CHEUN: KAAT-DTA-GAM RAM-LEUK [SLICE | เฉือน]

http://www.slicethemovie.com/

Thailand 2010  Directed & Written by: Kongkiat Khomsiri  Story: Wisit Sasanatieng  Cast: Arak Amornsupasiri, Chatchai Plengpanich, Sonthaya Chitmanee, Sikarin Polyong, Attapan Poolsawasdi

One of the most ambitious Thai films of late 2009 was certainly CHEUN (SLICE) by ART OF THE DEVIL co-director Khomsiri: Papa Chin, a dodgy cop, is looking for a serial killer, and he only has one last chance to find him within the next 15 days according to his fed-up superiors. His last resort is Tai, a former colleague, who is now doing time in prison and is released temporarily to help searching for the killer who apparently is an old acquaintance from the past. Tai goes back to the place where he grew up and starts putting the pieces together – just to find out a shocking truth indeed.

CHEUN turns out a really serious, no-nonsense crime thriller. Particularly convincing are the emotional moments that can excel even the expected and very graphic scenes of violence. CHEUN – quite surprisingly – is not a simple, predictable slasher movie, but avoids severe plot holes, features good actors and is beautifully shot, edited and scored. Ambitions do pay off.

Despite some minor “references” to other films (borrowing ideas from DON’T LOOK NOW, A BITTERSWEET LIFE or OLD BOY) CHEUN remains an original, skillfully written and equally convincing as drama, emotional coming-of-age story or brutal thriller. CHEUN is also very smart when it comes to connecting the various storylines without losing track.

Particularly astonishing about CHEUN however are the extremes that Khomsiri plays around with while keeping everything perfectly balanced: the brutal murders couldn’t be any more graphic, while the emotional scenes are truly touching. CHEUN may actually be the better drama: more and more do we start to sympathize with the killer, more and more is it not anymore about who the killer actually is, but why he kills. The reasons behind quickly become more fascinating than the atrocities.

The uncomfortable truth (still) is: when we look into an abyss, the abyss also looks into us. The killer didn’t turn himself into a monster, but society did. CHEUN is one of the few films in recent memory that doesn’t compromise or let us off the hook – long after the film is over we keep thinking about it.

CHEUN is authentic, down to earth, genuine, and reminds me of the completely underrated Hong Kong drama SLOW FADE. It doesn’t reach its extreme levels of permanent depression and decay, but the downwards spiral is equally inexorable. The showdown doesn’t gear towards redemption, but a last knockout.

I can’t help but wonder why I am doing this to myself. And can’t wait to watch CHEUN all over again nevertheless.

J.

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