I will confess right off the bat: I fell in love with "Bangkok Love Story" approximately a half hour in to the movie. The pivotal scene which drew me lock, stock and barrel into the film centers on hit man Cloud being washed by his would-be target Stone on the top of a Bangkok building, skyscrapers littering the background behind them. It is a sensual, lyrical, romantic sequence full of passion and lust. Not a word is spoken between the two; all we need to know is written on their faces. This scene elevates "Bangkok Love Story" from a hybrid shoot ´em up/romance to something different, something more. The film, the first written by writer/director Poj Arnon, suffers when it tries to meld the two, failing spectacularly in the shoot ´em up scenes. But it´s the romance which carries the day.
When we first meet Cloud (Rattanaballang Tohssawat), he is killing seemingly random people on the streets. This is his job: murder. The money then goes to his mother and brother, who live in squalor, dealing with the AIDS virus in their bodies. Cloud is also infected, all courtesy of a stepfather´s rape. Cloud is then hired to kidnap Stone (Chaiwat Thongsaeng); he does, but can´t complete the murder. With both men now on the run and Cloud injured, they have no choice but to rely on one another. And then the fateful afternoon occurs, throwing their tenuous relationship into chaos.
Reviews have taken "Bangkok Love Story" to task for its melodrama, its iffy handling of subject matter and even the potentially cheesy dialogue. They are perfectly valid criticisms if you must know. I acknowledge them, celebrate them, even. (About the dialogue: I´m not certain the problem is with the actual script and not the subtitled translation. The words are undoubtedly more poetic in their native Thai.)
Despite the issues, you can´t help but be swept away by the romance. Compared to other films in which the leads spend the entire running time together, the amount of screen time shared by Cloud and Stone is minimal, making it all the more necessary for every shot to contribute to the overall story.
"Bangkok Love Story" isn´t a typical romance, following the lovers as they battle their feelings over a period of time. Rather, Arnon puts together a story where the two must overcome obstacles to their relationship after it has been consummated. There are side plots concerning family members and a score to settle with former employers. Stone´s fiancé figures into the proceedings sporadically, also. That is to say Arnon wants to show us how people in love combat a wide array of issues-and not just parents objecting or societal pressure.
Aside from the criticisms I´ve already mentioned, there´s something else I need to address: the AIDS subplot. It adds nothing to the story as a whole, except to introduce Cloud´s family. Stone rarely-if ever-mentions it. Most of the scenes concerning the disease are taken out (see the deleted scenes). Stone, despite being the receiving partner (and presumably without a condom), doesn´t seem to be worried. And even though other HIV+ characters die because of their affliction, Cloud remains a healthy man until the finale. The scenes and moments reserved for the AIDS issues could have been better used as character moments for Cloud and Stone.
(There is one more point I´d like to bring up in regards to this train of thought. For too long, gay characters in the movies fell into certain categories: the AIDS patient, the "best friend" and the non-sexual gay man. Cloud falls into the AIDS patient category, leading an entire culture-the Thai-to believe being gay results in AIDS. In the movie´s reality, it is a stepfather who rapes Cloud who passes on the virus, not a male lover. It´s the tangled web of causation not supported by the facts I am most concerned with, especially for people who may not know better. The ending, to which I´ve already alluded to, further feeds into the stereotypes for gay males, that they can´t live a happy life together.)
I mentioned a moment ago the lack of dialogue in the scenes between Stone and Cloud. This quiet is punctuated by a melodic, sweeping score by Giant Wave. The music swells and ebbs in concurrence with the action; when the two finally kiss, the score is robust, nearly a fanfare. And in the heartbreaking finale, Giant Wave reinforces the emotions with moribund sadness. It´s the perfect compliment to the actors and the script.
The city of Bangkok, with its grimy alleys and run down appearance, has a personality all its own in the film. All part of the overriding theme of despair, there is always a feeling of the location being associated with Cloud-the streets, for all intents and purposes, are his home-and not Stone. In contrast, Stone´s house is modern, with lavish furniture and technology, benefitting the character. With sweeping camera moves from every conceivable angle (up and over, above, through, sideways), the audience can´t help but feel like an insect watching the relationship unfold. This is a brave film on nearly every level, from the acting to the writing and the unconventional direction.
VIDEO:
To be perfectly honest, "Bangkok Love Story" looks bad. A thick layer of grain permeates every single scene, rendering anything taking place in the dark muddy and scenes in the daytime plain dirty. Blacks, as a result, don´t come across as well as they should or could; the muted color palette used by the filmmakers to convey characters in despair is diffused even father because of the grain. Because this is a Thai film centering on a nearly taboo subject, I´d expect the budget was low and the grain is intentional. Still, it doesn´t exactly help the 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer.
AUDIO:
TLA Releasing does right by foreign titles by not including English dubbed tracks on its discs. Here, we´re given the choice of two Thai mixes, both standard in the DVD world: 5.1 and 2.0. (English subtitles are also provided.) Outside of ambient sounds from the city, there´s not a whole lot of difference between the two options. Both are free of distortion, allowing the native language to come through loud and clear. Those background sounds I mentioned a moment ago are also rendered well, adding another layer of depth to the audio field.
EXTRAS:
A nice, if easy, suite of special features is included on the disc. A series of three deleted scenes-all of which focus on Fog-are provided (non-16:9). While all three add to the character and, by default, the world surrounding Stone and Cloud, they don´t focus on the relationship the two men have. As a result, they are superfluous to the main story. The same can be said about the alternate ending, running 4:28. In it, we´re shown what happens to Fog following the train station incident. It´s provocative, yet doesn´t mean anything to the romance, hence a cut.
And the obligatory series of trailers: this film´s original theatrical trailer (3:16), "The Houseboy" (2:35), "The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros" (2:25), "Socket" (2:07) and "Boy Culture" (1:46).
PARTING THOUGHTS:
It is entirely possible to be enchanted with a movie and yet understand its shortcomings. That´s the camp I fall into concerning "Bangkok Love Story." It is impossible not to root for Cloud and Stone to find some way out of their respective lives and be together, even though they may not be the most likeable of characters. Their screen time together is limited, furthering the desire to see them together.