Love during wartime

Kittikorn “Leo” Liasirikun directs this remake, which looks to be the most ambitious production yet by studio M-Thirtynine, a company that’s mainly known for its silly hit comedies.
Based on a book by National Artist author Thommayanti, “Khoo Kam” has been adapted for film and television numerous times. In fact, there is a “Khoo Kam” on TV right now, with Sukrit “Bie” Wisetkaew and Nuengthida “Noona” Sophon. A famous version was 1996’s “Sunset at Chaophraya”, starring Thongchai “Bird” McIntyre and Apasiri Nitibhon and directed by Euthana Mukdasanit.
Following last week’s release of “Pee Mak Phra Khanong” (see left), which is yet another adaptation of the famous ghost story “Mae Nak Phra Khanong”, this new version of “Khoo Kam” joins the trend of updating the favourite old stories for a cosmopolitan new generation of moviegoers.

Also opening
“The Croods” – DreamWorks Animation goes back to prehistoric times with this comedy about a neanderthal family on an adventure. The main characters are a teenage girl voiced by Emma Stone and a more-evolved caveboy played by Ryan Reynolds. Other voices include Nicolas Cage as the over-protective dad, plus Catherine Keener and Cloris Leachman. Chris Sanders (“Lilo and Stitch”, “How to Train Your Dragon”) directs. It’s in 3D in some places.

“The Host” – “Twilight” author Stephenie Meyer offers more overwrought teenage emotions in her tale about alien parasites that have taken over most of the human race. Blue-eyed Saoirse Ronan is a young woman who's been invaded by a soul called the Wanderer and set on the path of finding the last pockets of free humans. However, she's stronger than most and does her best to resist. Andrew Niccol (“Lord of War”, “In Time”, “Gattaca”) directs. Max Irons and Jake Abel also star, along with William Hurt, Diane Kruger and Frances Fisher.

“Back to 1942” – Adrian Brody, Tim Robbins and Daoming Chen are among the stars in this heavy-handed, propaganda-laden Chinese drama set during World War II and covering the famine in Henan Province that left at least three million dead. Feng Xiaogang (“Aftershock”) directs. It's in Mandarin with English and Thai subtitles at Apex Siam Square.

Also showing

Salaya International Documentary Film Festival – Despite its name, Salaya Doc has been geared to lure audiences to the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, where at 5 today the screen is given over to this year’s Director in Focus, India’s Sourav Sarangi, with 2008’s “Bilal”, about a boy growing up with blind parents, and his latest, “Char ... the No-Man’s Island”, about inhabitants on islands along the India-Bangladesh border. Tomorrow’s offerings include “Nargis: When Time Stopped Breathing”, Nontawat Numbenchapol's “Boundary”, about the disputed border area around Cambodia's Preah Vihear temple, and “The Cat that Lived a Million Times” from Japan. Sunday has the Queer Asean programme, the historic “14 October” footage of the 1973 pro-democracy demonstrations, and the awards ceremony. The festival is also taking place until Sunday at the Thai Film Archive in Salaya, Nakhon Pathom, but the organisers want to make things convenient for busy Bangkokians, hence the free screenings in the BACC’s fifth-floor auditorium. Find out more at www.Facebook/SalayaDoc.

Made-in-Thailand foreign films are showing for free through Tuesday at 4 and 8 daily at SF World Cinema at CentralWorld. Today’s offerings are two local theatrical premieres, “Formosa Betrayed” and Swedish director Lukas Moodysson’s globalisation drama “Mammoth” starring Gael Garcia Bernal and Michelle Williams. Tomorrow it’s China’s “Lost in Thailand” with another local premiere, the hitman flick “Elephant White” starring Djimon Hounsou and Kevin Bacon. Hounsou will be present for a Q&A session along with director Prachya Pinkaew. Sunday brings “The Lady” and the local premiere of the Danish romantic comedy “Teddy Bear”, with musclebound star Kim Kold joining veteran of stage and screen David Winters for a Q&A. “The Beach” and “The Hangover Part II” show on Monday. And Pang Brothers Day is Tuesday with the Nicolas Cage remake of “Bangkok Dangerous” and the gritty Bangkok-set Hong Kong crime thriller “The Detective”. Twin brothers Danny and Oxide will be present for questions afterward. For more, see www.ThailandFilmDestination.com.