Bangkok Cinema Scene: Movies opening July 28-August 3, 2011

Captain America: The First Avenger


Marvel Comics' cinematic universe continues to expand with Captain America: The First Avenger, which is meant as a tie-in with the franchise of superheroes that includes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk and Thor.

Captain America: The First Avenger is an origin story, in which a scrawny runt of a guy named Steve Rogers is deemed unfit for military service in World War II. Determined to serve his country, he volunteers for the top-secret Project Rebirth, which turns him into a musclebound Super Soldier. Chris Evans stars.

Dubbed Captain America, he leads a special-ops team into battle against the Nazis and the advanced weaponry of the evil HYDRA organisation, led by the villainous Red Skull (Hugo Weaving).

Tommy Lee Jones also stars alongside Sebastian Stan as Rogers' sidekick Bucky Barnes, Hayley Atwell as the Cap's love interest Hayley Atwell and Stanley Tucci as the scientist who made the Super Soldier serum.

The director is Joe Johnston, who got his start as a special-effects artist on 1977's Star Wars and then made his directorial debut with Honey, I Shrunk the Kids in 1989. His other films include Jumanji, Hidalgo, last year's The Wolfman and the movie that the 1940s style of Captain America will recall, 1991's The Rocketeer.

As with all the other movies of the Marvel cinematic universe, you'll likely want to remain seated through the closing credits for an "Easter egg" teaser to the next movie in the franchise, The Avengers, due out next year.

Critical reception is mixed, leaning to positive, promising "plenty of pulpy action, a pleasantly retro vibe, and a handful of fine performances, Captain America is solidly old-fashioned blockbuster entertainment."

It's in 2D and 3D (as well as 4D at Paragon Cineplex).

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Also opening


Gancore Gud (ก้านคอกัด) – Hip-hop mogul Joey Boy blends gangsta rappers with girls and ghouls for this low-budget horror-comedy that has his Gancore hip-hop collective stranded on a remote island where they hope to party with a bunch of bikini-clad Playboy models. They instead are confronted by zombies and other supernatural beings. Released by Phranakorn, Gancore Gud is the feature-film directorial debut for Joey Boy, a.k.a. Apisit Opasaimlikit, who previously acted in GTH's 2006 rock 'n' roll comedy The Possible (Kao ... Kao) and the "Monk Teng" comedy Luangphee Teng 2 (The Holy Man 2). You can read more about the movie in an article in The Nation. Watch the trailer at YouTube. Rated 18+.


Wu Xia (a.k.a. Dragon) – Donnie Yen is a man with a criminal past in 1917 China. He's working as a paper maker and is seeking a peaceful life for himself and and his family, but after he accidentally kills two robbers in his shop (a plot point that recalls David Cronenberg's A History of Violence), a determinedly canny detective (Takeshi Kaneshiro) turns up and won't let go of the case. A game of cat-and-mouse ensues as Donnie tries to keep his past from being revealed. Martial-arts star of the 1970s Jimmy Wang Yu puts in a powerful appearance as a villain as does veteran Hong Kong actress Kara Hui. Tang Wei (Lust, Caution) also stars, playing Donnie's wife. Hong Kong producer-director Peter Chan (Perhaps Love, The Warlords) directs. Wu Xia premiered out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival this year, and it was picked up for U.S. release by The Weinstein Company and given the rather plain, ambiguous title Dragon. While the original title Wu Xia might bring to the imagination the graceful swordplay of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or Hero, the martial-arts action is rather hard-hitting and gritty and is said to be an homage to the old Shaw Brothers' kung-fu movies, especially One-Armed Swordsman, which starred Jimmy Wang Yu. Critical reception is mixed (see here, here, here and here. In Mandarin with English and Thai subtitles at SFW CentralWorld; elsewhere Thai-dubbed. Rated 13+.


A Better Life – An illegal-immigrant Mexican gardener struggles to make ends meet in Los Angeles as he tries to avoid the immigration agents and steer his son away from street gangs. Chris Weitz, who previously co-directed American Pie and About a Boy with his brother Paul and has also done such big-budget fare as The Golden Compass and New Moon, directs this low-budget indie-flavored drama set entirely in L.A.'s Hispanic community. Critical reception is mostly positive. It's at Lido in Siam Square. Rated 13+.


