Ruang rak noi nid mahasan (2003)

A suicidal, obsessively compulsive Japanese librarian is forced to lie low in Thailand with a pot-smoking woman coping with the recent loss of her sister.

Director:

Pen-Ek Ratanaruang

Writers:

Pen-Ek Ratanaruang, Prabda Yoon

Stars:

Tadanobu Asano, Sinitta Boonyasak, Takashi Miike

8 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tadanobu Asano	...	Kenji
Sinitta Boonyasak	...	Noi
Laila Boonyasak	...	Nid
Yutaka Matsushige	...	Yukio
Riki Takeuchi	...	Takashi
Takashi Miike	...	Yakuza
Yoji Tanaka	...	Yakuza (as Yohji Tanaka)
Sakichi Sato	...	Yakuza
Thiti Rhumorn	...	Jon
Junko Nakazawa	...	Librarian
Akiko Anraku	...	Japanese Housewife
Nortioshi Urano	...	Salaryman
Phimchanok Nala Dube	...	Girl in Jon's Apartment
Ampon Rattanawong	...	Jon's Underling
Jakrarin Sanitti	...	Jon's Underling

Storyline

A mysterious, obsessive-compulsive, suicidal Japanese man living in Bangkok, Thailand, is thrown together with a Thai woman through a tragic chain of events. The woman is everything he is not. He is a neat freak who keeps his dishes washed and his books neatly stacked and categorized. She dresses like a slob, smokes pot and never picks anything up. It's a match that somehow works, though. Slowly and entertainingly, more is revealed about the Japanese man and why he's suicidal and living in Bangkok.

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Plot Keywords:

loneliness | melancholy | ambiguous ending | alienation | yakuza | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

R16

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the library, you can see a poster of "Ichi the Killer", Asano Tadanobu's earlier film, for a few seconds. It's his character, Kakihara.

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Connections

References Koroshiya 1 (2001)

User Reviews

Pen-Ek has done it again!

And I thought Mon-Rak Transistor was a masterpiece...

Last life in the Universe, or "Reung Rak Noi Nid Mahasarl", is problaby one of the best films made by one of the best Thai directors, Mr. Pen-Ek Rattanareung. I'll not waste time talking about this movie's sypnosis, but I'll just give some patricular reasons why this is a must-see Thai movie. First of all, this movie barely has a plot. It's all about emotions. Every elements you see in this film is... alive. They all have reasons for their existance. While a camera stays still for most of the time, lets you feel the very feeling of certain scene. Thanks, Chris. Secondly, the sotry is a love story, which doesn't seem so ordinary, but very ordinary itself. It's just natural. That's the way people who don't know each other talk, and even in a different language. You simply beleive they are who they are, there was no acting no pretending. It was just soooo natural. Last, because the subject matter is very precise, and sometimes hard to understand, you simply don't have to understand it. I mean, some parts of movie are very confusing, just ignore it. Try to absorb the moods and feelings this movie has to offer... You'll just feel really good after walking out of the theater. No other Thai movies are like this one. Pen-Ek himslef said that in previous movies, it seemed to him that he tried to tell everything too much, too straight. This film certainly doesn't do that, and it certainly is his masterpiece for me.

Details

Country:

Thailand Japan Netherlands

Language:

Thai Japanese English

Release Date:

8 August 2003 (Thailand)

Also Known As:

Last Life in the Universe

Filming Locations:

Bangkok International Airport, Bangkok, Thailand

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,833, 8 August 2004

Gross USA:

$32,014

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$63,095

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bohemian Films, Cathay Asia Films, Cinemasia

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1