Bangkok Cinema Scene: Movies opening June 27-July 3, 2013

Last Summer

Three youngsters are haunted by the spirit of their teen-idol friend who died under mysterious circumstances in Last Summer Rue Doo Ron Nan Chan Tai (Last Summer ฤดูร้อนนั้น ฉันตาย).

Jirayu La-ongmanee, Suthata Udomsilp and Krit Sathapanapitakkij star. Scripted by Kongdej Jaturanrasamee, the nearest thing there is to a rock-star screenwriter in the Thai film industry, the three-act story is handled by three directors, Saranyoo Jiralak, Sittisiri Mongkolsiri and Kittithat Tangsirikit, each responsible for one of the acts, which focus on one of the three lead actors.

Indie film figures Aditya Assarat, Soros Sukhum and Pawas Sawatchaiyamet worked behind the scenes as line producers, and veteran director Rutaiwan Wongsirasawad served as producer. It's released by the new production shingle, Talent 1. Rated 15+.

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Also opening

The Company You Keep – It's "prestige" movie week! Robert Redford directs and stars in this political drama. He's a fugitive former member of the Weather Underground militant group of the 1970s. After his secret identity is uncovered by an aggressive young reporter (Shia LaBeouf), he sets out on a journey to clear his name. The star-studded cast also includes Susan Sarandon, Julie Christie, Brendan Gleeson, Anna Kendrick, Terrence Howard, Richard Jenkins, Nick Nolte, Sam Elliott, Stephen Root, Stanley Tucci and Chris Cooper. The Company You Keep premiered in competition at last year's Venice Film Festival and won two prizes. It also screened in Toronto and was picked up by Sony Pictures Classics for a limited art-house release. Critical reception is mixed. It's at Apex in Siam Square.

At Any Price – And here's another "prestige" movie. An ambitious Midwest U.S. farmer (Dennis Quaid) working overtime to expand his land holdings for seed-crop growing finds his livelihood at risk when he comes under investigation. Meanwhile, his rebellious son (Zac Efron) wants nothing to do with the family business and instead seeks to become a stock-car driver. Kim Dickens (Deadwood, Treme), Clancy Brown, Heather Graham and Chelcie Ross (Conrad Hilton from Mad Men) also star. It's directed by Ramin Bahrani, who made waves a few years ago with his indie debut, the New York crime drama Chop Shop. At Any Price is another selection from last year's competition at the Venice International Film Festival. It also screened in Telluride and Toronto and was picked up for art-house release by Sony Pictures Classics. Critical reception is mixed. Rated 15+.

Odd Thomas – Anton Yelchin (Chekov in the new Star Trek movies) is a young man with clairvoyant abilities who lives in a California desert town. When he isn't serving up flapjacks at the local greasy spoon diner, he's dealing with supernatural beings that only he can see. Directed by Stephen Sommers (The Mummy, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra), it's based on a novel by Dean Koontz. This is just getting released, so there aren't many reviews. Rated 15+.

Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons – Stephen Chow revisits the Chinese epic that his 1990s hit A Chinese Odyssey was based on. He directs this tale about the young demon hunter Xuan Zang (Wen Zhang) before he made his journey. He conquers a water demon, a pig demon and the demon of all demons and then takes them as his disciples. They then embark on their journey to the West. It's at SF cinemas. Rated 13+.

Huk Aum Lum (ฮักอ่ำหล่ำ) – The Laotian film industry continues to make inroads into Thai cinemas. Can we expect more of this as the Asean Economic Community comes into play in 2015? A famous singer (Athisak Ratanawong) returns home to his village in Laos and tries to woo back his old girlfriend (Phailinda Philavan). Rated 15+.

Ghanchakkar – A master safe-cracker (Emraan Hashmi) takes one last job before retiring, teaming up with two dangerous criminals. The job goes like clockwork and the thief hides the loot. But when his partners come back a few months later to collect, the safe-cracker has no memory ofwho they are. This Bollywood crime-comedy is directed by Rajkumar Gupta and produced by Ronnie Screwvala and Siddharth Roy Kapur. Vidya Balan, Rajesh Sharma and Namit Das also. Ghanchakkar opens tomorrow at Paragon, Major Cineplex Sukhumvit and Major Rama III.

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Also showing

Marathon 17 – One of the defining characteristics of the annual Thai Short Film and Video Festival is the Marathon, in which all the films submitted are shown over the course of the month before the festival. I don't know of any other film festival that does this sort of thing. Featuring around 450 shorts, this year's Marathon starts on Tuesday, July 2. Screenings will be in the FA Cinematheque on the second floor of the Bangkok Art and Culture Center, Tuesday through Friday from 5 to 8.30 and Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 11am to 8.30pm. The 17th Thai Short and Video Festival is set for August 22 to September 1 at the BACC.