Horrible Bosses – Kevin Spacey, Colin Farrell, Jennifer Aniston star as the terrible title trio in this workplace comedy about three guys (Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day) who plot to kill their bosses. Jamie Foxx also stars as the hustling ex-con the bumbling buddies turn to for advice. Of particular note are Colin Farrell sporting a combover-style hairdo and Jennifer Aniston playing against her usual sweetheart type as a sex-crazed dentist trying to put the moves on her assistant. Critical reception is mixed, surprisingly leaning to positive. The consensus: "It's nasty, uneven, and far from original, but [works] thanks to a smartly assembled cast that makes the most of a solid premise." Rated 15+.

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Also showing


BollywoodThai – Bangkok's Indian movie promoters BollywoodThai have a pair of encore screenings of their recent releases. The controversially scatalogical crime comedy Delhi Belly shows at 8pm on Friday, July 29, at Major Cineplex Sukhumvit (Ekamai). And the buddy-roadtrip movie Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara screens at 8pm on Wednesday, August 3 and at 4pm on Sunday, August 7 at Major Cineplex Central Rama III. To book tickets, call (089) 488 2620.


Films on Contemporary Art and Artists – The Reading Room launches a new quarterly screening series on Saturday with two films by artists who take on the subject of our urban environment. First up at 2pm is Over Your Cities Grass Will Grow directed by Sophie Fiennes, bearing witness to German artist Anselm Kiefer's alchemical creative processes. It renders in film, as a cinematic journey, the personal universe he has built at his hill-studio estate in the South of France. Next at 4.30pm is Waste Land, directed by Lucy Walker, following artist Vik Muniz as he journeys from the garbage-dump city of Jardim Gramacho the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro to the heights of international art stardom. An Oscar-nominee for best documentary, Wasteland won the Panorama Audience Award and the Amnesty International Film Prize at last year's Berlin Film Festival, and an audience award at Sundance. The Reading Room is at 2 Silom Soi 19, fourth floor. Call (02) 635 3674.


Ghare Baire (The Home and the World) – Two giant figures of 20th century Indian culture – filmmaker Satyajit Ray and Nobel laureate writer-artist Rabindranath Tagore – come together for this epic about women's emancipation set against the backdrop of a nationalist movement sweeping British India. A project long in the works by Ray, Ghare Baire was released in 1984, premiering in competition at the Cannes Film Festival. It's based on a novel by Tagore. Ghare Baire screens at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand next Thursday in celebration of the 150th birth anniversary of Tagore. Part of the FCCT's Contemporary World Film Series, the Embassy of India, will provide wine, beer and food by Mrs Balbir's restaurant. Admission for non-members is 150 baht and 150 baht for anyone wanting to eat. The show time is at 8pm on Thursday, August 4.

Bangkok Cinema Scene: Movies opening July 21-27, 2011

Pumpuang (The Moon)


One of the Thai film industry's most anticipated releases this year, Pumpuang (พุ่มพวง, a.k.a. The Moon) is a biographical drama about the revered 1980s superstar Pumpuang Duangjan.

One of 12 children from a hardscrabble farming family in Suphan Buri, the illiterate Pumpuang grew up singing in the sugarcane fields. She worked her way into show business and spearheaded the popularization of luk thung, a form of Thai country music that had mainly only been heard in the rural central plains. With disco beats added and the tempo pumped up, the soulful, lovelorn rural reveries crossed over to become pop hits in the clubs of Bangkok. She went on to become one of the biggest recording artists in Thai showbiz, and made a number of movies. She died from lupus in 1992 at the age of 31.

You can hear some of her music at the MonrakPlengThai blog.

Making her big-screen debut as Pumpuang is Paowalee Pornpimon, a 19-year-old luk thung singer, who, like Pumpuang herself, is from Suphan Buri.

The director is Bandit Thongdee, who made his debut in 2002 with Mon Pleng Lukthung FM, a.k.a. Hoedown Showdown, a comedy about a music contest that featured an all-star roster of actual luk thung singers. Prachya Pinkaew is producing the release for Sahamongkolfilm International.

The Bangkok Post had a story about the movie on Sunday and yesterday. The Nation has one in today's paper.

And you can watch a trailer at YouTube.

It's rated 13+.

