FILMBRATS - REVIEWS

Tong breaks ice for a living. It may not sound like much, but it’s probably just about all he can do. You see, Tong is illiterate and doesn’t have the normal mental capacity you would find from a young adult such as himself. Luckily, he has Keng. Keng is his soldier best friend. They do everything together from going to concerts to talking about life to holding hands. Their relationship is a complicated one. It seems as if neither has any idea where it may be going, but for very different reasons.

The film is divided into two parts. The first half takes an experimental approach to the narrative, setting up the story of the two friends and maybe more. The second half brings us into the world of a storybook. The children’s story about a man hunting a shape-shifting tiger wraps everything up in parable form. Writer/director Apichatpong Weerasethakul (“Mysterious Object at Noon”) is a slow, deliberate filmmaker. He knows exactly what he wants to accomplish with each shot and succeeds brilliantly, keeping to what appears to be a very methodical rhythm and only using camera movement when it’s needed. Working with three cinematographers (Jean-Louis Vialard along with first-timers Jarin Pengpanitch and Vichit Tanapanitch), A.W. gives us some beautiful subtle shots with great compositions. The way the camera zooms in at the end of the conversation as the soldiers are walking through the field, the florescent bulb turning on back home, the lens flares – all of it reinforces the care and craftsmanship involved here. The movie is cryptic and metaphorical, but at no point is it ever above anyone’s head. It’s easy to tell that the scenes aren’t really about what they show and I doubt few people can miss the connection between the two halves. But it’s refreshing to see a movie that is willing to take such a different approach.

The only real problem with this approach is when there are long stretches without dialogue. The second half story has a lot of “down time” where we watch the prey being hunted and stalked. It gets a little monotonous. Then considering the soundtrack contains no music but rather the sounds bugs make out in a woodland setting, and I have to say it makes you pretty sleepy. Maybe a little suspense would have helped to keep the interest level up, or maybe just bring the pace back to the perfect level of the first half. There’s a part where we see what may be a tiger in the dark woods, but the suspense element here doesn’t pan out, because nothing before that sets the tone. Although it works well thematically, the second part is an unfortunate misstep, and I wish it hadn’t pulled me out of the overall picture as much as it did.

Still, the movie is quite good. I loved the exchanges between the two guys. No aspect of their relationship is spelled out either for us the audience or for them. You get the impression that Tong is merely playing as if he’s gay because he thinks that’s what he’s supposed to do. Keng only appears predatory in the second half and you can see the legitimate feelings he holds for Tong. The dynamic between those two paired with the fascinating cinematography and slightly experimental storytelling tactics reinforce that Apichatpong Weerasethakul is a talent to keep an eye on. Actually, let’s say both eyes.

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