than the actor (Rattapong Pinyosophon) in HIS GARDEN. I think Rattapong's acting in HIS GARDEN is fine, but he has a kind and young face and a calm voice, so his face may not fit very well with the role of a political science professor.

5. THE DAY COMRADE STORM COMES HOME is less daring, complicated, ambitious, or thought-provoking than LADY MINA: VAMPIRE HUNTER (2011, Ninart Boonpothong, A). However, I prefer THE DAY COMRADE STORM COMES HOME to LADY MINA: VAMPIRE HUNTER, partly because I think LADY MINA is too complicated and too ambitious, though I like the daring quality of LADY MINA very much.

6.I'm not sure if I like THE DAY COMRADE STORM COMES HOME as much as WHEN I SLEPT OVER THE NIGHT OF THE REVOLUTION (2007, Ninart Boonpothong, A+++++++++++++++) or not. COMRADE STORM is much more heartfelt and straightforward than WHEN I SLEPT OVER, but I like the narrative structure of WHEN I SLEPT OVER very much. I think there is a "cerebral" quality in many plays of Ninart. Sometimes the cerebral aspect of Ninart results in such a wonderful play as WHEN I SLEPT OVER, sometimes it results in some plays which are too difficult for me.

7.I'm not sure if the ending of THE DAY COMRADE STORM COMES HOME is "too optimistic" or not. Is it too optimistic compared to the current Thai political situation? Maybe it is just too optimistic for my own taste. I think its semi-peaceful ending is as optimistic as CHEER'S (2009, Gawintorn Sangsakorn, A+).

Judging from the ending alone, I may prefer the massacre ending of PICNIC ON A BATTLEFIELD (2010, Thianchai Isaradej, A) to the ending of COMRADE STORM.

The optimistic, peaceful tone of COMRADE STORM is the main reason why I may not like this stage play as much as THE CRUCIBLE (2010, Malinda Pamornsuwan, A+++++++++++++++), which I think is my most favorite stage play (unintentionally) concerning current Thai political situation.

8.The reason why I give A++++++++++ to THE DAY COMRADE STOME COMES HOME is because of its "heartfelt" quality. This stage play really touches my heart, though it is partly because of a very personal reason. The story in this play reminds me of something in my own family.

I think COMRADE STORM is as heartfelt as THE BROKEN-HEARTED PAPAYA POKPOK VENDOR (2007, Sawanee Utoomma, A++++++++++) and 17 MAY MY VALENTINE (2008, Sawanee Utoomma, A++++++++++).

OBSCURE POLITICAL CONTENTS

The link below leads to an article on IMPROPER FRACTION: A STUDY ON FRAGMENTATION (2011, Thanapol Virulhakul + Vidura Amranand, A+), written by Pawit Mahasarinand.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2011/05/05/life/See-the-fragments-dance-30154614.html

Thanks to Merveillesxx for telling me about this article.

IMPROPER FRACTION reminds me of A RIPE VOLCANO (2011, Taiki Sakipisi, A+) in a way, because both IMPROPER FRACTION (A+) and A RIPE VOLCANO didn't make me feel sure that they were about politics when I first experienced them. If I hadn't read the statement of A RIPE VOLCANO and if I hadn't read this article about IMPROPER FRACTION, I might have thought that these works are about something else.

I also hadn't thought that DELUSIONAL (เชลยแห่งความรัก) (2010, Wachara Kanha, A+) and H2-OH (น้ำ ผีนองสยองขวัญ) (2010, Ong-art Jiamcharoenpornkul, A) were about politics when I first saw them. It's when I read Filmsick's reviews that I started to think that they are about politics.

I also didn't think that EAT (กินข้าว) (2007, Sittipong Patchagow, 14 min, A) was about politics when I first saw it. But after I had seen it for the second time, I started to suspect that this film might be political, but I'm still not sure.

I AM MURDERER (ไอ้ฆาตกร) (2010, Panit Jirawattananunt, 12 min, A+/A) is another film which reveals its political side to me after I saw it for the second time.

FAVORITE QUOTE FROM SONTHAYA SUBYEN

Favorite quote from Sonthaya Subyen:
http://twilightvirus.blogspot.com/2011/03/blog-post.html

"If a Thai filmmaker wants to make a film which relies on extremely talented performers like John Cassavetes' films, the stars of that film should be Dujdao Vadhanapakorn and Ornanong Thaisriwong. Dujdao can give an extremely intense performance like Isabelle Huppert, Isabelle Adjani, Margit Carstensen and Sabine Timoteo."

"Dujdao, Ornanong, and Sumontha Suanpolrat should star in a Thai film adapted from THREE SISTERS by Anton Chekhov."