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Also opening


Lourdes – A wheelchair-bound woman, mostly paralyzed by multiple sclerosis, makes a journey to the pilgrimage site in southwestern France's Pyrenees Mountains. Austrian filmmaker Jessica Hausner directs. A Golden Lion nominee at the 2009 Venice Film Festival and winner of many awards, critical reception is mostly positive. The consensus: "As bewitchingly ambiguous as it is beautifully shot, Lourdes explores profound themes with subtlety and a deft comic touch – and a marvelous performance from its star, Sylvie Testud." In French with English and Thai subtitles at House on RCA.


Hanna – Saoirse Ronan is 16-year-old Hanna, raised from by her ex-CIA-agent father (Eric Bana) in the frozen wilds of Finland to be an assassin. Sent on a mission of revenge, she's tracked by a ruthless rival spy (Cate Blanchett). Tom Hollander and Olivia Williams also star. Joe Wright, who previously teamed with Ronan on Atonement, directs. Critical reception is mixed, leaning to favorable. "Fantastic acting and crisply choreographed action sequences propel this unique, cool take on the revenge thriller" is the consensus. Rated 13+.


Water for Elephants – A veterinary student (Robert Pattinson) is forced to abandon his studies and joins a traveling circus. There, he falls in love with the show's star performer (Reese Witherspoon) who happens to be the wife of the cruel animal trainer and circus owner (Christoph Waltz from Inglourious Basterds). Controversy has surrounded this film since an animal-rights group alleged that the movie's biggest star, an elephant named Tai, was abused during training. The trainer has denied the allegations and has said CGI was used in the depictions of cruelty. Adapted from a 2006 novel by Sara Gruen, this romantic drama is directed by Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend). Critical reception is mixed, the consensus being "it's a tale tastefully told and beautifully filmed, but ... suffers from a pronounced lack of chemistry." At Apex and SFW CentralWorld, SFX the Emporium and SFX Central Chaeng Wattana. Rated 15+.


Kites: The Remix – Hollywood's Brett Ratner produces this English-language release of the 2010 Bollywood hit starring Hrithik Roshan as a dance teacher in Las Vegas who marries immigrant women to get them green cards. He gets mixed up with a Mexican woman (Bárbara Mori) who's destined to marry a dangerous man. The original score is by Remix co-producer Rajesh Roshan, but Graeme Revell almost completely re-scored the film. Critical reception (presumably based on The Remix version) is mainly positive. At House on RCA.


Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara – Three young guys put their friendships to the test on a road trip to Spain. Among their adventures is a musical number during the La Tomatina festival, which was recreated for the film using more than 16 tons of tomatoes. Hrithik Roshan, Abhay Deol, Farhan Akhtar and Katarina Kaif star. It screens at SFW CentralWorld Friday through Sunday at 8pm and at Major Cineplex Sukhumvit (Ekamai) on Monday at 8. Call (089) 488-2620 or look for the BollywoodThai ticket table in the cinema lobby.

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Also showing

The King of the White Elephant (Phra Chao Chang Pheuak, พระเจ้าช้างเผือก) – Screening tonight at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand, this 1941 black-and-white historical epic is a rare film for at least a couple of reasons. First, it's one of the few Thai films made in English. And second it's one of the oldest surviving complete Thai features. Produced by statesman Pridi Banomyong, The King of the White Elephant was an anti-war propaganda piece in the months leading up to the Japanese invasion of Thailand. Not long after the film was released, Thailand was allied with Japan and Pridi had joined the Seri Thai resistance. With elephant battles and palace intrigue, as well as lots of humor, it's the story of a peace-loving king who finds himself having to go to war when his borders are attacked. The cast are all non-actors, students and faculty from Thammasat University, which Pridi founded. Though the 35mm prints were lost, a 16mm print was found in the U.S. Library of Congress and efforts were undertaken by the Thai Film Archive to make a restored 35mm print with the generous assistance of Kodak and Technicolor Asia. The restored film was presented at the 2007 Phuket Film Festival. The FCCT's screening (on DVD) will be introduced by the archive's deputy director, Chalida Uabumrungjit. And there will be a ranad (Thai xylophone) performance by Thaweesak Akarawong of the Office of Performing Arts. Pridi's daughter Dusdi Banomyong will be a special guest. Admission for non-members is 150 baht and 50 baht for anyone wanting to eat the Thai snacks. The show time is at 8pm on Thursday, July 21.


