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Film Review: One for the Road (2021) by Nattawut Poonpiriya

Tor Thanapob and Ice Natara appear in One for the Road by Baz Poonpiriya, an official selection of the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute. All photos are copyrighted and may be used by press only for the purpose of news or editorial coverage of Sundance Institute programs. Photos must be accompanied by a credit to the photographer and/or 'Courtesy of Sundance Institute.' Unauthorized use, alteration, reproduction or sale of logos and/or photos is strictly prohibited.
Baz Poonpiriya’s youthful voice jazzes up the typical Wong Kar-wai melancholy, making a delightfully feel-good movie speaking to the times.

This year's only sees two Asian entries in its World Cinema Dramatic Competition — and Nattawut “Baz” Poonpiriya kills it with his hotly-anticipated feature, “.” The Thai director first attracted attention with his 2017 high school testing heist, “Bad Genius” (now available on Netflix!) — the highest grossing film of the year in his homeland. Now, in his 2021 feature, he's joined forces with legendary Hong Kong producer Wong Kar-wai (“In the Mood for Love,” “Chungking Express”) to spin a nostalgic tale with a modern twist. 

One for the Road is screening at Sundance

“One for the Road” kicks off at New York bar. Boss () is an attractive, but noncommittal bartender; he treats his customers with more than just drinks on the regular. One night, an old friend from Bangkok, Aood () asks him to return. It turns out that Aood has cancer, and furthermore, has a strange request: he wants to revisit all of his exes again before he dies. Boss reluctantly drives his sickly friend across Thailand, revisiting memories – but also darker secrets – about their own love lives along the way.

What sounds like pure nightmare material (at least, the part about visiting exes, anyway) turns out to be a politically compelling film. The film is a remarkably open book about the reality of lost love, and even reflects upon toxic masculinity in heteronormative relationships. Unlike the usual existential longing found in 2000s films — wherein the male protagonist dreams of his first love — Baz Poonpiriya lifts the rose-tinted glasses to face the pain of a breakup head-on. When Aood revisits them, one reminisces with him; one reminds him of his jealousy; another simply does not want to recollect the past. As Boss tells Aood, Aood's wistful lingering only rubs salt into old wounds. In this day and age, it is better to move on. 

Thanapob's acting is not his best work per se — but he does the job. Natara too is passable as a character, but simply bumbles when the film revisits their memories in New York. Natara does, however, shine in his baldness. As a cancer patient, Natara's subtle expressions and slight smile gives him a transcendental, monk-like aura. Close-ups of his amused brows and his conflicted eyes reflect an entirely different Aood altogether. Natara's muted gestures complement Thanapob's violent reactions, making for an engaging dynamic between the two on-screen. 

The upbeat pace of the film recalls the edge-of-your-seat rhythm of “Bad Genius”; however, unlike the unpredictable thriller, the linearity of the road movie makes the film feel longer than it should. Aood and Boss' visits to each ex feels not rhythmic, but repetitive; each signpost grows a little drearier after each turn. This insistence to stay on the road creates a narrative so wrapped up in its own story that it does not consider, almost selfishly, the audience's own increasing sentimentality. Though the film invites the viewer to re-examine their own past relationships (and their toxic nature!), the narrative pace is unrelenting. There is little room to breathe in this goal-oriented journey; Aood and Boss' backstories must be completely elaborated upon in the 2-hour mark. 

DP Phakalao Jiraungkonkun's clear-cut cinematography is similarly unforgiving. Unlike Christopher Doyle's (Wong Kar-wai's famous partner) atmospheric ambiguity, Jirarunkongkun focuses too much on the narrative than on the moment. But perhaps this is also part of the plan: the film aptly captures Thailand's cotton candy-sunsets and calm waters, reading more like a tourist promo than it does an art film. The promotion is aimed less for foreigners, however, than it is for the Thai diaspora. Like the delicate locality Wong Kar-wai preserves in his own odes to 20th century Hong Kong, “One for the Road” appreciates the rustic beauty of the homeland. 

All in all, this film is as entertaining as it is reflective, and is moreover apt at re-thinking outmoded ideas of expressing love. Though at times repetitive (especially with the reiteration of the title), “One for the Road” takes enough twists and turns to make the end-goal unknown until the end. Baz Poonpiriya's youthful voice jazzes up the typical Wong Kar-wai melancholy, making a delightfully feel-good movie speaking to the times.

About the author

Grace Han

In a wave of movie-like serendipity revolving around movies, I transitioned from studying early Italian Renaissance frescoes to contemporary cinema. I prefer to cover animated film, Korean film, and first features (especially women directors). Hit me up with your best movie recs on Twitter @gracehahahan !

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