Vinyan (2008)

Director:

Fabrice Du Welz

Writers:

Oliver Blackburn (writer)
Fabrice Du Welz (writer)

Release Date:

1 October 2008 (France)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

Plot:

A couple are looking for their child who was lost in the tsunami - their search takes them to the dangerous Thai-Burmese waters, and then into the jungle, where they face unknown but horrifying dangers. |

Plot Keywords:

Jungle | Tsunami | Female Rear Nudity | Fog | Cigarette Smoking

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Emmanuelle Béart	...	Jeanne Bellmer
Rufus Sewell	...	Paul Bellmer
Petch Osathanugrah	...	Thaksin Gao
Julie Dreyfus	...	Kim
Amporn Pankratok	...	Sonchaï
Josse De Pauw	...	Matthias
Omm	...	Sara
Joey Boy	...	Boomsong
Teerawat Mulvilai	...	Khun (as Teerawat Mulwilai)
Saichia Wongwirot	...	Petch (as Saichia Wongwirote)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bobbie Delcastillo	...	Millionnaire 1
Susan Delcastillo	...	Woman 1
Borhan Du Welz	...	Joshua (as Borhan du Welz)
Surin Foofung	...	Lek
Anan Garagat	...	Elder Burmese
Pit Imerb	...	Old couple man
Isaya	...	Matthia's son
Boontum Jundaharn	...	Gao's bodyguard
Yaya Kanthong	...	Kids
Natthapol Kiongtalay	...	Kids
Somsak Klongtalay	...	Kids
Kurlab Lay	...	Boomsong's mom
Oz Petcharat	...	Taxi driver
Sonchai Pramongkig	...	Kids
Wirat Rungreang	...	Gao's bodyguard
Sutus Salenan	...	Kids
Kitinun Siangsa-Ard	...	Gao's bodyguard
Kritsada Submak	...	Motawa boy
Pook Tubtong	...	Chicken lady
Ratghapum Wareesri	...	Kids

Also Known As:

Vinyan: Lost Souls (UK) (DVD box title)

MPAA:

Rated R for some disturbing violent content, sexuality/nudity and language.

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

France | Belgium | UK | Australia

Language:

English | Thai

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

France:-12 | USA:R | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Australia:MA | Finland:K-15 | UK:18 | Singapore:M18

Filming Locations:

Bangkok, Thailand

Company:

Film, The

Movie Connections:

Featured in Viande d'origine française (2009)

One Of The Top 5 Films Screened At TIFF '08!!

So looking at IMDb, I'm absolutely flabbergasted by the reviews this film received. As far as i'm concerned this is ONE OF THE TOP 5 FILMS SCREENED AT TIFF 2008. This is one of the the most eerie, spooky and disturbing films i've seen in a long time. I loved it, but then again i consider myself more cinematically knowledgeable than most. This is an ART FILM, and lacking a mainstream Hollywood style storyline is why i think it has received such poor reviews on IMDb...by people that don't know anything about what good cinema is.

The film follows Jeanne (Emmanuelle Beart) and her husband Paul (Rufus Sewell), a wealthy couple living in Thailand who have lost their young son Joshua in a Tsunami that had hit the island. When one of their friends, Kim, shows a video of orphaned children living in the jungles of Burma, with hopes of securing funds to send them humanitarian aid, Jeanne spots a boy wearing a Manchester United sweater and swears that it is her son. This throws her into a deeper fragile state of mind and she becomes hell bent on finding a way into Burma to seek out her lost child. Kim tells them of a man named Thaksin Gao that smuggles people in and out of Burma for a hefty price. At first they cannot find him, but trust a young Thai man that says he can get them into the isolated country. Eventually they are led to Thaksin Gao who takes them deep into the jungles along the coast of Burma, to small villages where currency is small children. The first village they get to tries to pawn off a small Burmese boy as their son, but Paul wasn't falling for it. As they get deeper and deeper into the jungles of Burma, both members of the couple delve into even more fragile states of mind, bordering on mental breakdowns (in fact i think you could say that both do have mental breakdowns). What follows is not only unpredictable, but absolutely terrifying.

This is one the most eerie, spooky and disturbing films i have seen in a long time, probably THE MOST SPOOKY FILM OF 2008. ( i highly recommend NOT reading synopses of this film, because on IMDb and even on the back of the DVD it contains spoilers, I've left these out as i feel it will make the film much more enjoyable!) Beart, Sewell and the Thai actor playing Thaksin Gao do an absolutely incredible job, the two leading actors' portrayal of a couple in severely fragile mental states is incredible, TOP NOTCH ACTING. This comes second only to the ABSOLUTELY STUNNING AND EERIE JUNGLE CINEMATOGRAPHY of which the film consists. This when combined with the utter unpredictability of the plot makes for one helluva film. I loved it, and highly recommend it. One of the top 5 films screened at TIFF in my opinion!!! Hope you guys like it as much as i did!