The Terrorists (ผู้ก่อการร้าย, Poo Kor Karn Rai) – Controversial filmmaker Thunska Pansittivorakul's latest feature will screen in Thailand after all. With its mix of politics and penises, it would never be passed by censors for a commercial cinematic release, but it will be shown as part of an exhibition at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, Dialogic exhibition at the BACC, which runs from today until September 25. The opening reception is at 6pm on Thursday, July 21. Thunska will have a video installation in Dialogic called KISS = ปี้, which looks at "farang-styled kisses" vs. "Thai-styled kisses", and, in the same vein as The Terrorists and his other recent features Reincarnate and the banned This Area is Under Quarantine, will comment on politics and history and the treatment of homosexuals and "terrorists" – folks on the fringes of Thai society. You can find out more about Thunska's work at the Dialogic website. Other artists taking part in Dialogic are writer Lom Penkaew, designer Pracha Suveeranon, visual artist Surasri Kusolwong, performance artist Pattarasuda Anuman Rajadhon, multimedia artists Mahasamut Bunyarak and Sedhawat Aoudha, architect Singh Intrachooto and singer Tul Waitulkiat of the rock band Apartment Khunpa. In the exhibition, the artists "interpret the cycle of birth, pain, and death and all that it entails, from eating to sleeping to having sex", according to an item in the Sunday Nation. The Terrorists, which premiered earlier this year at the Berlin Film Festival and is in competition this week at the New Horizons International Film Festival in Poland, screens at 3.30pm on Saturday, July 23 at the BACC. The screening venue is a corner of the BACC's eighth-floor gallery, on a bare white wall where there are a handful of beanbag chairs strewn around. If you want a seat, get there early. It's on the sidelines of Dialogic and is the opener of the Morbid Symptom screening series by Film Virus. See the DK Film House blog for the complete line-up.


Third Class Citizen 027: Spark With Electric Eels – In the latest installment of its ongoing screening series, the film-activist group Third Class Citizen offers a retrospective on the short films by young filmmakers Wasunan Hutawach and Wichanon Somumjarn who are part of Electric Eel Films, the production company started by Mundane History director Anocha Suwichakornpong. Shorts by Wasunan open the program: Small World (2008), Love Me Love My Dog (2010), This Way (2010), The Visitors (2011, done for Third Class Citizen's Postcard Cinema project) and A Railroad Engineer (2011). Her Love Me Love My Dog was featured at last year's World Film Festival of Bangkok. Wichanon's shorts are W.C. (2005), A Brighter Day (2007), the award-winning Four Boys, White Whiskey and Grilled Mouse (2009), All That Remains (2010) and a teaser for his upcoming feature Like Raining at the End of April, which was recently previewed at the Paris Project Screenings. The show time is at 4pm on Saturday, July 23, in the Eat@Double U Restaurant on the ninth floor of SF World Cinema at CentralWorld. Admission is free.

Bangkok Cinema Scene: Movies opening July 14-20, 2011

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2


Well, this it. After seven movies, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is the final installment in the film franchise that was spawned by the best-selling novels of J.K. Rowling.

Plunging right in from last November's Deathly Hallows: Part 1, the young student wizards Harry, Ron and Hermione continue their battle against the evil Lord Voldemort and the dark forces that threaten to take over the world.

Returning for the final time are the child actors all grown up, Daniel Radcliffe as Harry, Rupert Grint as Ron Weasely and Emma Watson as Hermione Granger.

Critical reception is mostly positive, mostly, I'm guessing, out of a sense of relief that it's all over. The consensus is that it's a thrilling conclusion to a cinematic story that's been 10 years in the making.

It's in 3D (converted) in some cinemas, including IMAX. Rated G.

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Also opening



The Lost Bladesman — The co-director and writer of Infernal Affairs, Alan Mak and Felix Chong, turn to China's Three Kingdoms epic for their latest thriller, blending historical martial-arts action with palace intrigue. Donnie Yen portrays the legendary General Guan Yu in his crossing of five passes and slaying of six generals. Jiang Wen portrays the rival general Cao Cao, with Alex Fong, Edison Wang and Betty Sun also starring. Critical reception (also here and here) is mixed. Chinese soundtrack only at SFW CentralWorld, elsewhere Thai-dubbed. Rated 15+.

