國產零零戚 / Made in China

I just finished watching the Thai film Love of Siam. I know what you think, judging from the movie poster to the left I thought it was a teeny drama / corny teeny straight-guy-turns-gay love story as well. But as it turns out, that’s not at all the case. Well ok, there is a tinsy little bit of that in there but generally speaking it turned out to be a very long (about 150 min) and good film about relationships and love. Not just the corny type of love that you see in every soap, but all kinds. All actions in the film that drive the development of the storyline are a consequence of love.

The main character in the film is Mew, a lonely teenager who was raised by his grandmother. He has been living alone since her death several years ago. Along comes Tong, once Mew’s best friend and neighbour. His family is slowly disintegrating as a consequence of his sister’s disappearance (presumably death, but we never find out). Tong’s mother is desperately trying to hold the family together while his father drowns his sorrow in alcohol.

While the story centers around the gay (but non-sexual) relationship between Mew and Tong, it’s by far not the main focus of the film. The fillm just happens to have a gay element in it. It goes incredibly deep into all sorts of relationships: mother-father, friend-friend, would-be-lover and friend, mother-son, father-son, etc. and portrays them from many different angles.

What really surprised me was the the ending. After being indoctrinated for years by Hollywood films and the specific way they are filmed and stories are written, I would have expected something completely different. Another bonus point for this very beautiful film

VERDICT: World cinema, gay films OR dramas – if you are a fan of any of these then watch Love of Siam