Fridae

The Love of Siam was actually released in Thailand in Nov 2007. It got rave reviews and won nearly every film award there was in its country. Some Singaporeans heard about it, bought its DVD on trips to Bangkok, and passed it on to their friends. Apparently, a copy found its way into the office of Singapore distributor Scorpio East Pictures. The staff watched it, loved it, and its now opening in Singapore cinemas 19 months after its Bangkok premiere. 

Well, better late than never!

Written and directed by Chukiat Sakweerakul, The Love of Siam is that rarest of creatures: a sweet teen gay romance nestled in a poignant multi-story movie about love. Wichawisit Hiranwongkul and Mario Maurer play two young boys who grew up together, but got separated when one of them moved to the city. Years later, they meet again as teenagers. This time, their unbreakable friendship develops into romantic affection. 

The Love of Siam is not exclusively a gay romance. A substantial portion of the film deals with a family struggling with the loss of their daughter. And there are other subplots involving the two boy’s girlfriends. But it is the sensitive romance between Mario and Wichawisit that powers the plot, and holds your interest throughout its 2 hours 40 minute runtime. 

Marios limpid brown eyes and milky complexion will have you swooning, while Wichawisit shy hesitancy and unforced acting makes him the perfect weeping center of the movie. Though they were unknowns when they made their acting debuts in this movie, the two boys particularly Mario have since gone on to become stars in Thailand. 

Poignant and perceptive, The Love of Siam is easily our pick of the week (yes, it trumps Harry Potter!). Indeed, there are many movies about love, but few in recent memory are as good as this one.