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Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010)

Started by holyzombiejesus, January 23, 2020, 12:31:57 PM

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holyzombiejesus

I've got a (Chris Ware designed) poster of this on my bedroom wall and my little boy really likes it as the 'monster' has red glowing eyes. He now often talks about Uncle Boonmee (I know that Boonmee isn't the actual 'monster') and says that he  lives under the slide in the local playground. Apparently, the other day "Uncle Boonmee did a trump and his nappy flew off".

Anyway, I guess we should talk about the film. It's really really good, isn't it?

Shit Good Nose

I saw it at the cinema (Watershed in Bristol) when in came out and walked out completely non-plussed and wondering if I'd just seen the same film as everyone else, who were all fawning over it.

I've not seen it since then - mainly through purposeful avoidance as I know it's been on TV several times - but I know it's since become incredibly highly regarded worldwide.

I should force myself to see it again at some point.

Small Man Big Horse

I found some of it absolutely fascinating and enchanting, but some of it incredibly boring and tedious, which was quite the odd experience.

Wet Blanket

Yeah nonplussed would be my takeaway. I seem to remember there was a good bit where someone shags a fish.

dissolute ocelot

#4
It is like most of (unspellable director's name)'s films a mix of the wonderful and the kind of dull, although I never feel it gets too dull and would therefore describe it as "contemplative" or "mysterious". But I completely love the final scene which has nothing to do with the rest of it and just features wonderful Thai pop hit Acrophobia by Penguin Villa.

Edited to add: It's hard to know how to react to his films which seem to be more about people hanging out and doing mundane things than actually any plot or theme or allegory or deeper meaning. Blissfully Yours, Tropic Malady, and Syndromes and a Century all break halfway through and shift to an entirely different story, although the two halves of Syndromes are clearly related in their medical theme. Apichatpong has close links to gallery-based moving image work, and I don't know if his films would work better or worse there; there is something about the atmosphere you get from sitting in a darkened room for 2 hours and watching his films gradually play out that would be lost in a gallery. As I say, in my opinion he's never really boring although some of that is just trying to work out what is going on, understanding the details of Thai culture, and that sort of thing, which may be part of the charm for western audiences, along with the often beautiful images. He's one of those directors who can make almost anything look interesting (Steve McQueen is another).

Inspector Norse

I love it but can understand the accusations of dullness. I oddly found that those longeurs gave it a kind of meditational quality, that I calmly sat and let my thoughts drift while still watching. quite psychedelic really.
The final scenes in the hotel room really stuck with me.