Its amazing that a disaster like the Thailand tsunami of 2004 has sparked such few cinematic efforts. Aside from the HBO film, few other names come to mind. Though one could probably scour around and find something, chances are it won’t be nearly as impressive as Aditya Assarat’s debut full-length feature Wonderful Town, an engaging and provocative drama that screened in New York this past winter. The film is centered around Ton, a Bangkok architect who has been called to the sleepy coastal town of Takua Pa to revitalize a seaside resort, and in doing so meets the locals, who are still attempting to recover from the disaster.
Also while in town, he meets Na, the manager at her parent’s hotel, who shows an interest in Ton from the very beginning. As the days pass, the town locals continues to be disaffected and anesthetized, apparently still struggling to accept their new life post-tsunami. As one might expect, Ton and Na eventually commence a relationship, but not without the ire of her brother Wit and his group of misfit friends, who see the urban architect as a threat to both Na and the town. What they don’t realize is that Ton is far more human than they anticipate. A former musician who has an estranged relationship with his father, Ton wants to be seen as a regular. Not comfortable in the fancier hotels down by the shore, he opts instead for the cozy, family-run hotel and settles into a comfortable routine, away from the noise of Bangkok. At the same time, Na and her brother Wit are at odds, with Na convinced that Wit is “just drowning.” Wit thinks the same of her and it’s this mindset and his wreckless actions that alter the landscape of the town in ways Mother Nature never could.
Beautifully shot by Umpornpol Yugala and intricately structured by Assarat’s script, Wonderful Town has an acute eye for detail and a firm understanding of the human condition. Anchored by star making performances from Supphasit Kansen and Anchalee Saisoontorn, as Ton and Na respectively, Wonderful Town is understated and quiet, and manages to say and do a lot with very little, opting in favor of subtlety and grace. There are a lot of serene landscape shots and very little dialogue, a clear nod to Assarat’s penchant for still frames and physical acting. The soundtrack by Zai Kuning and Koichi Shimizu also plays a big hand in letting the landscape and the sentiment work its way into this piece. A big hit at many minor film festivals, the film has a potency and a charm that has led many critics to call director Assarat, a blooming Antonioni. Though such lofted praise may be a bit premature, this is certainly a film that marks the auspicious arrival of new talent in Asian filmmaking.
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