It's tough at the top

FOR THE LAST 20 years or so, the major Thai film studios have kept the industry in a vice-like grip, churning out some 30 to 40 movies every year and only occasionally ceding space to independent productions. That all changed in 2014, a year in which cinephiles were treated to an impressive 69 new releases, more than half of them from independent filmmakers.
Nor were these independents the big names usually more associated with international film festivals than local cinemas, such as Apichatphong Weerasethakul, Aditya Assarat and Anochai Suwichakornpong. Instead, the line-up included works by everyone from veteran filmmakers to newcomers with the passion if not the experience, who were able to find financing from private business sources.
While the focus of these movies wasn’t very different from the mainstream with such themes as romance, comedy and horror leading the pack, there was an enormous gap in quality, both in terms of storytelling and production, with the result that many of these small films failed to connect with the audience.
Among them was VIP Entertainment’s “Muay Jin Din Kong Loke” released in February, which set a new box office-low with earnings of just Bt29,000 and made 2010’s “Saman Chan” takings of Bt60,000 seem handsome in comparison.
Worse was to come and “Muay Jin” held the record for slightly more than six months before being pipped to the post by “3 Antarai” aka “TV Game Net”, which garnered just Bt7,900 in seven days of screening at Lido.
Official box office records for Thai films don’t exist but bad news spreads fast and the social networks were buzzing with the gossip that horror outing “Bittersweet Chocolate” had earned a miserly Bt400 on its opening night at House on RCA and just Bt4,600 for the whole week.
Others indie offerings fared considerably better. “Phee Chai” (“My Bromance”), a coming-of-age tale made in Chiang Mai by hometown director Nichphoom Chaianan and starring only local actors did so well on its Chiang Mai release that it earned wider distribution in Bangkok and took in a respectable Bt6 million at the box office.
Likewise, “Phoobao Thai Baan: E-San Indy” made for a Northeastern audience by Khon Kaen studio E-San
 Indy, grossed Bt10 million and was enthusiastically snapped up by the two major multiplex chains that had earlier rejected the idea of bringing it to Bangkok.
LGBT movies also took centre stage in 2014, among them “1448 Rak Rao Khong Khrai” (“Love Among Us”), the story of two women who embark on a relationship but face obstacles from the families and the male romance “Sanya Hang Kimhun” (“Summer to Winter”). While aimed at a niche market, both did well enough to encourage their directors and studios to focus on new projects for 2015.
With Thailand about to become part of the Asean Economic Community, several indie films with plots crossing over into neighbouring countries were released including “Myanmar in Love”, the story of a romance between a guy from Myanmar and a Thai girl. Sakchai Deenan, who made his name with the Laos-based romantic drama “Sabaidee Luang Phrabang”, returned with “Phee Thuang Khuen” (“The Return”), a multi-strand horror tale that takes place in four countries – Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos – with Thailand as the centre.
The crossover trend is continuing into next year with the release of Siwaporn Pongsuwan’s Cambodian-Thai movie “Bon Sro Lahn Oon” starring Ray MacDonald and Cambodian actress Saray Sakana among others.
Festival favourites have also been busy in 2014. Film editor and frequent Apichatpong Weerasethakul collaborator Lee Chatametikool made his directorial debut with “Phawang Rak” (“Concrete Clouds”), Chonlasit Upanigkit expanded his undergraduate film thesis into the successful college-student drama “W” and Thai-Irish director Tom Waller profiled Thailand’s last prison executioner, Chavoret Jaruboon, in “Phetchakat”.
Documentaries flourished too, with Kongdej Jaturanrasmee examining the role of Buddhism in Thai society through the experiences of two young boys learning about life through close contact with the faith in “A-Wang” (“So Be It”) and Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit taking a look at legendary video shop Van VDO in “The Master”. In theatres now is the heart-warming documentary “Poo Somboon” (“Somboon”) which has Krisada Tipchaimeta turning his camera on an elderly man from Ayutthaya as he takes care of his bedridden wife. Single Productions’ “The Cheer Ambassadors”, meanwhile, followed the Thai cheerleader team to the USA and records their triumph at the World Cheerleading Championships.
In terms of box-office earnings in 2014, GTH retained its position at the top, reaping in the cash first with romantic drama “The Teacher's Diary” (“Kid Tueng Wittaya”) with Bt100 million followed by teenage horror story “Fak Wai Nai Guy Ther” (“The Swimmers”) with Bt70.19 million. But it’s the studio’s newest outing that’s set to break box office records with “I Fine Thank You Love You”, a romantic comedy about a foul-mouthed mechanic getting up close and cosy with his English tutor, taking Bt100 million in its first three days and passing the Bt200-million mark last Saturday.
Sahamongkol Film, on the other hand, didn’t enjoy a good 2014, at least as far as Thai movies are concerned. They included ML Bandevanop “Mom Noi” Devakula’s remake of the classic “Plae Kao” “(“The Scar”), late action master Panna Ritthikrai’s “Rew Thalu Rew” (“Vengeance of the Assassin”) and Chookiat Sakveerakul’s horror “The Eyes Diary”.
Phranakorn Films Studio enjoyed mixed results with three films from prolific director Poj Anon but are banking on success with the release of Poj’s “Satree Lek Tob Loke Taek” on December 31.
Major Cineplex’s affiliated film studios M-Thirtynine, Talent 1 and newcomer Transformation, have yet to make a blockbuster though the latter received good reviews for its debut release, Yuthlert Sippapak’s “Tukkae Rak Pang Mak” (“Chiang Khan Love Story”).
With just nine days to go before 2014 becomes 2015 and three more Thai films to be released, one can only wonder if any of them can challenge the champion “I Fine Thank You”.