Bangkok Loco
Thai cinema is very unique, – and despite there being a lot of cultural references in many Thai films, they’re usually also praised outside Thailand. That is, for the rare genuinely funny comedies that stands out above the masses of not so good kitsch comedies. Despite its numerous hilarious scenes and many offbeat references to North American blockbusters, Phornchai Hongrathanaphorn‘s Bangkok Loco unfortunately fails at surpassing those average Thai comedies—which aren’t that funny for non-Thai audiences. The film’s humor is extremely silly as in most of the nation’s films, however here it’s not silly in a funny kind of way. The film has many strong elements but the plot of the film just tries to incorporate too many things in the same film and it just doesn’t work. 
Sangre
Despite the film deals with the not so interesting love life of a rather pathetic average couple in their forties, this minimalist first film is purely exquisite. Their quite ordinary lives and the banal events are shown in such a hilariously way that we keep laughing throughout the film. It definitely brings up a new perspective on life’s otherwise singular events and it does so in a very intelligent way. The inability of the main character to properly react to an out of the ordinary (and tragic) event clearly shows that he’s better adapted to his non-exciting social life than to dealing with unexpected events. Yet, at the same time the films shows how this boring life doesn’t work as things start to break apart (literally!). An interesting contrast to say the least. The minimalist mise-en-scene and the non-professional actors (the main character is the director’s neighbor) are perfect for their roles. Brilliant! 
De battre mon coeur s’est arreté
Compared by many to the Quebec film L’Audition, Jacques Audiard’s De battre mon coeur s’est arête is about a hit man who starts to have doubts about his career and turn up to music as an alternative. The film’s bleak cinematography successfully reflects his trouble state of mind. As he tries to escape from his current criminal life, his colleagues and even his father bring keep bringing him back. This leads to a very interesting dynamic in the film. As he gets better and better at playing piano, he’s brought deeper and deeper in the world of crime in which he was brought up since his early days by his dad. It seems as though one can not come without the other. For that, the ending of the film is quite remarkable and is a harsh reminder about how cruel life can be no matter how hard we try to avoid just that. Are there in life that can’t be changed? 