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Also showing



European Union Film Festival – Continuing through Sunday at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, one highlight of the EU fest is the British documentary Exit Through the Giftshop, about an eccentric shopkeeper's quest to capture the shadowy graffiti artist Banksy. It's showing tonight at 7.30 and on Saturday at 7.25pm. There's also the Spanish prison drama Cell 211, at 5.25pm Friday. The screenings are on DVD, with the original soundtracks and English subtitles, in the first-floor auditorium at BACC. Check the full line-up in an earlier blog entry, the festival's Facebook page (which has links to trailers) or a Google calendar.


Indie Spirit Project – Bioscope magazine's screening series continues for one more week at SF World Cinema at CentralWorld with Breakfast Lunch Dinner (no commas), a compilation of shorts by three female Asian directors, China's Wang Jing, Thailand's Anocha Suwichakornpong and Singapore's Kaz Cai, and Lumpinee, a documentary by Chira Wichaisuthikul on youths in a Muay Thai camp in Trang. Screenings run nightly until Wednesday, with Breakfast Lunch Dinner at 7 and Lumpinee at 9.


Delhi Belly – Having caused upset in India for its vulgar language (as well as its depiction of a Hyundai car) BollywoodThai has organized one more screening next week of Delhi Belly. The scatalogical comedy is about a trio of hapless young men, Imran Khan, Vir Das and Kunal Roy Kapur, on the run from mobsters in India's capital. It's screening at 8pm on Tuesday, July 19 at SFX the Emporium. Call 0894882620 or 022257500 or visit www.BollywoodThai.com.


The King of the White Elephant (Phra Chao Chang Pheuak, พระเจ้าช้างเผือก) – Screening next week at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand, this 1941 black-and-white historical epic is a rare film for at least a couple of reasons. First, it's one of the few Thai films made in English. And second it's one of the oldest surviving complete Thai features. Produced by statesman Pridi Banomyong, The King of the White Elephant was an anti-war propaganda piece in the months leading up to the Japanese invasion of Thailand. Not long after the film was released, Thailand was allied with Japan and Pridi had joined the Seri Thai resistance. With elephant battles and palace intrigue, as well as lots of humor, it's the story of a peace-loving king who finds himself having to go to war when his borders are attacked. The cast are all non-actors, students and faculty from Thammasat University, which Pridi founded. Though the 35mm prints were lost, a 16mm print was found in the U.S. Library of Congress and efforts were undertaken by the Thai Film Archive to make a restored 35mm print with the generous assistance of Kodak and Technicolor Asia. The restored film was presented at the 2007 Phuket Film Festival. The FCCT's screening (on DVD) will be introduced by the archive's deputy director, Chalida Uabumrungjit. And there will be a ranad (Thai xylophone) performance by Thaweesak Akarawong of the Office of Performing Arts. Pridi's daughter Dusdi Banomyong will be a special guest. Admission for non-members is 150 baht and 50 baht for anyone wanting to eat the Thai snacks. The show time is at 8pm on Thursday, July 21.

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Take note


When it opened two weeks ago, Transformers: Dark of the Moon not only took over nearly all the screens in Thailand's multiplexes, screening in 3D and giving movie-goers little else to choose from, it's also been showing in the Major Cineplex Group's new 4D cinema at Paragon Cineplex. It's in Paragon's theater No. 5, one of the smaller halls tucked behind the big Siam Pavalai auditorium.

The Nation had a story about it last Friday.

So not only is there the 3D explosions popping out of the screen, there's also shaking seats, wind blowing and water spraying. Said to be popular in South Korea, where the technology originates, it's yet another gimmick to entice viewers away from their comfortable homes, their Blu-ray players and plasma screens. Priced at around 500 baht, it seems a bit too much punishment to take to have to endure. To me, the thought of spending 150 minutes being pummeled by the Transformers is not appealing.

In related news about ticket prices, the leading cinema chains Major Cineplex and SF cinemas have instituted price increases, meaning most movies now cost 140 or 160 baht, and that's just the starting price. Depending on where you sit, what movie you're going to see and the location of the theatre, you might end up paying as much as 200 baht for an ordinary movie.

Be careful where you select your seat, particularly at SF cinemas, which first show you "light blue available" in the back, where the expensive seats are. You have to get them to re-select things on the computer screen to show chairs up front for the lower prices. This is a deceptive practice.

The price increase was quietly instituted back in May, but movie-goers have been quite vocal in their complaints, taking to Facebook, Pantip.com and other Internet forums to vent their frustration. BK magazine had a look at the issue recently, as did The Nation in today's paper.

