THAI MOVIE
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Year: 2009
Thai title: ซอย คาวบอย
English title: Soi Cowboy
Rating: 3/5
Director: Thomas Clay
Main actor:
Main actress:
Thai movie ซอย คาวบอย / Soi Cowboy was released in the year 2009 and lasts 1h57mn. Movie director is Thomas Clay. It was shown in Cannes under the section “Un certain regard”. The movie directing style sometimes reminds of Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul. The movie is divided into two parts. The first part of the movie is shot in black and white. Foreign man Toby from Denmark is living in Thailand with a young Thai lady Soi. Toby is tall and chubby, while Soi is small and thin. Soi is pregnant. He buys a golden necklace for her, but she wants to know the price in case she needs to resell it! Major cultural shocks are faced by Toby. Toby makes efforts on Thai culture, but he struggles. Soi likes Thai TV series. Toby struggles with heat. She eats rice for breakfast while he eats toast. Soi comes from Isan and is not yet married. She meets a young man at the restaurant shop and gives him some money. It is her younger brother. Toby is a “Farang” living ATM machine. They don't talk a lot, so highlighting the differences of culture and language. They go to the countryside by train and Toby is having a business call on the train. They go to rest for a few days. Soi suggests to Toby that she should pass her driving license next year. When they eat Thai food in a restaurant, she complains about the taste to the owner. Soi lies about having met Toby in a bar as she doesn’t want to be seen down. Soi is ready to do everything. The second part of the movie, being shorter (30 minutes), is in color and takes place in an Isaan village. Soi’s younger brother Cha is back in his Isaan village. A man is in despair as the woman he loves will leave soon for overseas. It shows the difficult life of Isaan farmers and the poverty in villages. An elder sister wishes to bring her younger sister to Bangkok to find a westerner husband. Acting like a hitman, Cha kills the desperate man on behalf of his mafia uncle. He then heads back to Soi Cowboy where Toby and Soi first meet. He gets shot also. The narrative full-circle is complete. Poverty in Isaan village causes people to do things they don’t want to do, such as hitmen, prostitutes.
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