The 13th Flyby Avenue

  Love of Siam   (Rak Haeng Siam), is a Thai teen-romantic film directed by Chookiat Sakveerakul which garnered plenty of nominations and award wins in its release last December 2007.. But with its achievement came along a controversy about its sensitive content. I first found out about this film through a friend online who recommended it to me. After hearing about the title I searched it on the web, and I was quite skeptical after reading the synopsis. Here’s why : The film was marketed as a typical teen romance between boys and girls, but the gay aspect of the love story became very controversial. Thai-language web boards were posted with messages of support, as well as accusations by moviegoers that they were misled into watching "a gay movie." But this was all shallow judgments from narrow-minded viewers. After watching the whole film last Friday, I was hooked and had a hangover over it. Totally, the movie was a heartfelt experience! There is so much to absorb. The plot itself is already promising.

Two young boys are best friends living quiet family living in Bangkok. Their lives are disrupted when one boy’s older sister goes missing on a jungle trip. The shattered family moves away, separating the boys. Years later, now in their late teens, the boys meet again. One of them is now the leader of an aspiring boy band whose managing assistant bears a striking resemblance to the lost sister. The boys must deal with their family and social lives and their feelings for each other.

The story covers up everything about love!! Love for your family, friends, and in the most intimate relationship of love. Although some people have found and some could still find this film as a ‘gay-movie’, I totally disagree!! It’s the things people do with labeling that doesn’t fit to be right. This film shows a very broad views and aspects about love, and the conflicts that associated with it, in what we all hate to feel – Loneliness..

“When there is love, there is always loneliness…”

This was greatly emphasized in one scene where the two lead characters came about to be reunited again emotionally. Where Mew (Witwisit Hiranyawongku), expressed his thoughts about his loneliness to his childhood bestfriend, Tong (Mario Maurer). The transition showed along this scene was very, very moving! You have to see it for yourself. There was fear from a mother of losing another child, a fear of a friend of losing somebody he hasn’t yet have, it all points to Love and Loneliness that is always associated together. If you won’t add any malice to the particular scene, you’ll probably feel the same emotion inflicted to the lines that Mew delivers, and what Tong, his bestfriend feels for him about it and so the way he responds. Just imagine having somebody that was there with you in the most emotional time and moment of your life. Be it anybody, you’ll know it feels great that there’s somone comforting you, and understands you most especially when you least expect it..

“But as long as you love, you will still have hope.."

Ying (Kanya Rattanapetch), reached out for the meaning and asked Mew if she should still hope for the love she has for him…

Another character that steals the show was from Sunne (Sinjai Plengpanich), as Tong’s mother. She portrays the role of a loving mother and wife that will surely move everybody’s soul. I really felt her grief. In some point, and some scenes, you will find yourself close to tears..

Other things to relate to are the characters and the situations. If you have lost somebody, be it a sister, a son or a daughter, a brother or a friend, family or friends. Definitely, this movie is for everybody. Spare the whole drama misconceptions and open your mind and heart for this one. You might also find yourself questioning living life the best way out of the choices you make. That’s right, the film also quite showed about how to make choices, and choose the right one..

I praised the movie so much that the only flaw I noticed was that of the editing. But only with very few scenes and shots where the settings are not quite elaborated. You can still get the whole thing if you can follow well, which is of course, not be able hard to do..

The soundtracks are astoundingly phenomenal!!! It carries the viewer through its emotional message every step of the way in the entire film. The state of mind doesn’t matter here as of also the movie itself. It’s how you feel. And that’s the tagline of the soundtrack: "Just ask yourself who you think of when you are listening to love song.” The lyrics are pure, captivating, and well written. Very inspired as written indeed. I uploaded the tracks on my imeem profile.”

You, appreciated readers of my blog, might have already noticed my passion of film-making. And I must share, movies may tend to imitate life, but lessons are always there as one way to help and understand the reality of life better. It is already portrayed things that we don’t see, even things what we don’t wanna see. So there we may put ourselves in that situation, and consciously, have a better understanding right before we experience them…. As of this film, I salute the makers! It deserves a proper honor of appreciation. This is one of those very rare, strongest inspiration to me… =)

Soundtrack -Track listing  (click the title for full clip)

1. "Gun lae gun" ("กันและกัน") – performed by Suweera Boonrod (Flure) – 4:34
2. "Ticket (Day Trip)" – performed by Chookiat Sakveerakul & August Band – 3:34
3. "Roo suek barng mhai" ("รู้สึกบ้างไหม") (Live) – performed by Witwisit Hiranyawongkul – 4:16
4. "Pieng ter" ("เพียงเธอ") – performed by Witwisit Hiranyawongkul – 4:12
5. "Gun lae gun" ("กันและกัน") (Acoustic version) – performed by Chookiat Sakveerakul – 6:20
6. "Kuen aun pen niran" ("คืนอันเป็นนิรันดร์") – performed by Passakorn Wiroonsup – 3:07
7. "Gun lae gun" ("กันและกัน") (Live) – performed by Witwisit Hiranyawongkul – 6:02
8. "Roo suek barng mhai" ("รู้สึกบ้างไหม ") (Original Mix) – performed by Witwisit Hiranyawongkul – 5:00
9. "Pieng ter" ("เพียงเธอ") (Demo) – performed by Chookiat Sakveerakul – 4:23
10. "Ticket (Night Trip)" (Bonus Track) – Instrumental – 3:50

Fave tracks are no.s 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, & 10 

Awards

at Star Entertainment Awards 2007

The Love of Siam dominated Thailand’s 2007 film awards season, winning the Best Picture category in all major national film award events, including the Thailand National Film Association Awards, Starpics Magazine’s Starpics Awards, the Bangkok Critics Assembly Awards, Star Entertainment Awards, and Kom Chad Luek Newspaper’s Kom Chad Luek Awards.^[9] Awards won by the film include the following:

The film was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor (Mario Maurer) and Best Composer (Kitti Kuremanee) categories in the Asian Film Awards at the Hong Kong International Film Festival, but did not win.

Source: The Wikipedia 

 Gallery:

The group that do what they do best; delivering a tried and tested formula of powerful and uplifting ballads. The band celebrated 10 years of being in the music industry this year. And I must say, they should have 10 years more! Their ninth studio album ‘Back Home’ was released last November 2007, debuting its first single Home, which was originally sang by Michael Buble. The song debuted at number 3 on the official UK singles chart. The album contains a collection of brand new tracks along with a few covers of timeless classics. Tracks like ‘Have you Ever’, also originally recorded by Brandy, ‘Us Against the World’, ‘I do’, and ‘It’s You’, are soul-taking songs that takes you to a place pure of serenity..

Maybe people have lost faith in westlife after their repeated acts of covering others songs and after Brian Mcfadden walked out of the band. I also know some music lovers are against the so called ‘boyband’ and prefer to stay away from them specially westlife, a band which seems to lack creativity and innovation as far as song writing is concerned. But still people must know, that their songs and the vocals that both Shane Filan and Mark Feehily uniquely have are evenly match to a melody not every music artist delivers. The vocals itself are one of the most powerful the music industry has! Revealing one of the member’s gay sexuality didn’t even matter mostly for the fans. Finding it positive and brave even.

For me this album is solid! Not one of the strongest, but still one of the must haves!

 Click The highlighted title tracks to listen the full length preview

Westlife - Back Home Track Listing

Recorded 2007
Genre Pop
Length 47:07
Label Sony BMG
Producer Steve Mac, Per Magnusson, David Kreuger, Quiz Laross

source wikipedia.com