Bangkok Cinema Scene: Movies opening July 7-13, 2011

The Tree of Life


Director Terrence Malick ponders the mysteries of the universe in The Tree of Life, winner of the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

It's the chronicle of a Texas family in the 1950s, headed by Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain, and focuses on the eldest son, from the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years as he tries to reconcile a complicated relationship with his domineering dad. Played as an adult by Sean Penn, the son Jack is a lost soul, seeking answers to the origins and meaning of life while questioning the existence of faith.

The impressionistic, nonlinear story depicts the creation of the world in a much-talked-about 20-minute sequence created by pioneering 2001: A Space Odyssey special-effects wizard Douglas Trumbull, featuring exploding stars, primordial ooze and dinosaurs.

It's the fifth film in nearly as many decades from the enigmatic director of Badlands, Days of Heaven, The Thin Red Line and The New World. An LA Times profile reveals more about the reclusive Malick, including his love of quoting the Ben Stiller comedy Zoolander.

Critical reception is mostly positive, although it drew a mixed response at Cannes and even a few boos.

A theater in Connecticut earned much notice after it instituted a "no refund" policy as a result of the polarized audience response, advising patrons that the film "does not follow a traditional, linear approach to storytelling" and encouraging them to "read up on the film" and "go in with an open mind".

It's at Apex Siam Square, Paragon Cineplex and SF World Cinema at CentralWorld. Rated 13+.

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Indie Spirit Project


Bioscope magazine kicked off its Indie Spirit Project last year by organizing a monthlong limited theatrical run of Apichatpong Weerasethakul's Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives. Having just won the coveted Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, it was one of the hottest tickets in town, with Bangkok's trend-followers flocking to see it. Now the screening series continues with two more independent films, screening nightly at SFW CentralWorld for the next two weeks starting on Friday:

• Lumpinee – Director Chira Wichaisuthikul looks at the lives of youths in a Muay Thai camp in Trang, where they live and train from morning until night. Taking its name from the Bangkok boxing stadium where some bouts are filmed, Lumpinee screened earlier this year at the Salaya Doc Fest and premiered at last year's International Documentary Film Festival Rotterdam and was supported by the fest's Jan Vrijman Fund. Watch a trailer at YouTube. Rated 13+.
• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner – Female empowerment is the common thread running through this trio of short mealtime romances by three Asian female directors, China's Wang Jing, Thailand's Anocha Suwichakornpong and Singapore's Kaz Cai. It premiered at last year's World Film Festival of Bangkok. Rated 15+.

Lumpinee and Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner are showing in back-to-back screenings nightly from Friday, starting at 7 at SFW CentralWorld. This week, Lumpinee is first, followed by BLD. Next week, the positions are reversed.

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Also opening



Delhi Belly – Taking its name from the gastrointestinal ailment you might contract if you eat street food in India, this scatalogical comedy is about a trio of hapless young men, Imran Khan, Vir Das and Kunal Roy Kapur, who run afoul of New Delhi's underworld. Featuring a torrent of foul language, toilet humor, moronic mobsters and fast-moving action through India's capital, it's been likened by critics to The Hangover and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. It's also been banned in Nepal. BollywoodThai brings it to Bangkok for screenings at 8pm on Friday at Major Cineplex Sukhumvit (Ekamai), 8pm on Saturday and 4pm on Sunday at Major Rama III and 7.30 on Sunday and 8pm on Monday at Major Sukhumvit. Call 0894882620 or 022257500 or visit www.BollywoodThai.com.

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Also showing


European Union Film Festival – Starting today at the Bangkok Art and Culture Center, the EU Film Festival will have screenings daily (except Monday) until July 17. This week's shows include the Polish thriller Erratum, the acclaimed Spanish childhood drama Camino, the German drama When We Leave, the Dutch speed-skating epic The Hell of '63, the Polish children's story The Magic Tree and the acclaimed Spanish prison drama Cell 211. The screenings are on DVD, with the original soundtracks and English subtitles, in the first-floor auditorium at BACC. Check the full line-up in an earlier blog entry, the festival's Facebook page (which has links to trailers) or a Google calendar.

Bangkok Cinema Scene special: European Union Film Festival in Thailand 2011

The European Union Film Festival marks 20 years in Thailand this year, with a line-up of 22 movies from 16 countries.

