Compelling:
In the quiet of a Bangkok library, Kenji, played by Tadanobu Asano, lives a dreadful life in solitude while battling heavy suicidal ideations. While on the brink of succumbing to his self-destructive thoughts, he runs into a headstrong Thai woman named Noi who’s played by Sinitta Boonyasak. Following this encounter, the lives of both Kenji and Noi undergo a huge change after an unfortunate event leads the two of them to losing their loved ones, which in turn causes them to seek solace in each other.
As we join the two leads in their journey of healing from their personal trauma, we start to witness moments filled with warmth, tenderness, and surreal humour, while still growing into the bond that enables Kenji and Noi to leave the boundaries of language and culture behind. The lives of both Kenji and Noi is intertwined with dreams but is constantly on the edge of reality, where the looming danger arises from Kenji and his family’s connections to the Yakuza.
Crew and Cast:
Sinitta Boonyasak as Noi
Tadanobu Asano as Kei
Laila Boonyasak as Nid
Yutaka Matsushige as Yukio
The haunting visuals of the film are captured by Christopher Doyle, who highlights the films meditative aspects through his ethereal art. This, paired with Hualampong Riddim’s touching and chilling scores allow for a perfect depiction of the films cinematographic world. All of these aspects are accompanied by brilliant directing done by Ratanaruang Pen-Ek, alongside his co-writer Prabda Yoon.
Last Life in the Universe’s IMDb rating is rather respectable, and, as expected, the film is proficient in storytelling and combining elements of different genres. The film’s treatment of themes like solitude, interpersonal relationships, and existential anxiety is incredibly subtle as described by some critics. Tadanobu Asano’s subtle yet powerful acting won him accolades as one of the worlds great actors.
The film was screened for the first time at the Venice International Film Festival in 2003, where it stirred quite a buzz. Indeed, Asano received the Upstream Prize for Best Actor. The film is also Japan’s entry for the Best Foreign Language Film category for the 76th Academy Awards, but unfortunately, it did not win any nomination.
The first group of viewers praised the film’s minimalistic essence as well as the contrast between Kenji’s disciplined lifestyle and Noi’s free-spirited life. While there were critics who did not find the pacing of the film appealing, there were others who viewed it as a true to form blending of Eastern and Western cinema.
Accolades:
Best Actor Award, Venice’s Film Festival (Tadanobu Asano)
Best Director and Best Cinematography awards, Thailand National Film Association Awards
Screened at the Rotterdam Film Festival and various others for their exquisite innovation in narrative style
Impact on Thai cinema:
Last Life in the Universe opened new doors in Thai cinema and helped establish Pen-Ek Ratanaruang as one of the great directors of the country. His efforts helped raise the international profile of Tadanobu Asano and proved that there existed great Asian talent able to tell complex and intricate stories for the global audience.
Final Overview:
Last Life in the Universe is and will forever be a masterfully cinematic expression of the modern-day themes of love, loss and redemption. Its slow pace and use of visual metaphors engross the audience into the movie when they are open to the elegant narrative. Its ability of touching the true essence of human interactions makes it a never-ending source of inspiration to both the filmmakers and the audience.
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