Handle Me With Care

Infobox Film
name = Handle Me With Care


caption = Thai theatrical poster.
director = Kongdej Jaturanrasamee
producer = Jira Maligool
Yongyoot Thongkongtoon
Cherchonnee Soonthornsaratul
Chanajai Thongsaithong
writer = Kongdej Jaturanrasamee
narrator =
starring = Supakson Chaimongkol
Kiatkamol Lata
music =
cinematography = Naruphol Chokanapitak
editing = Patamanada Yukol
distributor = GMM Tai Hub
released = Thailand:
February 21, 2008
runtime = 119 min.
country = Thailand
language = Thai
budget =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website = http://www.kodthemovie.com/
amg_id =
imdb_id =

"Handle Me With Care" ( _th. กอด, "Kod", literally "hug") is a 2008 Thai romantic drama film directed by Kongdej Jaturanrasamee.

Plot

The story is about a three-armed man on a journey from Lampang to Bangkok who meets a young woman and the two experience various misadventures and grow closer together.

Cast

*Supakson Chaimongkol as Na
*Kiatkamol Lata as Kwan

Release and reception

"Handle Me With Care" opened in Thailand cinemas on February 21, 2008. It was No. 4 at the box office on opening weekend, behind the newly released Hollywood film, "Jumper", the three-week-old Thai martial arts film, "Chocolate" and a Thai comedy, "Valentine", which had been released the week before. [cite web |url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/intl/thailand/?yr=2008&wk=8&p=.htm |title=Thailand box office, February 21-24, 2008 |publisher=Box Office Mojo |accessdate=2008-09-02] It remained in fourth place the following week but then dropped to No. 19 in its third weekend. [cite web |url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/intl/thailand/?yr=2008&wk=10&p=.htm |title=Thailand box office, March 6-9, 2008 |publisher=Box Office Mojo |accessdate=2008-09-02]

Local critical response was mixed. "Bangkok Post" film critic Kong Rithdee called the film "wearisome", and said that though the film has "nice moments ... the script is too shipshape, maybe too busy with its thematic messages, and it's not easy to sympathise with Kwan, who obviously has never heard of worse handicaps. Writer-director Kongdej Jaturanrasamee is a better director when he allows his films to be wackier." [cite news |last=Rithdee |first=Kong |date=2008-02-26 |title=Handle Me With Care capsule review |work=Bangkok Post |publisher=Post Publishing Public |location=Khlong Toei, Bangkok |page=6] .

ThaiCinema.org's reviewers praised the performance by actress Supaksorn Chaimongkol, as well as the intricate "hand talent" effects - Kwan's third hand was played by an actual actor, rather than special effects. But the reviewers said the film contained too many elements and tended to be draggy in places. [cite web |last=Anchalee |first=Chaiworaporn |coauthors=Sorradithep Supachanya |date=2008-03-05 |url=http://www.thaicinema.org/reviews_40handlemewithcare.asp |title=Handle Me With Care |publisher=ThaiCinema.org |accessdate=2008-09-02]

The film was screened at the 2008 Hong Kong International Film Festival, where it was reviewed by Maggie Lee of the "Hollywood Reporter", who echoed the criticisms that the film had too many elements. "Director Kongdej Jaturanrasamee is in two minds about turning his script into Jim Carrey-like slapstick, a candy floss romance with a dash of magical fantasy, or an offbeat road movie. He handles none of these generic variations with enough care, leaving each dangling like an unwanted arm." [cite news |last=Lee |first=Maggie |date=2008-03-27 |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/film/reviews/article_display.jsp?&rid=10872 |title=Handle Me With Care |work=The Hollywood Reporter |publisher=The Nielsen Company |location=Los Angeles, CA |accessdate=2008-09-02]

Russell Edwards of "Variety" also said the problem was the script, which "like many comedies with a sentimental streak, gets lost in mawkishness ... the idiosyncratic "Handle" becomes too slow and self-pitying". [cite news |last=Edwards |first=Russell |date=2008-04-09 |url=http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117936762.html?categoryid=31&cs=1 |title=Hong Kong Film Fest: Handle Me With Care |work=Variety |publisher=Reed Business Information |location=Los Angeles, CA |accessdate=2008-09-02]

The film also played at the 2008 Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy and in June 2008 at the [http://www.filmfest-muenchen.de Filmfest München] in Munich, Germany.

References

External links

* [http://www.movieseer.com/movieprofilebil.asp?moID=6644&Channel=1 Summary at MovieSeer]
* [http://www.kodthemovie.com/ Official site]