This fascinating film tells the story of Lienching, a young Burmese woman who risks everything for a better life somewhere else.
As directed by Myanmar native Midi Z, the unmade-up Wu Ke-xi is stunning as our protagonist. Her emotions are muted, yet her vulnerability is always there -- from her furtive float down a backwater stream, to the moment her smuggler's car is stopped at a checkpoint, to her midnight arrest for being an illegal, to her 300,000-baht ($10,000) payment for Thai ID -- and it is never more palpable than in the movie's shattering final frame.
Ms. Wu is an impressive talent. Observing her subtly seductive facial expressions during Lienching's first try for a Bangkok office job, well, it just blows one away. We follow with a sense of dread as Lienching wends her way through a smoke-filled demi-world of pay-first, bags of cash, false papers, play-acting, and each-person-for-himself.
Running counterpoint to Lienching's struggle are the ministrations of Guo (Kai Ko), a fellow illegal immigrant who seems as determined to snag Lienching for himself as she is to fatten her wallet. At first, Guo's attentions seem sweet -- i.e., he gives her his seat in the smuggler's car, while he lies drugged and prone in a dark space. But we start to mistrust Guo as we observe his mounting need for control.
I was fortunate to have caught this film on the TV channel of the City University of New York, and it was followed by a taped discussion between professor Jeffrey Carlson and director Midi Z, who revealed that Ms. Wu and Kai Ko were the only professional actors in the production. That factor adds greatly to the film's believability.
With superb characterizations and stunning cinematography, this movie keeps one riveted throughout. Its only happy scene, at a kind of water dance, will surely stay with me. Boy, did I want to jump in!
The film ends effectively, though surprisingly, on a note of genuine horror.
I am really eager to see more from Midi Z and friends! Now, where can I get a bowl of those instant noodles?
As directed by Myanmar native Midi Z, the unmade-up Wu Ke-xi is stunning as our protagonist. Her emotions are muted, yet her vulnerability is always there -- from her furtive float down a backwater stream, to the moment her smuggler's car is stopped at a checkpoint, to her midnight arrest for being an illegal, to her 300,000-baht ($10,000) payment for Thai ID -- and it is never more palpable than in the movie's shattering final frame.
Ms. Wu is an impressive talent. Observing her subtly seductive facial expressions during Lienching's first try for a Bangkok office job, well, it just blows one away. We follow with a sense of dread as Lienching wends her way through a smoke-filled demi-world of pay-first, bags of cash, false papers, play-acting, and each-person-for-himself.
Running counterpoint to Lienching's struggle are the ministrations of Guo (Kai Ko), a fellow illegal immigrant who seems as determined to snag Lienching for himself as she is to fatten her wallet. At first, Guo's attentions seem sweet -- i.e., he gives her his seat in the smuggler's car, while he lies drugged and prone in a dark space. But we start to mistrust Guo as we observe his mounting need for control.
I was fortunate to have caught this film on the TV channel of the City University of New York, and it was followed by a taped discussion between professor Jeffrey Carlson and director Midi Z, who revealed that Ms. Wu and Kai Ko were the only professional actors in the production. That factor adds greatly to the film's believability.
With superb characterizations and stunning cinematography, this movie keeps one riveted throughout. Its only happy scene, at a kind of water dance, will surely stay with me. Boy, did I want to jump in!
The film ends effectively, though surprisingly, on a note of genuine horror.
I am really eager to see more from Midi Z and friends! Now, where can I get a bowl of those instant noodles?