Thai Cinema

The feud  between Pinky Savika the mia noi (mistress) and the mia luang (head wife) ‘Tanya’ Tanyares Ramnarong will never end as Tanya takes a jab at her husband  ‘Peck’ Sanchai Engtrakul at the 4th annual Nataraja Awards today May 19, 2013 after winning the best supporting actress trophy for her portrayal of Nopnapa, a woman crazed by her cheating husband in ‘Rang Ngao’. After thanking the script writer, the producer, CH3 for her award, she thanked her husband and it got a lot of cheers, embarrassing Pinky Savika in the process who was also in the audience with her new boyfriend Paul. ”The last person, I REALLY have to thank my husband ka. My husband P’Peck who made me reach the emotions of Nopnapa consequently making me feel like a real mia luang (head wife) ka,’ said Tanya up on stage. It’s saying you cheated on me with Pinky Savika and it helped my acting with a crazed character in Nopnapa who is also being cheated on repeatedly in the lakorn ‘Rang Ngao’. Ouch. There have been some post on Pantip on how it was inappropriate and Tanya doesn’t know when to stop. You can watch her thank you speech clip at youtube, her thank you message to her husband starts around the 3:50 time mark.

It’s a bittersweet win for Nadech as people are debating whether he should have won or not at Pantip and even at Sanook, it should have gone to ‘Porche’ Saran Siriluksana for his highly popular lakorn ‘Yok Luerd Mungkorn’ on Ch7 or even to Aum Atichart for his leading role in the historical Thai lakorn ‘Khun Seuk’ on Ch3 by TV Scene productions. Personally, I did not watch either of those lakorns I can’t make a comparison. I did however watch ‘Torranee Nee Krai Krong’ with Nadech and Yaya, I thought Nadech did well. Besides the whole Pinky and Tanya issue, this seems to be a hot topic. Some argued the Nataraja awards is not voted by popular vote it’s voted like the Oscars by people who work in the industry. Maybe they saw something in Nadech that a normal viewer might not have seen. The 4th annual Nataraja Awards 2012 took place today at the Royal Thai Navy Convention Hall in Bangkok, it aired live a few hours ago on Modern 9 TV. Channel 3 like always dominated the award show, winning nearly every category. Winners for lakorns: Best Lakorn:’Khun Seuk’ by TV Scene productions on Ch3 Best Director: Chanintorn Prasertprasat for ‘Rang Ngao’ on Ch3 Best Actor: Nadech “Barry” Kugimiya for ‘Torranee Nee Krai Krong’ on Ch3 Best Actress: Noon Sirapan Wattanajinda for ‘Buang’ on Ch3 Best Supporting Actor: ‘Pip’ Ravit Terdwong for ‘Rang Ngao’ on Ch3 Best Supporting Actress: ‘Tanya’ Tanyares Ramnarong for ‘Rang Ngao’ on Ch3 Best Cast: ‘Rang Ngao’ from Broadcast Thai Television on Ch3 Best Set: ‘Sin Chronicle’ on Ch3 Best Song: ‘Ngao Tee Mee Hua Jai’ by Min for ‘Rang Ngao’ on Ch3 Best Script:Wisuthichai Bunyakanjon for ‘Rang Ngao’ on Ch3 Best Cinematography:’Khun Seuk’ on Ch3 Best Editing: ‘Raak Boon’ on Ch3. Best Art Direction: ‘Khun Seuk’ on Ch3 Best Costume: ‘Khun Seuk’ on Ch3 ‘Mew’ Nittha Jirayungyurn from the Gentlemen series looking like AFf Taksaorn Pinky Savika with her friend Paul Michio  Nok Sinjai and husband Nok Chatchai Pip showing off his award The winners. Actress and singer ‘Mint’ Mintita Wattanakul with her award Mr. Porche Saran looking mighty handsome in a simple black suit. The ladies of the Sixth Sense Taew went goth for the  award show and it is got to be the weirdest dress of the night.  Is that fake hair? Nadech happily showing off his trophy on the way home? Source: Sanook

