Showing 1 - 10 of 10
Pursuing ‘The Good Life’ in the unfolding new year
Life, Niki Chatikavanij, Published on 03/01/2026
» By the time this column comes out, it’s already a couple of days into the new year. We’ve officially welcomed 2026, and if you are one of those people who revel in the “clean slate” state of things, then you’ve probably already brought out the new diary, planner and made plans to return to the gym.
A Japanese John Wick
Life, Tatat Bunnag, Published on 07/03/2025
» Netflix has certainly been doubling down on Asian content lately, with a surge of Thai and Japanese titles airing alongside their South Korean counterparts. However, when it comes to original films, the streaming giant's track record is more hit-or-miss.
Can Cross break the curse?
Life, Tatat Bunnag, Published on 22/11/2024
» There seems to be a recurring curse when it comes to adapting James Patterson's best-selling Alex Cross novels for the screen. Those who grew up in the 90s may remember crime thrillers Kiss The Girls (1997) and Along Came A Spider (2001), starring Morgan Freeman as the titular forensic psychologist and detective. Despite box office successes, these films received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics. The 2012 reboot, Alex Cross, starring Tyler Perry, fared even worse. Panned by critics and ultimately a box office bomb, it led to the cancellation of a planned sequel.
Waste warriors
Life, Suwitcha Chaiyong, Published on 21/11/2023
» While working as a Bangkok Metropolitan Administration waste collector, Nampu Toka often gets injured by sharp sticks, fish bones, needles, broken glass, tiles and other hazardous trash. He also encounters the unpleasant task of handling discarded items that should have been properly bagged or wrapped up in paper such as diapers and waste from patients.
Pandemonium
Life, Kong Rithdee, Published on 30/09/2022
» The first shot of Athena will be discussed in every writing about the film. A bravura choreography of movement that begins with an intimate close-up of a face and ends, after 10 blood-rushing minutes, with an explosion of revolutionary rage -- a la Les Miserables and Do You Hear The People Sing? transported to a predominantly-Muslim Paris suburb -- that opening shot is so hypnotising and immersive in its non-stop kineticism that we're led to forgive that it's also an earnest show-off, a proud enshrinement of style and attitude over everything else. Romain Gavras, a filmmaker known for making music videos for Jay Z and M.I.A, will cement that approach with many similar shots throughout the film -- long, seemingly uninterrupted shots with parkour camerawork full of angry bodies -- more than enough for aspiring filmmakers of the world to slobber over.
Preying on the elderly
Life, Tatat Bunnag, Published on 26/02/2021
» If you are a fan of suspense thrillers like Gone Girl (2014), be sure to tune in to Netflix this week as Rosamund Pike's latest dark comedy and psychological thriller I Care A Lot debuts on the streaming service. The film is already getting critical acclaim for its gripping storyline that will keep viewers guessing until the very end.
Roots of rumba Congolais
Life, John Clewley, Published on 13/10/2020
» Soul Jazz Records' recent compilation on the early years of Congolese popular music, Congo Revolution - Revolutionary And Evolutionary Sounds From The Two Congos 1955-62, is a must have for fans of African popular music.
A call for justice
Life, Tatat Bunnag, Published on 09/10/2020
» What would it be like if you spent more than half your life isolated in a tiny cell in fear, not knowing what the future holds? That's exactly what happened to Iwao Hakamada, who every morning woke up thinking today could be his last. Hakamada, a new documentary, tells the heart-rending tale of a death row convict kept in solitary confinement for more than half-a-century before being granted a retrial in 2014.
Every day is Mother's Day
Life, Suwitcha Chaiyong, Published on 01/10/2020
» Stepping in the Ardel Gallery of Modern Art, visitors can feel the sense of warmth and love between a mother and her children in the art exhibition "Mother's World" through various art forms including acrylic and organic colour paintings, embroideries, papier-mâché and pottery works.
Ry Cooder returns to gospel roots
Life, John Clewley, Published on 16/10/2018
» American guitarist Ry Cooder released his first studio album for six years recently. The Prodigal Son (Fantasy Recordings, USA) has put aside his more politically engaged music -- as heard on a series of albums, Chavez Ravine (2005), My Name Is Buddy (2007), Pull Up Some Dust And Sit Down (2011) and Election Special (2012) and returned to a more-gospel oriented sound that he created on his early albums.