Mah nakorn (2004)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Wisit Sasanatieng

Writers:

Koynuch (novel)
Wisit Sasanatieng (writer)

Release Date:

9 March 2006 (South Korea)

Genre:

Comedy | Fantasy | Romance

Plot:

Pod is a man without a dream. He's a country bumpkin who comes to work at a tinned sardine factory in Bangkok...

Plot Keywords:

Bangkok | Factory | Bizarre | Bright Color | Beautiful Woman

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Mahasamut Boonyaruk	...	Pod
Saengthong Gate-Uthong	...	Jin
Sawatwong Palakawong Na Autthaya	...	Yhod
Nattha Wattanapaiboon	...	Kong - the Motocycle Taxi Driver
Raenkum Saninn	...	Grandmother
Pakapat Bunsomtom	...	Tik
Pattareeya Sanitwate	...	Nawng Ma'am
Phasin Maloyaphan	...	Muay
Chuck Stephens	...	Peter / Andre (as Chuck Stephen)
Akranee Inyotha
Butsara Ong-art
Sukhon Khanjaroen
Manoon Thaiyanan	...	Pod's Father
Thatsanai Chaisap
Gerard Fouquet	...	Foreign Teacher

Also Known As:

Citizen Dog (International: English title)

Runtime:

Thailand:100 min

Country:

Thailand

Language:

Thai | Thai

Color:

Color

Certification:

Singapore:PG | South Korea:12 (re-rating) | South Korea:15 (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Bangkok, Thailand

Company:

Five Star Production Co. Ltd.

Trivia:

Musician Boonyarak and fashion model Kaitauthong made their acting debuts in the film.

Lots of whimsy

Pod moves from the country to Bangkok. there he gets a job at a sardine company, meets Jin a maid with whom he falls in love,and eventually becomes a celebrity because he is the only one in the city with out a tail.(I'm leaving out the white book,the finger, the job shifts, the rain of helmets, the plastic mountain, the royal princess, tails, reincarnation and 9 or 10 other things) Off the wall fantasy romance environmental comedy with music. This is the sort of thing that could never get made in the United States and could only come out of Asia. I don't mean that as a put down, only that outside of the West people are more willing to let movies be what ever they are.

At turns charming, surreal, funny and too much this is a very wild movie. It drops you into its own little world and keeps you there. I have no idea how to describe it other than its its own animal and unlike any film that has ever been made outside of Thailand (I've seen some Thai films that are equally loopy). The music is good. the sentiment is sweet. All of the weird things that happen just seem to be taken in stride and its wonderful.

It also can be a bit overwhelming. Frankly by the time I put in the second VCD I was getting worn out. Too much whimsy for my taste. Actually its not the whimsy so much as some plot shifts that lengthen the story for no good reason (some of the environmental/Peter plot line seems to just go on) and the film seems to be running not so much in its own time but an allotted time.

If you can take the film for what it is and let it sweep over you like a tsunami then you'll probably have a good time. Definitely worth a look for those who hate the run of the mill.