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Released By: Strand Releasing
Released On: 07/12/2011
Director: Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Cast: Thanapat Saisaymar, Janjira Pongpas, Sakda Kaewbuadee, Natthakarn Aphaiwonk
Year: 2010
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The Film:
I get really annoyed when I don't enjoy a film, and one of its supporters tells me that it's because I, “didn't get itâ€, or some other suggestion that I'm clearly not as smart as they are. I will say, though, that in some cases, “I didn't get it†is a pretty accurate description. Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives was apparently a good enough film to win the 2010 Palme D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival; but I didn't get it.
It's difficult to say what it was about Uncle Boonmee that didn't work for me. Thai Writer/Director Apichatpong Weerasethakul seems to have, as indicated by a lengthy interview contained on the DVD, a good head on his shoulders and a clear idea of what he wanted to accomplish. He's no slouch in the composition department, either, with a style that vaguely reminds me of Terrence Malick. But the film seems to take on so much, and in such a bizarre way, that it went straight over my head, and not in a “This inspires healthy thought processes and will thereby be mentally stimulating†kind of way.
Uncle Boonmee, an aging but not ancient man with a failing kidney, lives on a bee farm. While eating dinner one night with his sister Jen and nephew Tong, his very dead wife, Huay, fades slowly into existence at the table. After getting over a very minimal amount of surprise at Huay's appearance, the family commences to typical family discussion; what Huay has been doing since she died, if she got the messages that the family left at the temple, and other similar dialogue.
Just as the party seems to be getting going again, another visitor makes an appearance; Boonmee's long-lost son Boonsong, who explains that he disappeared from the village at a young age to take pictures of a spirit monkey that lived in the jungle. After finding and mating with the spirit monkey, Boonsong was transformed into a sasquatch-like creature with glowing red eyes, and decided to live on his own. As with Huay's unannounced arrival, the rest of the family is very relaxed and even happy over the return of Boonsong the Missing Sasquatch Boy, and they spend the rest of the time showing Huay pictures of her beautiful funeral.
There are probably…no, there MUST be a billion different ways to interpret the material that is presented in Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives. If you Google around the net, you'll find a few different summations that probably make a little sense, but for me, Boonmee was essentially a straight-up bore. Holding shot sequences for far too long, Weerasethakul has only proven that he's not my kind of director, despite his ability to frame scenes up nicely. I'm not the type of person who needs explosions and naked women flying past the camera at frequent intervals, but this method of delivery had me lost way before the scene with the Princess getting genitally jostled by a fish. It may be an artistic statement, it may be a comment on reincarnation in a different culture, but one thing is for sure; I didn't get it.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Strand Releasing brings Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives to DVD with a 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer. The picture is acceptable, but comes off as a little soft and doesn't pop as well as it should…unless this was the intention of the director. Regardless, the night scenes are not full of striking clarity and the jungle is not as jungly as it could be; but the transfer is devoid of obvious artifacts. The Thai language Dolby Digital 5.1 track is more than acceptable, given that the majority of the soundtrack is dialogue, and is free of any abnormalities. It should be noted that the English subtitles are hard-coded.
Strand has also included a few extras on the disc. First up is a 16-minute interview with Writer/Director Apichatpong Weerasethakul, in which he discusses the themes behind the film, the book that inspired the film, and his construction of the film. It's a good interview that covers a lot of ground and attempts to explain the more puzzling aspects of the film.
There are also 24 minutes of Deleted Scenes which are probably better off left out of the film.
A trailer for the film, as well as 7 other trailers; 3 for other films by Weerasethakul and 4 Strand Releasing titles can also be found.
The Final Word:
I've been a fan of some strange winners of the Palme D'Or, but Uncle Bonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives is not one of them. Your mileage may vary.
