Chinatown Cha Cha
       

Director:  Jaturong Mokjok
Year: 2024
Rating: 5.0
Country: Thailand

Considering that I live in Bangkok, it is sort of pathetic that I see so few Thai films. I used to be a big fan of their films back around 2000 for a few years. They made some wonderful films like Tears of the Black Tiger, Bang Rajan, Baytong, Beautiful Boxer, Killer Tattoo, Wonderful Town, Last Life in the Universe, Monrak Transistor and of course all their terrific action films that made it to the West. There were a few epic historical films as well - the King Naresuan trilogy is huge. I recommend all those films to people. It was a short golden period for Thai films and then it all went to hell. I don't know exactly why, but many of these films didn't do that well at the box office and then the J-Horror thing came about and they started making these really cheap horror films. Some of their horror was quite good - Alone, Dorm, Shutter but most of it was dross and horror films along with teenage romances took over the industry for years. And still does as far as I know.



The industry is hurting - there was an article in the Bangkok Post a week ago about how no Thai films are catching on and most last a week or so in the theaters. They come and go so quickly that I never even hear about them. I am sure there are some good ones tucked away in there, but you never hear about it later. This was not a hidden gem. The Thai reviews that I saw on Letterbox all rated it pretty poorly. I will not really wander too far from that verdict. It was colorful, had a good set, a few cute moments and an attractive charming leading actress - but it had very few laughs and it was supposed to be a comedy. Thai comedy is hard to get under most circumstances - puns, slapstick and fart jokes seem to dominate - but I stuck this one out.



It is a play on Back to the Future with a twist. Kie (Ranchrawee Uakoolwarawat) feels like her life is jinxed. Even before she was born. The doctor dropped her upon delivery - a series of missteps accidentally light a box of fireworks that send her parents to the hospital. She meets a mystic who entertains the crowds by sticking a knife through one cheek and out the other. Then drinks water to prove it as it spurts out of the slits. He tells her that her family is cursed because her great grandfather was a ruthless killer in a Thai-Chinese gang and was cursed by people when he was executed. He tells her to lie in a coffin and chants around her. When she opens it up, it is a hundred years before, a tong war is happening around her and she is in the male body of Tai who was recently assassinated.



It is the Bison Gang headed by Kung, her great grandfather, against the Kirin Gang, headed by Jing Lu, her great grandmother (played by the same actress). They are deadly enemies but Kie - now Tai - has to make sure they survive and fall in love. And stop the curse from happening. It isn't easy as the police want to kill them all. Kie as Tai has to learn how to pee and what to do with an erection brought on by three ladies in a brothel. I am not sure how well this one did in the theaters but nice to see it got English subs so maybe it did all right. The last twenty-minutes are actually pretty good if you ever find yourself watching this on a plane. Good to see a Thai film. I need to see more.