FIKSI.NET — I've heard the name of Jeff Satur from my cousin but only in this movie I first witnessed his acting. The Paradise of Thorns is really a bittersweet story that demands the actors to pay their part well for the audience to feel their emotions.
This movie is directed and written by Boss Kuno, produced by Vanridee Pongsittisak. I'm not going to lie, I don't know how big those names are in Thailand, but if they feel the need to include it on the film poster, they must be very important and has good reputation in the industry. The Paradise of Thorns is also starring main actor and actress who are familiar in the BL/GL series. Jeff Satur as Thongkam, and Engfa Waraha as Mo.
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Synopsys of "The Paradise of Thorns"
Thongkam and Sek (Toey Pongsakorn Mettarikanon), a devoted gay couple in Mae Hong Son, build a life together with a house and a durian orchard. After Sek's sudden death in an accident, Thongkam discovers that same-sex marriage is not legally recognized in Thailand, leaving him with no rights to their assets. The house and orchard are inherited by Sek's mother, who moves in with her adopted daughter Mo and gardener Jingna. As tensions rise over the orchard, Thongkam struggles to reclaim the land filled with his and Sek’s shared memories.
(Synopsys source: MyDramaList)
Review of "The Paradise of Thorns"
To save you the time, I will let you know in advance that this movie is really worth the watch. Especially if you are okay with 2 hours of agony, angst, and sometimes, frustration. This movie is well performed, especially by both main actors, Jeff Satur and Engfah Waraha. Their parts are very emotionally demanding and both of them could deliver the performance with and without any dialogue.
Before this movie, I have seen Engfa’s performance in PETRICHOR the series (IQiyi), and I think her character in this movie is well written that I could see her fullest acting performance. Also, because this is the first time I saw Jeff Satur’s performance, his performance in this movie makes me look for his other movies or series.
Another thing that makes this movie worth watching is the beautiful cinematography. I heard that the person in charge for the cinematography is very good at doing their job, and famous for their other works—I forgot where I heard that, sorry. Even though the duration of this movie is not short—by any means—but the cinematography is really top notch! I think you need to watch this movie yourself to find out.
Unfortunately though, even though the chemistry between the actors are really great, I don’t think the writing gives a room for the second relationship to develop and convincing for me as the audience. I’m not going to spoiler you. But I personally think there could be a room for them so the ending will be more impactful.
Yet, even with flaws, THE PARADISE OF THORNS left me astonished. The title really fits for the story. The bittersweet reality for the gay people before gay marriage was legally approved in Thailand was totally represented in this movie—especially for gay community who lives in Southeast Asia. Fortunately, Thailand has now recognize gay marriage, but THE PARADISE OF THORNS still becomes a reminder of what it was like back in the days.
People say BLACK MIRROR is hard to watch, yet I would argue that this movie is the one that’s really hard to watch for me. Too much emotion…
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