There are children's films, thrillers, fact-based historical dramas, romance, comedies and even a documentary.

Highlights include the U.K. documentary Exit through the Giftshop, about the shadowy grafitti artist Banksy. There's also The Escape, a Danish thriller about a journalist's life in peril in Afghanistan, the award-winning Finnish coming-of-age drama Forbidden Fruit, two much-acclaimed Spanish dramas, Camino and Cell 211, and several fact-based historical dramas, including the Dutch ice-skating drama, The Hell of '63. Children's films are Poland's award-winning The Tree of Life and the Czech teddy-bear tale Kooky

The fest runs from July 7 to 17, and just like last year's event, it will be held at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre in the first-floor auditorium. All screenings are on DVD in their original soundtracks with English subtitles. Showtimes start in the afternoons daily except Mondays, when the BACC is closed. Admission is free.

In celebration of the EU Film Festival's 20 years in Thailand, there will be musical performances on the closing weekend of July 16 and 17. The fest moves to Chiang Mai's Vista Kad Suan Kaew from July 22 to 31.

Find out more details on the festival's Facebook page.

Here's the line-up:

Bánk Bán (Hungary, 2002) – In 13th century Hungary, the king is fighting abroad while his German-born queen plays host to courtly feasts. Meanwhile, the king's deputy tours the poverty-ridden country while the queen's brother tries to seduce the deputy's wife. A group of nobles, anxious for the fate of their homeland and the honour of deputy's wife, plot a conspiracy against the queen. Thursday, July 7, 1pm and Sunday, July 10, 5.05pm.

Erratum (Poland, 2010) – A young man who years ago left his hometown, has built up a comfortable life for himself in the big city. When work takes him back to his hometown, he hopes to avoid seeing any of his old acquaintences, but a car wrekc thwarts those plans. And investigation ensues, and he must confront the choices he's made. Thursday, July 7, 3.10pm and Thursday, July 14, 5.45pm.

Camino (Spain, 2008) – An 11-year-old girl must simultaneously face two completely new events in her life – falling in love and dying. This fact-based drama is a winner of nominee of multiple awards, including Best Actress, Best Director and Best Film at the "Spanish Oscars", the Goya Awards. Thursday, July 7, 4.55pm and Saturday, July 9, 6.10pm

The Escape (Flugten, Denmark, 2009) – A journalist is taken hostage in Afghanistan, but she manages to escape. Back home in Denmark, her career takes flight. Then her one of her former captors makes his escape and comes to Denmark seeking her help. Thursday, July 7, 7.20pm and Sunday, July 10, 1.10pm.

With Friends Like These (Dagen zonder lief , Belgium, 2007) – A young woman returns to her Belgian hometown after some years away in New York City and is dismayed to find her friends have changed. Friday, July 8, 2pm and Sunday, July 10, 3.15pm.

Above The Street, Below The Water (Over gaden under vandet, Denmark, 2009) – A Copenhagen couple's seemingly happy marriage is put to the test when the husband decides he wants to take a break. Friday, July 8, 3.50pm and Wednesday, July 13, 7.10pm.

The Last Pulcinella (L'ultimo Pulcinella, Italy, 2009) – An unemployed actor is forced to leave Naples with his son after he witnesses a mafia killing. In Paris, he meets an actress who owns a theatre. Together they try to stage a play about the traditional Neapolitan character of Pulcinella. Friday, July 8, 5.40pm and Friday, July 15, 2pm.

When We Leave (Die Fremde, Germany, 2010) – A young woman of Turkish descent, fighting for an independent and self-determined life against the resistance of her family, finds herself in a life-threatening situation. Friday, July 8, 7.20pm and Sunday, July 17, 2.45pm.

Kooky (Kuky se vrací, Czech Republic, 2010) – An ailing six-year-old boy is forced to part with his mouldering pink teddy bear. The discarded stuffed animal then makes his way into a mysterious forest for an adventure against evil forces. Saturday, July 9, 11.30am and Sunday, July 17, 11am.

Weekend With My Mother (Weekend cu mama, Romania, 2009) – A woman who 15 years before left Romania for a fresh start in Spain, leaving behind her 3-year-old daughter, is dismayed to learn the now-teenage girl is a drug addict with a 2-year-old daughter in an orphanage. Overwhelmed by guilt, the woman attempts to save her daughter and redeem the mistakes of her youth. Saturday, July 9, 1.15pm and Friday, July 15, 7.30pm.

