If I didn't read Wikipedia, I wouldn't have known that "Uncle Boonme who can recall his past lives" was the final installment of a "multi-platform art project" called 'Primitive'. I also had no idea (until I read the Wikipedia article) that a good part of the film was shot in the northeast Isan region of Thailand, close to the Laotian border. Director Apichatpong Weerasethakul has indicated the film echoes other works in the 'Primitive' project which focus on the brutal history of Isan (particularly a 1965 crackdown on Communist sympathizers by the Thai Army). But Weerasethakul makes it clear that his primary intent is not to make a political statement.
Before understanding what 'Uncle Boonme' is, one must examine where director Weerasethakul is coming from. He's really one of these guys who has a penchant for nostalgia. If he was an American filmmaker, he probably would be extolling the 'beauty' and 'originality' of old TV shows like 'Ozzie and Harriet'. That's why he shot 'Boonme' in 16 millimeter and wistfully bemoans the use of digital, which in his mind has led to the possible "extinction" of "cinema itself". He likes the old Thai TV shows, also shot in 16 millimeter, where the "lines were whispered to the actors, who mechanically repeated them". He also admires (believe it or not) the old movies where monsters were filmed in the dark so the audience can't see the 'cheaply made costumes'. Finally (and this is something I did not pick up at all in the theater), the film consists of six reels shot in six different cinematic styles. For example, one sequence features "the stiff acting and classical staging" of old Thai cinema.
Another penchant Weerasethakul owns up to is that he enjoys long takes. This was perhaps one of the most maddening aspects of Weerasethakul's film. Is it really necessary to hold the camera on a water buffalo, or someone driving a car or taking a shower for minutes on end? In essence, the director is more interested in indulging his own puerile whim than giving his audience a break.
As for the Boonme storyline, it's a meandering tale that lacks the basic ingredient of good drama: conflict! We're introduced to Boonme, an ex-soldier in the Thai army, who lives on a farm in the countryside, is on dialysis and dying of kidney failure. His sister-in-law, Auntie Jen, along with Tong, a nephew (one reviewer stated he was Boonme's cousin) come to visit. Bigoted Auntie Jen derides Boonme's housekeeper, Jai, for being an illegal immigrant from Laos but Boonme defends him, as he has been very helpful around the house, especially in regards to helping a dying ex-soldier.
While having dinner on the porch, the ghost of Boonme's deceased wife, Huay, makes an appearance and actually has a conversation with the three living family members. The presence of the unreal Huay undercuts the naturalistic scenes of Boonme coping with a terminal illness. Even more weird is the appearance of Boonme's son, Boonsong, now transformed into a 'ghost monkey' after running away from his family years ago and mating with a simian female. Boonsong is covered in monkey hair and also sports malevolent looking red eyes (reminiscent of Michael Jackson's red eyes in his classic video, 'Thriller').
Not much happens after the extraordinary appearance of Huay and Birdsong. There is a strange scene where an aging princess (with a complexion that looks like a bad case of acne) sees the reflection of herself as a beautiful woman in her younger days, in a pool of water. She's serenaded by a catfish while she floats in the water and she tells him that she realizes the younger image is only an illusion. The catfish (who is looking more and more like a stand-in for Uncle Boonme), tells her that he's convinced she's the same woman he loved in the past. The woman (who may represent Huay), insists the catfish's past love is also an illusion. Uncle Boonme has been redirected away from his past materialistic existence to accepting the idea that life is an illusion and one should accept death without fighting it.
Jen, Tong and Uncle Boonme make a trek to a cave where the uncle claims this is where he is born. He's now in full acceptance of death mode—he declares he's neither human or animal, man or woman. Boonme dies in the cave and we're treated to an exotic Buddhist funeral.
The epilogue finds us back in the material world. Jen and her younger friend, Roong, are counting funeral contributions in what appears to be a hotel room as a newscast blares on the TV. Tong is now doing service as a monk but has no qualms about taking a shower as Auntie Jen scolds him for leaving the monastery and turning his back on his spiritual commitments.
Weerasethakul is a frustrating character. Despite being a well-meaning fellow, he is also self-indulgent. Not everyone will share his love for the creepy conventions of comic books and old Thai TV shows. What's more, when one strips away all the hocus-pocus, Weerasethakul's story is simply about a man who comes to realize that his illness was brought on by living a false life but now can accept death as he is now more attuned to the unending cycles of nature.
