Sweet nostalgic memories and heart-warming romance is what A Little Thing Called Love is all about. The Thai film by directors Pittipong Pormsaka Na-Sakonnakorn and Wasin Pokpong promises to deliver a two hour cheesiness and over-worn sugary romance which somehow works and A Little Thing Called Love does not fall in the predictable rails of most Hollywood productions based on the same story. The film is built slowly and progressively and surprises with a plot twist that adds to the beautifully innocent tale of everlasting love.
The film depicts the life of plain-faced Nam (Pimchakok Leuwisetpaiboon) – a 14-year-old student who falls in love with one of the school's best looking boys. As she embarks on a journey to his heart, Nam goes by the rules of a superstitious book of rules to make someone fall in love and discovers herself in the meantime. By improving her physical appearance, her grades and being involved in drama club, Nam hopes that Shone would finally notice her. Only to her disappointment when Shone's best friend falls in love with her and brings her a bit closer to Shone, her heart would soon be broken by a promise between two best friends and she might lose the chance to ever be with her first love.
Pretty boy Mario Maurer has established himself as a teen-sweatheart, cast usually as the confident high-school student. Although similar to the plot of his previous film Friendship, A Little Thing Called Love showcases Mario's growth as an actor, despite the short time span of two years between the films. In this film we are able to see Mario's soft side which he portrays much more convincingly and his improvement as an actor is evident. Baifern Pimchanok is an incredible young actress, newcomer to the landascape of Thai cinema, starring also in Bangkok Knockout this year. A fresh talented new face, Fern's performance in the film is both adorable and dramatic, and absolutely convincing.
The beautiful setting in Phetchaburi province of Thailand is well-utilised and represents the mood of the characters, the sadness and loneliness in the gloomy lake and the joy and romance on the beautiful sunlit bridge above the blue water. Whether Nam is falling asleep with Shone's vision next to her or Shone and Top share a painful moment with the sun glistening through the window, or “Prince” Shone is catching “Snow white” before she falls or they share a quiet moment above the shimmering water on the bridge, the atmosphere is beautifully encapsulated and the audience is pulled into a dream world, a fantasy world of innocent and pure romance that the heart can only vaguely remember.
With the focus on the innocence and pureness of first love, the film tells a touching tale of friendship and family, and how those three things help a person grow and overcome any obstacle. The inclusion of the Nam's girlfriends brings comedy to the film and nothing is more comical than Teacher In. The humour is mostly subtle, with a few scenes that are highly entertaining and comical. The drama is nicely interwoven in the story and crashes romantic dreams with painful reality and the most dramatic scene is beautifully scripted and very successfully acted.
Despite some discrepancies in the story, such as the too fast transformation of Nam from an ugly duckling to a beautiful swan, the film is sure to win the heart of everyone who ever had a first love in high-school, be it in Asia or around the world. The sugar-coated ending of the film just adds to the cheesiness and predictability of the story and delivers an overly happy ending to the audience, much to the disappointment of those expecting an original ending. Perhaps conforming to popular standards and audience's expectations, the film would not have been well received ending on a sad note, much like Friendship, despite the beauty and romance of the plot twist that delivers the most pleasure to the story. Be that as it may, the ending still works and delivers just enough cheesiness to satisfy the nostalgic romantic heart.Labels: research |