Assault on the Santa Maria (Assalto ao Santa Maria, Portugal, 2010) – This fact-based historical drama about Operation Dulcinea is set during 1960, when a young emigrant joins a group of opposition movement members in the seizure of the South America-bound Santa Maria cruise ship in a bid to bring attention to the fascist regimes in Portugal and Spain. Saturday, July 9, 2.55pm.

The Hell of '63 (De hel van '63, Netherlands, 2010) – This fact-based sports drama is about the Elfstedentocht, the world's largest and longest speed skating competition that is held irregularly in Friesland in the northern Netherlands. In 1963, thousands of skaters competed in the 200-kilometer race, but only a few crossed the finish line. Saturday, July 9, 4.10pm and Tuesday, July 12, 4.45pm.

The Magic Tree (Magiczne drzewo, Poland, 2009) – A red chair, made out of wood from a magical oak tree, leads children on a fantastic adventure. Winner of several film-festival awards, including the Chicago International Children's Film Festival and the BAMkids Film Festival, New York. Sunday, July 10, 11.30am and
Saturday, July 16, 11am.

The 1,000 Euros Generation (Generazione mille euro, Italy, 2009) – A young man working in the marketing department of a company learns his firm is being "reorganised". The arrivals of a new female colleague and a female housemate lead to an comical series of trials and tribulations. Sunday, July 10, 7.10pm and Wednesday, July 13, 2pm.

The Paper Will Be Blue (Hîrtia va fi albastrã, Romania, 2006) – This fact-based historical drama is set during the Romanian Revolution of 1989 and focuses on a young militiaman who escapes from his unit in hopes of joining the rebels. An officer assembles a patrol to hunt down the deserter, while nervous citizens watch history unfolding on their television sets. Tuesday, July 12, 3pm and Friday, July 15, 3.40pm.

Run If You Can (Renn, wenn Du kannst, Germany, 2009) – A wheelchair-bound young man and his caretaker fall for the same woman, a cellist who is working to finish her music degree. Tuesday, July 12, 6.45pm and Saturday, July 16, 4.15pm.

Cell 211 (Celda 211, Spain, 2009) – A rookie prison guard finds himself in the midst of a riot after an unforeseen turn of events. With the inmates around him unaware of his position, he must pretend to be a prisoner to survive. A winner of multiple awards, including Best Actor, Best Director and Best Film at the "Spanish Oscars", the Goya Awards. Wednesday, July 13, 3.40pm and Friday, July 15, 5.25pm.

An Ordinary Execution (Une exécution ordinaire , France, 2010) – A young urologist practicing in a Moscow hospital in the 1950s desperately tries to get pregnant from her husband, a disillusioned physician. Meanwhile, the doctor, to her horror, is assigned to treat Stalin. Wednesday, July 13, 5.15 and Saturday, July 16, 2.20pm.

The Wedding Photographer (Bröllopsfotografen, Sweden, 2009) – When the factory in his hometown shuts down, a young man decides to try his luck in Stockholm as a wedding photographer. Thursday, July 14, 2pm and Sunday, July 17, 12.45pm.

Exit through the Giftshop (United Kingdom, 2010) – Eccentric French-born Los Angeles thrift-shop owner Thierry Guetta attempts to capture one of the world's most elusive graffiti artists and pranksters – Banksy – with wildly unexpected results. Critical reception is wildly positive. Thursday, July 14, 7.30pm and Saturday, July 16, 7.25pm.

Dust (Luxembourg, 2009) – Teenage twin siblings survive in a post-apocalyptic world in a secluded mansion left by their parents. They lead a quiet and simple life, growing their own food, swimming in a nearby lake, reading and playing chess. With the unexpected arrival of a young man throws their harmonic life into disarray. Thursday, July 14, 4pm and Saturday, July 16, 12.40pm.

Forbidden Fruit (Kielletty hedelmä, Finland, 2009) – A pair of 18-year-old girls from a restrictive Christian order are on their summer break and go to Helsinki for the first time. One of the girls wants to cut loose and experience life before getting married while the other only wants to make sure they return safe. By the end of the summer, one of them will be changed for good. An award-winner and nominee at several film festivals. Sunday, July 17, 5.30pm.