For me, Boonme is only worth watching to catch a glimpse of the natural wonders of Thailand and its vibrant culture. For others, since 'Uncle Boombe' has a mystical veneer, its simplistic message is mistaken for something much more profound. As a result, accolades are heaped upon it, including the Palme d'Or. Until the judges stop conning themselves, a teenage sensibility will reign supreme at such venerable film festivals as Cannes, for many years into the future.
Before understanding what 'Uncle Boonme' is, one must examine where director Weerasethakul is coming from. He's really one of these guys who has a penchant for nostalgia. If he was an American filmmaker, he probably would be extolling the 'beauty' and 'originality' of old TV shows like 'Ozzie and Harriet'. That's why he shot 'Boonme' in 16 millimeter and wistfully bemoans the use of digital, which in his mind has led to the possible "extinction" of "cinema itself". He likes the old Thai TV shows, also shot in 16 millimeter, where the "lines were whispered to the actors, who mechanically repeated them". He also admires (believe it or not) the old movies where monsters were filmed in the dark so the audience can't see the 'cheaply made costumes'. Finally (and this is something I did not pick up at all in the theater), the film consists of six reels shot in six different cinematic styles. For example, one sequence features "the stiff acting and classical staging" of old Thai cinema.
Another penchant Weerasethakul owns up to is that he enjoys long takes. This was perhaps one of the most maddening aspects of Weerasethakul's film. Is it really necessary to hold the camera on a water buffalo, or someone driving a car or taking a shower for minutes on end? In essence, the director is more interested in indulging his own puerile whim than giving his audience a break.
As for the Boonme storyline, it's a meandering tale that lacks the basic ingredient of good drama: conflict! We're introduced to Boonme, an ex-soldier in the Thai army, who lives on a farm in the countryside, is on dialysis and dying of kidney failure. His sister-in-law, Auntie Jen, along with Tong, a nephew (one reviewer stated he was Boonme's cousin) come to visit. Bigoted Auntie Jen derides Boonme's housekeeper, Jai, for being an illegal immigrant from Laos but Boonme defends him, as he has been very helpful around the house, especially in regards to helping a dying ex-soldier.
While having dinner on the porch, the ghost of Boonme's deceased wife, Huay, makes an appearance and actually has a conversation with the three living family members. The presence of the unreal Huay undercuts the naturalistic scenes of Boonme coping with a terminal illness. Even more weird is the appearance of Boonme's son, Boonsong, now transformed into a 'ghost monkey' after running away from his family years ago and mating with a simian female. Boonsong is covered in monkey hair and also sports malevolent looking red eyes (reminiscent of Michael Jackson's red eyes in his classic video, 'Thriller').
Not much happens after the extraordinary appearance of Huay and Birdsong. There is a strange scene where an aging princess (with a complexion that looks like a bad case of acne) sees the reflection of herself as a beautiful woman in her younger days, in a pool of water. She's serenaded by a catfish while she floats in the water and she tells him that she realizes the younger image is only an illusion. The catfish (who is looking more and more like a stand-in for Uncle Boonme), tells her that he's convinced she's the same woman he loved in the past. The woman (who may represent Huay), insists the catfish's past love is also an illusion. Uncle Boonme has been redirected away from his past materialistic existence to accepting the idea that life is an illusion and one should accept death without fighting it.
Jen, Tong and Uncle Boonme make a trek to a cave where the uncle claims this is where he is born. He's now in full acceptance of death mode—he declares he's neither human or animal, man or woman. Boonme dies in the cave and we're treated to an exotic Buddhist funeral.
The epilogue finds us back in the material world. Jen and her younger friend, Roong, are counting funeral contributions in what appears to be a hotel room as a newscast blares on the TV. Tong is now doing service as a monk but has no qualms about taking a shower as Auntie Jen scolds him for leaving the monastery and turning his back on his spiritual commitments.
Weerasethakul is a frustrating character. Despite being a well-meaning fellow, he is also self-indulgent. Not everyone will share his love for the creepy conventions of comic books and old Thai TV shows. What's more, when one strips away all the hocus-pocus, Weerasethakul's story is simply about a man who comes to realize that his illness was brought on by living a false life but now can accept death as he is now more attuned to the unending cycles of nature.
For me, Boonme is only worth watching to catch a glimpse of the natural wonders of Thailand and its vibrant culture. For others, since 'Uncle Boombe' has a mystical veneer, its simplistic message is mistaken for something much more profound. As a result, accolades are heaped upon it, including the Palme d'Or. Until the judges stop conning themselves, a teenage sensibility will reign supreme at such venerable film festivals as Cannes, for many years into the future.