The love between a sex worker and a taxi/rickshaw driver is a fairly old staple in Asian film. "Cyclo" was a widely distributed effort from Vietnam a number of years ago. Bob Hoskins first made a big splash in international film with a British version of this in "Mona Lisa". Often the woman is harsh but somewhat vulnerable. Usually the man is sweet and often a little dim.
The conventions are used here in a way that accurately captures the consumer culture of Bangkok, the rhythms of the city and the world of talk radio in taxis. The acting is subtle, although the storytelling is broad, in places (but rather nuanced compared with the cartoonish plotting of most Thai films made for domestic consumption). The cinematography is excellent and one reason that this film is able to build such starkly realistic and contemporary atmosphere. It's a shame that this film is difficult to find and had a limited run even on the festival circuit.
The conventions are used here in a way that accurately captures the consumer culture of Bangkok, the rhythms of the city and the world of talk radio in taxis. The acting is subtle, although the storytelling is broad, in places (but rather nuanced compared with the cartoonish plotting of most Thai films made for domestic consumption). The cinematography is excellent and one reason that this film is able to build such starkly realistic and contemporary atmosphere. It's a shame that this film is difficult to find and had a limited run even on the festival circuit.