Wong Kar-wai hasn’t directed a movie in eight years, however the Hong Kong maestro has simply performed the next-best factor, having produced a movie by a younger protégé that’s each swooningly lovely and actually affecting in its account of some younger emotional searchers. Director Baz Poonpiriya has made two earlier movies, the second of which, Dangerous Genius, turned probably the most profitable Thai manufacturing ever all through Asia 4 years in the past, and whereas his type has clearly been amply influenced by the works of his producer, he’s additionally delivered a palpably private and involving story of thwarted love, long-distance longing and incipient mortality.
Ping-ponging half-way across the globe between its settings on the roads of Thailand and the streets of New York, this attractive work is an account of younger love/lust combined with hindsight poignance, in addition to a consideration of the variable fruits of attempting to make amends for previous errors. As such it’s abundantly emotional and, not occasionally, wryly amusing, as a younger man stricken with leukemia tracks down quite a few ladies within the hope of tidying up free ends earlier than departing his mortal coil.
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It is a deep-dish movie-movie, one which’s consistently buying and selling in issues of affection desired, received and misplaced, of remorse, of shimmers of hope. It’s a street film of streets and highways, catchy pop music and feelings worthy of a symphony orchestra. Not so many movies today stir the pot with so many elements, however this one simmers all through with percolating emotions that aren’t all that frequent in movies today.
Whereas the movie does a tough balancing act throughout of juggling disparate moments in time and area, the dramatic framework is shortly set with the information that thirtyish Aood (Ice Natara) has been identified with leukemia. He calls his former finest buddy Boss (Tor Thanapob) to come back to Thailand from New York to do him a favor. Though the 2 have been estranged and out of contact for a while, Boss doesn’t hesitate for a second and, upon arrival, is knowledgeable that his pal desires him to drive on a street journey by means of the nation from north to south in order that he could make amends with quite a few ladies earlier than he departs this world.
One can simply think about such a set-up performed Hollywood-style performed years in the past, with Neil Simon writing and Gene Saks directing Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau as a bickering previous twosome resurrecting previous disputes and settling previous scores as they go to previous women they as soon as lusted after or have been married to. It scarcely must be mentioned that this new movie might scarcely be extra completely different. When the dashingly good-looking Boss arrives, he’s struck by Aood’s bald scalp and frail physique; the younger man is finished with chemo, his prospects implicitly grim. With a really eclectic music assortment as backdrop, they hit the street.
Sundance
The primary cease is a movie shoot wedding ceremony, the place a former ladyfriend of Aood (pronounced “owed”) is enjoying the bride. She desires completely nothing to do with him. Against this, in Chiang Mai, he has a candy encounter with a former flame and her little daughter. And so it goes down the map, because the previous begins to grow to be stuffed in and the drama’s consideration decisively shifts to Boss and his historical past.
The person shouldn’t be ill-named. He’s so good-looking and unneedy that he will get any girl he desires, and as a preferred barman his alternatives are limitless. Having extra bother securing a footing in Gotham is Prim (Violet Wautier), a vibrant and recreation younger woman from Thailand attempting to provide Gotham a go. It’s troublesome at first, however she proves herself a cocktail whiz nonpareil and captures Boss’ consideration as no different girl ever has.
The New York part of the movie is jammed with scenes of a thriving downtown nightlife of a sort absent from trendy life for practically a 12 months. It additionally offers Wautier, specifically, an actual probability to shine. The digicam loves her and her vibrant persona and quicksilver temper changeability recommend a energetic profession within the making. Cinematographer Phaklao Jiraungkoonkun makes the many of the plentiful visible alternatives on places on each side of the world, and the plush visuals owe a sure debut to the affect of the movie’s producer.
However an equal issue within the movie’s effectiveness stems from the acutely judged enhancing. The movie jumps round a superb deal, in each places and time durations, and whereas the chronology could not all the time be solely clear, the emotional through-lines stay strongly felt, permitting for unbroken attachment and concern for the central characters, all of whom ultimately obtain actual dimensionality.
From the start, Aood’s medical situation drapes the movie in sense of life’s evanescence, the potential for something to be right here someday and gone the subsequent. Regardless of or due to this, One for the Street stays vitally alive at each second, alert to each emotion, need, alternative and vicissitude churned up by the characters’ journeys. It’s sort of a knock-out.
One for the Street is enjoying within the World Drama part of the Sundance Movie Pageant. World premiere. Working time: 136 minutes. Gross sales agent: CAA.
