Bangkok Love Story

Infobox Film
name = Bangkok Love Story


caption = The Thai theatrical release poster.
director = Poj Arnon
producer =
writer = Poj Arnon
narrator =
starring = Rattaballung Toesawat
Chaiwat Tongsang
music =
cinematography = Tiwa Moeithaisong
editing = Tiwa Moeithaisong
distributor = Sahamongkol Film International
released = September 13, 2007
runtime =
country = Thailand
language = Thai
budget =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website = http://www.bangkoklovestorymovie.com/
amg_id =
imdb_id =

"Bangkok Love Story" ( _th. เพื่อน...กูรักมึงว่ะ or " pêuan ... goo rák meung wâ", literally "Friend ... I love you") is a 2007 Thai film written and directed by Poj Arnon. A gay romantic crime action drama, it is the story of a man who falls in love with a gunman who is assigned to kill him.

Plot

A loner gunman named Mhek is assigned to kidnap a police informant named It, but Mhek has a change of heart when he is ordered to kill It. In a gunbattle with his employers, Mhek is wounded, but It grabs Mhek's gun and returns fire. The two men then escape on Mhek's motorcycle. At Mhek's rooftop hide-out, It tends to Mhek's wound and finds himself attracted to Mhek. While giving Mhek a bath one day, It initiates sexual intercourse with the hitman. Conflicted, Mhek demands that It leave him alone. It returns home to his fiancee, Sai, but is no longer interested in continuing a relationship with her. It spends his days pining over Mhek, and tracks down Mhek's brother, Mhok, and their mother. Mhok is HIV positive, as the result of sexual abuse by his and Mhek's stepfather, and their mother is dying of AIDS.

Mhek's dream is to take his mother and brother away from Bangkok to the mountains of Mae Hong Son Province. But after Mhek's mother has realised Mhok sold himself to survive, she commits suicide by hanging herself. At the same time It's fiancee, Sai, also witnesses Mhek and It kissing, and terminates their marriage plans. Meanwhile, Mhek's former employers are gunning for him. It decides to take matters into his own hands, and goes to Mhek's bosses' hide-out and shoots them both. Mhek, meanwhile, is planning to meet his brother at the railway station to leave Bangkok for good. But before he can board the train, he is apprehended by the police and sent to prison.

Years pass by. Mhok commits suicide while at a Hospice in Northern Thailand because he no longer has the energy to fight his disease. It visits Mhek in prison and reveals that he was left blind in the final gunbattle with Mhek's bosses. Eventually, Mhek is released from prison, and It meets him. But before the two men can leave to start their life together, Mhek is gunned down by an assassin. It eventually gets his sight back, and the first thing he does is to look at his mobile phone, which has a picture of Mhek on it that he took many years before and a video taken by Mhek himself saying that all along, he had love It and he will love him to his last breath.

Cast

* Rattaballung Toesawat as Mhek (Cloud)
* Chaiwat Tongsang as It (Brick)
* Weeradit Srimalai as Mhok (Fog)
* Chatcha Rujinanon as Sai (Sand)

Production

When "Bangkok Love Story" was in pre-production in 2006, the Royal Thai Police raised objections to the script, which originally depicted a policeman (It) falling in love with the assassin Mhek. The character It's exact connection to the police department was then made ambiguous so that the film would be passed by the Board of Censors, which includes members of the Royal Thai Police.fact|date=October 2007

Both lead actors, Chaiwat Thongsang (It) and Ratanabanrang Tosawat (Mhek) are heterosexual, according to a profile of the two actors in "BK Magazine". Chaiwat said he took the role because he wanted the "challenge" and to "become famous". Ratanabanrang simply stated playing a gay man "is an honor."60 Seconds: Bangkok Love Story, "BK Magazine", September 7-13, 2007, page 28 (print only)]

Chaiwat said he had hoped camera angles could be used so he could avoid having to kiss his co-star, but director Poj Arnon insisted the kisses must be real. "It was totally disgusting at first, but we kind of got used to it after awhile," Chaiwat said. Ratanabanrang said he had to imagine he was kissing his girlfriend. "Actually, we acted so well, that my girlfriend got paranoid.

Both actors acknowledged that the film would be compared to "Brokeback Mountain", but Ratanabanrang noted that Poj Arnon had the idea for "Bangkok Love Story" long before "Brokeback" had been adapted into a film.

Release and reception

"Bangkok Love Story" was released in Thailand cinemas on August 13, 2007. The film proved popular, with the "Bangkok Post" stating it was “the movie everybody has been talking about". [http://www.fridae.com/newsfeatures/article.php?articleid=2058&viewarticle=1&searchtype=all Bangkok Love Story] , commentary by Douglas Sanders, Fridae; retrieved 2007-11-01] The film earned US$325,000 in its Thailand theatrical run. [http://www.varietyasiaonline.com/content/view/4835/1/ TLA touched by 'Bangkok Love Story'] , Variety; retrieved 2007-11-01]

Critical reception was mixed. The weekly "BK Magazine" stated that the film suffered from being overly melodramatic, but praised the cinematography by Tiwa Moeithaisong, which "turns Bangkok into a character in its own right." [Bangkok Love Story (review), BK Magazine, September 21-27, 2007, page 24 (print only)]

Reviews from the Bangkok English-language daily "The Nation" were characterised as "dismissive".

LGBT-related website Fridae praised "Bangkok Love Story" as "the boldest Thai gay movie to date." It additionally praised the film for being a departure from the Thai LGBT genre, which generally features coarsely stereotyped kathoey transvestite caricatures.

Gay Thai independent film producer Vitaya Saeng-aroon similarly praised the film, saying director Poj Arnon was "brave enough to shake society up". [http://nationmultimedia.com/2007/11/03/lifestyle/lifestyle_30054727.php The real pride in being gay] , "The Nation (Thailand)"; retrieved 2007-11-17]

"Bangkok Love Story" was screened at the 34th Brussels International Independent Film Festival, where it won the top prize, the Grand Award in all Categories. [http://www.centremultimedia.org/Competition-Internationale.127.0.html Palmarès - Compétition Internationale] , Brussels International Independent Film Festival; retrieved 2007-11-17] It was also the Opening Night selection for the 2007 Hong Kong Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, and played at the 2008 London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival.

TLA Releasing acquired theatrical, home video, television and video on demand rights for North America and the United Kingdom. The company plans to release the film in those territories in summer 2008. [ [http://twitchfilm.net/site/view/bangkok-love-story-picked-up-by-tla-releasing/#comments Bangkok Love Story picked up by TLA releasing] , Twitchfilm.net; retrieved 2007-11-01]

References

External links

* [http://www.bangkoklovestorymovie.com/ Official site] th icon
* " [http://www.movieseer.com/MovieProfileBil.asp?moID=6445&Channel=2 Bangkok Love Story] " at MovieSeer
* " [http://www.pantip.com/cafe/chalermthai/newmovie/bangkoklovestory/bkk.html Bangkok Love Story] " at Pantip.com th icon
* " [http://www.siamzone.com/movie/m/4704 Bangkok Love Story] " at SiamZone th icon
* [http://twitchfilm.net/site/entry-images/category/C47/ Still gallery] at Twitchfilm.net