It’s like I am a drug addict and the series ‘Khun Chai Puttipat’ is my crack–I can’t get enough of it and most likely I will suffer from withdraw symptoms when the lakorn ends this Friday May 24, 2013. It has been a long time since I have been MAJORLY obsess with a show, since the Korean series ‘Coffee Prince’–that was difficult since I had to reply on subtitles. With this, I can get all the spoilers I want, watch it live, it’s pretty satisfying getting a quick fix as much as I want. This lakorn transcends beyond James Jirayu, people seem to think the star of the series carries the show–to a certain extent it does but there has to be a good story executed well to make people cling emotionally to it. I think Khun Chai Puttipat is one of those rare gems for lakorns, it does have its flaws but I can overlook them because of the story and the chemistry of the cast. There is no weak characters–they embody what they are playing from the villains you hate to the good guy characters you love. It’s well-acted. I applaud the producers who chose their actors and actresses well. It’s Sunday May 19, 2013 and I have watched all the episodes of Khun Chai Puttipat that aired this weekend from episode 7-9, I think episode 7 was the weakness and it only went uphill from there. It got better and better. I just didn’t want it to end. Because each prime time lakorn is almost 2hrs long, when you are doing summaries, you want it to end. It’s NOT done but I am releasing it. I just didn’t realize how much important dialogue is in this episode. As they are dancing, Bai Bua’s people are plotting to kidnap Krong Kaew to give to Khun Pinit.  After the dance, they parted ways. Khun Chai Puttipat is disturb when he doesn’t see her in the ballroom, someone had asked Krong Kaew to see the host of the event but she is nowhere to be seen and the host is seen talking to other guests. Krong Kaew is lured outside and drugged with a chloroform cloth and placed in a car by Khun Pinit’s people. Ing On and her son Glai-Lerk intercepts Krong Kaew by attacking Khun Pinit’s people. Glai-Lerk attempts to assault Krong Kaew with his mom standing outside the car–what is wrong with this guy. Mom, he was like let me try it first that old guy won’t know about it. And you’re like ew. Luckily, Krong Kaew wakes up and pushed him back. Soon after Khun Chai Puttipat and his two younger brothers Ronnapee and Rachanon came to save her and beat up Glai-Lerk. Khun Chai Puttipat found one of her shoes when they were searching for her. Fighting for her well-being, Krong Kaew attacks Khun Chai Pat without knowing it. He carries her to his car. ‘It’s me, look at me, Kaew! Those people were trying to kidnap for Khun Pinit.’ She looks up and sees him and his two younger brothers. ‘You came to help me.’ Khun Chai Pat:’Right now, you are safe.’ The brothers advised Khun Chai Pat to take Krong Kaew into hiding, Khun Pinit is becoming more ruthless, he won’t stop until he has Krong Kaew, they must flee. Khun Chai Pat:’Will you go with me?’ He puts one of her shoes on for her:’I found this and I knew you were in danger.’ The brothers watched their hermit older brother with a smile, like fangirls. Aw. Khun Chai Pat:’We must quickly leave here.’ She lets out one tear drop and the brothers are like awwing in the background with smiles. Off they went off in his car. Krong Kaew:’I have cause you trouble again.’ Khun Chai Pat with a smile:’Who says that, you are helping me instead. Since I become a doctor I have never taken off not even a day. No one could ever remove me from the operation room until you Kaew.’ Kaew changes the subject:’The road is really dark.’ Khun Chai Pat:’Are you afraid?’ Kaew:’I am scared.’ Khun Chai

This is old, the beginning of the month of May 2013 old. It won’t be in Khun Chai Puttipat, we have to wait a few more weeks for this scene of James Jirayu giving Bella Ranee Campen a kiss in the last installment of the Gentlemen series in  ’Khun Chai Ronnapee’ with James Ma and Mint Chalida. It’s the last scene of the series where James Ma marries Mint Chalida with all his brothers and sister-in-laws present. At this point, Krong Kaew and Khun Chai Puttipat are happily married. She is wearing pink as one of the bridesmaid for her youngest brother-in-law’s wedding. In one scene, she gets a kiss from her husband. A real kiss between two people who unconditionally love each other. It’s well documented Bella and are close friends on set. They are playful together, she is seen in this clip bending his hands and then massaging him. The kiss that took several takes and it was a real kiss. Bella massaging James

‘Tum’ Warawut Poyim aka Tum the Star 9′s music video for his first single ‘‘Ja Ruk Jon Gwa Ja Roo (I will love before you know it)’ featuring Mark Prin and Bella Ranee Campen premiered today and I can’t follow the concept of the video. I thought she was a ghost. Bella  is an old lover who traveled through worlds (time) to find her love Mark in the present. The MV featured some lovely dovey scenes of Mark Prin getting close with Bella for us to enjoy. It’s a pretty video, featuring some pretty people, at a pretty place–I can settle with that.

