Director: Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Starring: Sakda Kaewbuadee, Matthieu Ly, Vien Pimdee
An excellent review by Josh Franks
Winner of the Palme d’Or at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s Uncle Boonmee is the story of an elderly man experiencing his last days, whilst surrounded by the people he loves – including the ghost of his dead wife, and his son, who can only be described as ‘half man, half ape’ (you’ll see what I mean). With these people in tow, he navigates his previous lives to perhaps shed some light on why he is now at the end of his own.
Weerasethakul had originally intended for the film to be an adaptation of the 1983 novel, A Man Who Can Recall His Past Lives by Phra Sripariyattiweti (an abbot of a Buddhist temple in Weerasethakul’s home town), but decided against this and chose to merely use the book as in inspiration for his own work.
The premise alone is intriguing enough, but within the first hour of the film it becomes very apparent that there is certainly more here than meets the eye. Without going further into the details of film’s plot (I am firmly against spoilers when it comes to new films), I will say that what I assumed would be the dramatic tale of the life of a man as he faces death, whilst simultaneously exploring the religious beliefs associated with reincarnation, turned out to be something much more elusive and cryptic. Filled with extensive moments of silence and protracted shots of animals, and Thailand’s scenery, Uncle Boonmee moves at a dream-like pace, akin to that of a documentary, taking the viewer on a surreal, yet very subtle and atmospheric odyssey, littered with memories and apparitions.
As moving as it is impenetrable, it’s clear that Uncle Boonmee is essentially more of an experiment in style than an exercise in conventional filmmaking. Weerasethakul has made a film that is obviously very personal to him, as it shows the mark of a director that has peered meticulously over every single shot to ensure that it’s perfect. For me, Uncle Boonmee is, unequivocally, one of the most compelling cinema experiences I have ever had. It’s a film that was made to be discussed at length upon leaving the theatre; it will have you spending the rest of your evening, much as I did, musing upon its symbolism and trying to decipher Weerasethakul’s motivations as a director. One thing is certain, though: year in, year out, Cannes never fails to pick a truly intriguing and unique feature for its most coveted award, and it will be interesting to see how Uncle Boonmee fares come Oscar season.
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Trailer) from filmswelike on Vimeo.