Les caprices d'un fleuve (Unpredictable Nature of the River) – The Alliance Française screens free movies with English subtitles at 7.30pm every Wednesday. Next week's show is a 1996 historical drama starring Bernard Giraudeau as a Frenchman who is appointed king-governor of a tiny west African colony.

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Sneak preview

Despicable Me 2 – The mad scientist Gru, having given up his supervillain ways, is contacted by the Anti-Villain League to work for them undercover. The Universal Pictures animated feature features a voice cast that includes Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Benjamin Bratt, Miranda Cosgrove, Russell Brand, Ken Jeong and Steve Coogan. It's in sneak previews this week, with showtimes from around 2pm daily at most multiplexes. It's in 3D in some cinemas. Rated G.

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Take note

Hurry if you want to see Pachatipathai (ประชาธิปไตย), a.k.a. Paradoxocracy. Maybe I'm just paranoid, but political pressure may shut the thing down. And, it's only showing with English subtitles at Paragon. The other location, Esplanade Ratchada, didn't have them when I checked on Tuesday. Directed by Pen-ek Ratanaruang and Pasakorn Pramoolwong, it's a funny and frank documentary on contemporary Thai politics since 1932. Some parts are censored, with whatever they're saying muted and the subtitles blanked out. But if you know about Thai history, and the context of the discussion, you can pretty much figure what's being said. Showtimes are at 2 and 8pm daily through July 10.

Bangkok Cinema Scene: Movies opening June 20-26, 2013

Mud

Celebrated American indie director Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter) gets back to the southern U.S. setting of his debut Shotgun Stories with another gritty tale.

In Mud, the title character is portrayed by the current go-to indie-movie leading man Matthew McConaughey, who continues to show his impressive range. He shed pounds to play a stick-figure of a fugitive who is hiding out in a boat caught in the treetops of an island on the Mississippi River. Discovered by two boys, Ellis and Neckbone, they agree to help him, unwittingly putting themselves and their town at risk.

The cast also features Nichols' regular Michael Shannon (who's also chewing up scenery as General Zod in Man of Steel), plus Reese Witherspoon, Ray McKinnon, Sam Shepard and Joe Don Baker.

Mud premiered in competition at last year's Cannes Film Festival. Reception is overwhelmingly positive, with critics comparing it to such masterpieces of American literature as Huckleberry Finn or Tom Sawyer. Rated 15+.

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Also opening

Paradoxocracy (ประชาธิปไตย, Prachathipatai) – Director Pen-ek Ratanaruang is better known for his surreal, darkly comic fictional features like Headshot, Last Life in the Universe or Monrak Transistor. But from time to time, he likes to change things up by doing a documentary. On Paradoxocracy, he collaborates with Pasakorn Pramoolwong, editor of A Day magazine, to cover Thailand's contemporary political history. The film is a mix of archive footage, narration and talking-head interviews with various academics and activists, surveying the tumultuous times since the constitutional monarchy was instated in 1932. Paradoxocracy was submitted to censors and had a few cuts ordered. In a bold move, no footage was actually cut, but words deemed inappropriate by censors have been muted and subtitles crossed out so you'll at least see that there's censorship going on. The film was initially slated for a limited release back in February, but then the theater balked. So Pen-ek and Pasakorn have been trying for months to secure a release. Finally, Major Cineplex decided it would take the risk. Starting Monday, June 24, and running until July 10, Paradoxocracy will screen at 2 and 8pm at Paragon Cineplex and Esplanade Cineplex Ratchada. There's more about it in the Bangkok Post. Rated G.

World War Z – Brad Pitt fights a swarm of CGI zombies in this apocalyptic epic. In development for years, World War Z has all the makings of a box-office disaster, with rewrites by a changing roster of screenwriters, scene reshoots, postponed release dates and rumors of an on-set feud between Pitt and director Marc Forster (Machine Gun Preacher, Quantum of Solace). Despite bad buzz surrounding the troubled production, critical reception is actually not too negative. It's based on an acclaimed book by Max Brooks, son of Mel. Goodwill for the film has been further buoyed by Pitt's partner Angelina Jolie joining him at premieres in her first public appearances since announcing she'd undergone surgery to prevent breast cancer. It's in 2D as well as converted 3D. Rated 13+.

