Nawapol “Ter” Thamrongrattanarit has been an exciting director to follow, his works treading a very fine line, sitting right on the border between indie and mainstream cinema. Dealing with various themes, his narratives often return to one key element: love. It is thus with excitement and curiosity that one approaches “Fast & Feel Love”, his latest work which was funnily enough marketed as his first action film.
“Fast and Feel Love“ is screening at Five Flavours Asian Film Festival
Kao and Jay both do not really fit in at their school. With his obsession for competitive sport stacking, Kao doesn't have any time to make friends and Jay, who loves her plants and speaks impeccable English, is constantly called a “Falang” (foreigner). The two find solace in each other's company and genuinely become fond of each other. Years down the line, the two are in their 30s and living together. Kao has become somewhat of a celebrity in the sport stacking world, a record holder spending almost every waking minute practicing whereas Jay does her utmost to tend to their house and makes sure Kao gets the best atmosphere to succeed and improve at the sport, taking care of every menial job and making every big decision around the house herself. However, as Kao prepares to defend his world record, Jay decides that enough is enough and it falls on Kao to fend for himself, something he has never had to do his entire adult life.
The production's marketing department may have been onto something, as there are clear elements of an action film here. There's a clear protagonist and antagonist and the fast paced narrative, swift edit and the music all could fit right into an action feature. But one must remember that this is a work by Ter Nawapol, so it cannot possibly fit straight into the action feature or the sports film mould. In addition to both those, “Fast & Feel Love” is at its core a late coming-of-age feature that has been wrapped in a love story, packed in the guide of an action/sports film, one that talks about understanding the reality of your childhood ambitions and coming into adulthood. For both Kao and Jay, it means giving up on (or at least giving less prominence to) the one thing you love the most in order to become who you must become. Thamrongrattanarit's previous feature “Happy Old Year” spoke extensively about letting go of the past and starting anew, an aspect that is also explored here, albeit in a totally different but equally effective manner.
Despite such heavy themes, the treatment cannot be farther removed, as there is a lot of warmth and humor in Nawapol's script. In fact, “Fast & Feel Love” is easily the funniest in his oeuvre, keeping a light and humorous tone throughout. It is not just the title and its fonts that the production borrows. All through its runtime, the narrative packs several call-backs to various other works, both Hollywood and international, that are fun to catch. This involves not just scenarios and dialogues or montages, but also musical pieces, which are lifted from a number of sources including “The Dark Knight” and “The Fast & The Furious” series, all well-placed instances that never fail to bring a smile to your face.
The superb cast too manages to garner smiles and genuine belly laughs with their performances. Nat Kitcharit embodies the innocence, drive and sincerity that Kao requires perfectly. His lost puppy act once Jay leaves him is a standout, as is his comic timing and dialogue delivery. But this is easily Urassaya Sperbund's show. The actress gets a lot to work with and carries her scenes with effortless ease. It is a joy to see Jay journey from the loving and caring woman to someone who finally decides to be her own person in Sperbund's hands. It must have also been fun for the actress to bring her real-life love for plants to the character. Their romance is the ticking factor of the narrative and the two share a chemistry that works well. The supporting cast is also equally effective and relied upon for the humors with both Potae Anusara Korsamphan as Kao's housemaid Metal and Primmy Wipawee Patnasiri as his manager Por impressing.
Ultimately, “Fast & Feel Love” is easily Ter Nawapol's most accomplished to date and one that is easily his most mainstream film so far, which still manages to hold and savor an indie flavor. When you think he can't possibly outdo his previous effort, in this case the fantastic “Happy Old Year”, he manages to prove you wrong, establishing yet again that he is the flag-bearer for crowd-pleasing Thai cinema presently. If you're looking to get into his works, “Fast & Feel Love” remains the perfect, most joyous, entry point.
