I just saw this film at DC Filmfest 2003, and found it to be slightly flawed, but still a very charming story. I feel it was impossible not to like, although I see that some commenters obviously do not agree with me! I had actually been looking forward to seeing this film for quite a while, and I regret that I knew too much about the film, which ruined some of what would have definitely been "surprises". The story revolves around Pan (Phaen), a handsome village guy of about 20, who dreams of marrying his village sweetheart, Sadaw, and becoming a singing star. Unfortunately, Pan also has a lot of bad luck....REALLY BAD LUCK. Immediately after marrying Sadaw and getting her pregnant, he is drafted into the army. What follows is a musical comedy, melodramatic soap opera, chase scene action, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink tale of Pan's adventures as he tries to fulfill the second dream, which seems to take him further and further away from his first dream (Sadaw). While watching the movie, I was reminded of two classic tales of wanderers...The Odyssey and Candide...and anyone familiar with these tales will see the similarities as the male lead wanders the world (in this case, around Thailand), dreaming of his long-lost love (who sits despairingly at home) and meeting a variety of odd characters along the way (including Dao, a innocent-looking, promiscuous female singer, Suwat, his sleazy, gay manager, Siew, a poor migrant worker and a grizzled old policeman). Monrak Transistor meanders off track at times, but it is always entertaining. No matter how bad things get, it always manages to keep its sense of humor intact. You also get to see a lot of what Thai life is like, and more than once i was reminded of my vacation there a few years ago. The actor who plays Pan is somehow always charming and likable, despite what most Western audience would certainly consider some "f***ed-up" priorities. The actress playing Sadaw is even better, although her screen time is limited. I would recommend this movie to people who like an original story, and want to see a love story that veers WAY OFF the beaten path. Though not nearly as good as director Pen-Ek Ratunaruang's earlier effort, the manic, fast-paced, 69, I give it an 8/10 cuz it is so damned likeable.
Review of Monrak Transistor