The Sapphires – An Aboriginal singing group of four soul sisters are discovered in Australia by a drunken Irishman (Chris O'Dowd from Bridesmaids), who becomes their manager and launches them on a career in show business that has them going to Vietnam to entertain the troops. This fact-based feel-good tale is generally well-received. It's at Major Cineplex (including Paragon, Esplanade, etc.). Rated 13+.

Raanjhanaa – Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman scores this Bollywood romance, the sweeping tale of Kundun (Dhanush), who's long harbored feelings for boyhood gal pal Zoya (Sonam Kapoor). So he's understandably broken-hearted when she comes to him and asks for his help in winning the affections of Akram (Abhay Deol), her friend from college. Opening on Friday, it's in Hindi with English and Thai subtitles at Major Cineplex Sukhumvit and Rama III.

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Also showing

Refugee Film Festival – In observance of World Refugee Day today, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is screening four films for free until Sunday at Paragon Cineplex. The highlight is War Witch, a 2012 drama about child soldiers in Africa by Canadian director Kim Nguyen. It stars Rachel Mwanza, an illiterate child plucked from the streets of Kinshasa and schooled by Nguyen. Her performance earned her the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the Berlin International Film Festival and other prizes. It was also nominated for an Academy Award. Other films are the documentaries Pushing the Elephant and Run for Life and the Oscar-winning Danish drama In a Better World. You can reserve tickets through the UNHCR website. Many shows are already fully booked. You'll want to collect your tickets well before the show starts to ensure you get a decent seat.

Living Peru – Not very well publicized – nobody bothered to tell me about it – the Living Peru travelling film exhibition started on June 15. There's still a chance to catch a few of the films. It's on until Saturday at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Arts. Tonight at 6, it's Cuchillos en el cielo (Knives in the Sky), a brand-new drama about a man held for 10 years on a terrorism accusation and then released when he's found innocent. And on Saturday there's the short film Danzak at 1pm, followed at 5pm by the documentary Lima Bruja: Retratos de la música criolla (Enchanted Lima: Portraits of Criolla Music). Take note of a complaint by Limitless Cinema that the films showed earlier than advertised. According to the organizer, the Runa Run Association, screenings will follow at other venues, include the Museum Siam and the Thai Film Archive. The venue for this week's screenings is room 401/18 in CU's Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Building off Henri Dunant Road.

L'Enfant d'en haut (Sister) – Courtesy of the Swiss Embassy, the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand is screening this 2012 coming-of-age drama about siblings living on the edge at an Alpine ski resort, where a little boy supports his older sister by stealing. Directed by Ursula Meier, it won a Silver Bear at the Berlin film fest and was Switzerland's submission to the Academy Awards. The show is at 8pm on Monday. The Swiss Embassy is providing wine and snacks for 100 baht. Entry for non-members is 150 baht.

Dance les cordes (On the Ropes) – The Alliance Française screens free movies with English subtitles at 7.30pm every Wednesday. Next week's show is a drama about girl boxers – a boxing coach's daughter and his niece. They used to be close, but in the ring they become pitiless opponents.

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Sneak preview

Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons – Stephen Chow (Shaolin Soccer, Kung Fu Hustle) revisits the Journey to the West epic, co-directing but not starring in this comic reworking of the ancient Chinese fantasy tale. The hero is the novice demon hunter Tang Sanzang (Wen Zhang), who has yet to actually make his famous journey. He's in a remote village, trying to solve the case of strange deaths involving various demons, like the Fish Demon and the Pig Demon. He's helped out by the plucky demon huntress Miss Duan (Shu Qi). Critical reception is generally positive. Originally slated to open last month, it's in sneak previews this week with showtimes at around 8 nightly at SF Cinemas. It's Thai-dubbed with English subtitles. Rated 13+.

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Take note

With just nine seats, the Friese-Greene Club is Bangkok's smallest cinema. And the private club started a month or so ago by filmmaker Paul Spurrier has proven popular with in-the-know movie buffs. Recent film series devoted to British and Australian movies have attracted decent crowds. The series launched this week is American Independents, featuring films by the likes of Vincent Gallo and Harmony Korine. A lot of interest has been shown, so the FCG has instituted a seat-reservation system. Just check the website for details. Tonight's screening of Donnie Darko is listed as fully booked, but at last check there were still seats available for the other films, such as Miracle Mile, which is harder to come by.

Bangkok Cinema Scene: Movies opening June 13-19, 2013

Man of Steel

DC Comics hero Superman is again brought to the big screen in Man of Steel. It's an origin tale, essentially combining the first two Christopher Reeve Superman movies of the late 1970s and '80s, but recasting them in a darker tone.