Countdown, a psychological thriller that bottles up three young Thais with an unhinged drug dealer in a New York apartment, returns to its spiritual home next month. It's among the first titles announced over the weekend for this year's New York Asian Film Festival. Directed by Nattawat "Baz" Poonpiriya, Countdown had its origins in a 45-minute short that Nattawat made as a student in the Big Apple. It screened at the 2010 Thai Short Film and Video Festival. It starred David Asavanond as the goateed dealer named Jesus who stops by to peddle joints to three Thai hipsters in their New York apartment. He ends up overstaying his welcome and making their life miserable. GTH then picked it up and got Nattawat to expand it into a feature, still with Asavanond, but sneakily billing his showy performance as a supporting role, with young GTH stock company players Pachara Chirathivat, Patarasaya Krueasuwansiri and Jarinporn Junkiet starring as the dope-smoking hipsters. Before Pee Mak Phra Khanong came in this year and scooped up 600-million-baht worth of box-office takings, one of the GTH studio's most successful movies was Countdown, which was a commercial hit of last year and a big winner in this year's awards season in Thailand. It narrowly missed top-prize Audience Award at the recent Udine Far East Film Festival. So now Countdown returns to New York, as part of the 12th New York Asian Film Festival, Other recently announced NYAFF highlights include the North American premiere Jay Chou's martial arts musical romance The Rooftop as the Closing Night film, Sion Sono’s and Tokyo GAGAGA’s Bad Film, Hideo Nakata’s The Complex, Takashi Miike’s Lesson to the Evil and other Udine winner, Herman Yau's Ip Man: The Final Fight. There are also three special focuses in this year's lineup: Hong Kong Cinema Now and Beyond!, Taiwan Pulp! – Tales of Gangsters, Female Avengers and Ninjas! and a spotlight on distributor Well Go USA. Head on over to the festival's blog for more details. The 12th New York Asian Film Festival runs from June 28 to July 15. (Via Twitch)ATTENTION: This is a post from Wise Kwai's Thai Film Journal. The url for the source blog is http://thaifilmjournal.blogspot.com. If you're seeing this post anywhere besides your personal feed reader or a couple of social-networking sites, then it might be being misused against the spirit in which it is made freely available.

James Jirayu , now affectionately called James Ji and his co-star Bella Ranee Campen from the hit lakorn ‘Khun Chai Puttipat’ are reuniting for a magazine spread for Image fashion magazine. The pair posted pictures of their day at work on their IG pages yesterday. James posted a picture of himself with Bella and wrote that he loved her:’I love you baby, I only love you. Underneath the moonlight is only us.’  And you realize he is just toying with our emotions and fans are eating it up. Fans are asking for at least one more lakorn with these two. Also  their names have been combined, they are now being referred to as Jiranee. BTS look at the photoshoot. In the water. Off screen and on, Bella and James get along really well. Source: Pantip

This is some lakorn, it has not even aired and already it has a sequel. For the lakorn ‘Dao Kiao Duen (The sun courts the moon)’ starring Janie Tienposuwan as a modern woman looking to have child with a man with the right pedigree. She finds her match in Aum Atichart who is a Thai nobleman, his character is Mom Rachawong Juntarapanu. Aum fathers her son Mom Luang Junthonkan. In the sequel titled ‘Dao Kiang Duen (The sun beside the moon)’ their adult son will be played by Ken Phupoom Pongpanu with newcomer ’Namtarn’ Pichukkana Wongsarattanasin as his leading actress. It’s a romantic comedy. The fitting for the series took place today June 17, 2013, Ken was dressed up in stylish fitted suits and tie as he playing the son of a nobleman. Namtarn is playing Darika, the granddaughter or niece of an undertaker. I love this look on Namtarn, it makes her look stylishly young. Different color socks? The pair acting cute. Source: Kapook