All grown up, Clark Kent is full of angst as he struggles with his amazing superpowers and his feelings of alienation. He's grown a beard and is drifting on a soul-searching journey. Flashbacks show him being sent away as a baby from Krypton by his parents, just as his planet is destroyed. As a foundling infant, he's adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent (Kevin Costner and Diane Lane), a farming couple in a small village, and Pa Kent urges him to keep his superpowers a secret.

But when Earth is attacked by fellow Kryptonians, he finally accepts his role as hero and protector of Earth and its people.

Henry Cavill stars as the man who will eventually wear a red cape, with Michael Shannon as the powerful General Zod. Amy Adams is Lois Lane, Laurence Fishburne is Daily Planet editor Perry White and Russell Crowe is Superman's father, Jor-El.

Zack Snyder (Watchmen, 300, Sucker Punch) directs, again displaying his devotion to comic-book culture. David S. Goyer, co-writer of The Dark Knight Rises, penned the screenplay, with the story by Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan, who is also one of the producers. So if your a fan of Nolan's Batman movies, you can probably imagine what direction this Superman reboot is taking.

Critical reception is mostly positive. In addition to 2D, it's in 3D (converted) in some cinemas, including IMAX. Rated 13+.

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Also opening

The Barrens – New Jersey's Pine Barrens have been referenced in films and TV series before, especially in The Sopranos, which had an episode actually set there. Aside from being a burial ground for mobsters, the Barrens are also the haunt for a local folklore figure – the Jersey Devil, a terrifying monster with bat-like wings said to have been spawned by Satan himself. The Barrens is directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, who did several installments of the Saw series. Stephen Moyer (True Blood) stars as a family man who takes his wife and kids on a camping trip. They are looking for the perfect spot to set up their tent but instead find unspeakable horrors. This essentially went straight-to-DVD in the States last year, so there isn't much critical reception. Rated 15+.

True Love – Newlyweds wake up after their wedding night to find they have been separated, locked in cells and can only see each other through a monitor. Their love and commitment to each other is then put to the test as they are tortured and the secrets each is hiding are revealed. Tyrees Allen, John Brotherton and Clare Carey star. Directed by Enrico Clerico Nasino, this Italian-American production is also known as Y/N: You Lie, You Die and like The Barrens is yet another mainly direct-to-video torture-porn thriller. Rated 15+.

The Silent War – Infernal Affairs screenwriters Alan Mak and Felix Chong adapt and direct this Chinese-Hong Kong thriller set in the 1950s, with Tony Leung Chiu Wai as a blind piano tuner. Because of his exceptional hearing, he is recruited by the shadowy government unit 701. But instead of focusing on his mission of rooting out an invisible enemy, he finds himself drawn to 701's senior investigator (Zhou Xun). This was nominated for several awards last year, including best screenplay, best actor and best actress at the Hong Kong Film Awards and it won for best cinematography. Other prizes include best costumes at the Asian Film Awards and best sound effects for the Thai team of Traithep Wongpaiboon and Nopawat Likitwong at the Asia-Pacific Film Festival. Critical reception is mixed. Thai-dubbed most places, it's in Mandarin with English and Thai subtitles in a few cinemas, including SFW CentralWorld, Paragon and Major Cineplex Sukhumvit. Rated 15+.

Yamla Pagla Deewana 2 – This sequel to a 2011 Bollywood action comedy again has the scheming Dhillons (Dharmendra and Bobby Deol), father-and-son con artists who scam people by pretending to be gurus. Neha Sharma and Sunny Deol also star. Critical reception is mostly negative. Starts Friday at Paragon, Major Cineplex Sukhumvit and Major Rama III.

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Also showing

Nights of Cabiria – Federico Fellini's Academy Award-winning 1957 romantic drama screens at 8pm on Tuesday, June 18 at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand. The story of a prostitute on the streets of Rome who yearns to find true love, it was later adapted into the Broadway musical Sweet Charity. The screening, part of the FCCT's Contemporary World Film Series, is sponsored by the Embassy of Italy, which is laying on wine and apertifs for 150 baht and 100 baht. Admission is 150 baht for non-members.

Les neiges du Kilimandjaro (The Snows of Kilimanjaro) – The Alliance Française screens free movies with English subtitles at 7.30pm every Wednesday. Next week's show is an acclaimed 2011 drama about a shipyard worker who loses his job. With his family and fellow fired co-workers, he organizes a trip to Mount Kilimanjaro. The story is based not on a short story by Ernest Hemingway but on a poem by Victor Hugo.