I was highly anticipating Khun Chai Ronnapee after Khun Chai Rachanon of the Gentlemen series and I was rather disappointed by the pacing. Everything else–from the acting, the cinematography, wardrobe–all very beautiful and well done; however, the story and pacing of the series is described by some fans at Pantip as being bland and I somewhat agree though I will still keep watching. Khun Chai Ronnapee seems depressed and brooding–like dude what is up? Maybe he is depressed because he can’t find the love his life like his brothers have.  His oldest brother Khun Chai Tarathorn has a fiance and his other 3 older brothers have wives. His partner in crime Khun Chai Lek is now married to Princess Soifah. His best friend Chat is now the crowned prince of Vieng Poo Kam and is engaged to be married to Janta who is the long lost sister of Buck Joy if you were watched the ending of Khun Chai Rachanon you will know what I am talking about. All his amigos have left him. Some fans were gushing over the future appearances of the Jiranee couple as seen in the opening credit of Khun Chai Ronnapee. Khun Chai Puttipat gives his wife Krong Kaew a kiss on the cheeks at dinner. Out of all the brothers to their wives, Khun Chai Puttipat who was described as a emotionless robot who didn’t know how to love who only cared about practicing medicine, he is the most affectionate towards his wife. How ironic. Fans did thanked the director  Chatchai Plengpanich of the series for giving them what they want from the Jiranee couple–more guk-gik scenes. Some fans were disappointed by the brief cameo of Mark Prin in episode 1. You really had to look for him–he was there and then he was gone. Fans miss Mark Prin onscreen. There is a lot of angst in the series–the nang’ek Piang-kwan played by Mint Chalida is a struggling entertainer trying to make ends meet to fed her family and she also has a reputation for being a ‘loose’ woman which is not true at all. She is very prideful, she knows what people think of her that she is a beautiful entertainer who sells her body. Though she can’t show her true emotions, she can only show strength in the face of their hatred and gossip, she is going through a lot. What’s great about this series is that you get to see your other favorite characters make an appearance. Even though their series end, they reappear. The Khun Ying Taew and Khun Chai Ruj shippers are waiting for their cameo in Khun Chai Ronnapee.

She tells him I love you in her own way, instead of saying it, instead of being overly sweet, she jumps on his back to show him she loves him. It’s sweet in a Soifah way tomboyish way. It was a fun ride and it’s coming to end, this couple made you laugh and then there were a few parts you found endearing. The abuses and kicks he endured from his love it’s hilarious. One of my favorite lines from Soifah is: ‘this is my tradition, who ever touches me, gets a kick.’ This was when he attempted to carry her over the threshold to their room, explaining it is a tradition by foreigners to carry their brides over the threshold and she kicked him–whatever fool don’t touch me! The things she would say to him, it’s just downright hilarious. Like the bunny scene in ep 3, out in the forest, Soifah and Khun Chai Rachanon caught a bunny but Soifah wanted to let him go. ‘Let him go, he is so cute. I don’t think I can eat him. Pah Yai also taught us not to kill animals if not necessary.’ He agrees with her,  but they have no food. She explains they are in the forest, they have plenty of options, they should go find shelter first. With that he realizes:’ a woman will always be a woman–compassionate, sympathetic. Why are you sympathetic to that bunny but not to this bunny?’ He asked. Her reactions was hilarious:’EWW! That bunny is cute! But you…you’re very disgusting.’ Their relationship has progressed substantially, she is letting him in and accepting his advances. Yesterday episode 10, she finally lets her heavily guarded emotions down and confessed she loves him too. She is near the creek, drinking water. They are talking about how he prefers if she is still in her hometown, safe and sound, not fighting a war to reclaim her country and to save her father. She tells him he doesn’t need to worry about her, she had to come because this is her country and that is her father being held captive. Khun Chai Rachanon:’Hey, up to this point you still don’t know why I am so concern about you? Why I have been trying to prevent you from coming along too?’ She turns to look at him. ‘Why?’ He inches closer to her. ‘Because I love you. There is no man in this world who will allow his love to face death. I am not of the Vieng Poo Kam people, but my wife is. Like you once told us, where ever a husband goes, a wife must follow. If you are willing to risk your life, I am ready to die with you. ‘ Soifah:’No. I will make it alive. I will not let you die because of me. We will return to be together again. And I will be very good to you like you are good with me. If not necessary, I will not let you be physically hurt again.’ With a smile, he wants her to say she loves him. ‘Up to this point, can’t you just say I love you?’ Soifah:’A person like me will not tell someone she loves him that easily. People who love each other don’t need to say ‘I love you’ to know they love each other.’ Oh. Khun Chai Rachanon:’Oh, meaning actions mean more than words.’ She slightly nods. He wants proof  and she tells him to turn around. He gives her this dumbfounded look but does as he is told. Then she jumps on his back. He was like what? ‘This is how you say I love you to me?’ Soifah:’Don’t say much, just take me to back to the camp.’ Ha. Khun Chai Rachanon:’Fine. But hold on tight.’ Soifah exasperated: ‘we can go now.’ It ends today June 15, 2013. Boo. Their conversation starts at the 7:00 time mark. The song in the clip is titled ‘Kwaam Ruk (Love)’ by Naen Sathida.