Doi Boy (2023)

I get it... but I don't

This piece of beautiful cinematography reveals some important flaws of the society that we live in but also shows how a specific part of it is suffering without us even knowing.
I liked that it showed something raw and real without focusing on the bl part which actually came pretty natural. The chemistry between the actors seemed pure and I loved that. They really managed to express difficult emotions.
On the other hand it seemed to me that it was one of those films where 'nothing happens' but it actually does. The plot looked like it was going nowhere so I was a little confused as I was watching it.

The ending didn't sit right with me and I was hoping to find someone here who I can talk about it but I am the first review so feel free to talk to me.

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This movie, at least for me, has great value. It is completely different from what I am used to from Thailand with the BL line. It is about three beings, so different, from the Burmese-Thai border, specifically, part of the story goes (even backwards) to the separatist Burmese province of Shan (Shan), where life is very cruel for some, and everything is underlined by the fact that the two states (Myanmar and Thailand) do not have a completely ideal foreign-political relationship, it is interwoven with other characters and the story enriched me. Wan, later Sorn, has a difficult life in Shan, first among the monks, then in the Burmese army, he wants to get to Thailand with his powers and what he has to undergo. I didn't even mind the fact that the eroticism unfolded with a maximum of touches, which only increased the value of the film for me this time. A lot of interesting things, even if the film probably won't appeal to all viewers.


Tento film, alespoň pro mě, má velkou hodnotu. Je totiž úplně jiný, než na co jsem z Thajska s BL linkou zvyklý. Je o třech bytostech, tak rozdílných, z barmsko-thajského pomezí, konkrétně část děje zabíhá (i zpětně) do separatistické barmské provincie Šan (Shan), kde je pro některé život hodně krutý, navíc vše podtrženo i tím, že zrovna oba dva státy (Myanmar a Thajsko) nemají úplně ideální zahraničně-politický vztah, je protkán i ostatními postavami a příběh mě obohatil. Wan, později Sorn, má v Šanu tíživý život, nejdříve mezi mnichy, potom v barmské armádě, se mermomocí chce dostat do Thajska a co všechno musí podstoupit. Nevadilo mi ani to, že erotika se odvíjela maximálně doteky, což mi tentokráte hodnotu filmu jen umocnilo. Zajímavé hodně, i když snímek neosloví asi všechny diváky.

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Raw, Gritty & Intense

This is a movie that lays out in detail all the ugliness of the darker side of Thai society that we do certainly not see in BLs. Since I honestly know little about the political inner working of Thailand, I do not know whether this chronicle is based on some semblance of truth or not. However, as in any premise, I do believe some kernels of truth and honesty are no doubt in this screenplay and part of it must be taken at face value. We tend to not want to think of or perhaps see that a fantasy land of ours (such as Thailand) has a darker side to it, but it does. And this movie presents a very dark, depressing, look at that reality. There is no romance here nor any hint of a BL; but it does present a side of the adult entertainment industry we tend to dismiss or pretend does not exist as we glaze over or gloss over the geo-political strife that might also exist in that part of the world when we watch BLs in the comfort of our homes.
You can read my full review of this movie at BLBliss.com.

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Mixed feelings

This is one of my rare time I've decided to try writing my impressions on a movie in which I feel like I understand it but at the same time, I don't.

I wanted to watch it a while ago and I've taken some time because of diverse reasons and finally, I've watched it by curiosity. I didn't know if it was too vulgar or too violent but I finally gave it a try.

This movie is like an independant, underground (I don't know how to describe it) movie which is not for everyone's cup of tea. Despite a beautiful cinematography, the relationships were natural, acting is nice and some interesting and serious matters to discuss with... The pacing felt a bit too slow for me so it didn't really hooked me or made me want to be invested in the story.

However, it sure left me with some mixed feelings. It's not that I don't like it but I feel bit left out?? Did I regret watching this? Not really.

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The harsh reality of Thailand without makeup

This audiovisual product represents the harsh social, economic and political reality experienced by the Thai population. It talks about its problems and contexts, generally adverse, and becomes a reflection of that Asian country.
The film shows topics such as illegal immigration for political, religious, ethnic or sexual orientation reasons; political, administrative and police corruption; police violence and crime, physical elimination of activists and members of the LGBT+ community, border militarization, dysfunctional families, bisexuality, racism, racial discrimination, politically motivated murders, homosexuality, economic problems, prostitution, political activism, stripper , violation of Human Rights, phenomena all reflections of Thai society. I highly doubt that for one reason or another any member of Thai society escapes seeing themselves reflected on the screen.
And facing all these problems there is Sorn (Ud Awat Ratanapintha), a Burmese refugee who, with the hope of a better life, seeks refuge and forges a new identity as a sex worker in Thailand. The protagonist will end up involved in a client's risky plan that endangers his life and that of other people. The diversity of conflicts he faces, his psychological complexity and emotional evolution, add layers to the narrative and weave an intriguing web that keeps the viewer in suspense during its hour and 36 minutes of duration.
The artistic maturity of its main performer protects a remarkable wisdom forged through the experiences lived on the film set. His ability to convey emotions, in a genuine way, cements his position as a leading actor in the Thai film and television scene. Far from seeking grandiloquence, you immerse yourself in your characters with the simplicity that characterizes those who understand that true art lies in authenticity.
From her first appearance on the big screen with the feature film 'Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy' (2013) or as a girl with dramas such as 'Hormones 1' (2013) and 'Hormones 2', in 2014, to her participation in television productions such as 'Cat Radio TV Season 1 and 2', '#HATETAG' (2021), 'Bad Genius' (2022), 'Quarantine Stories' (2020), of which in addition to being an actor he is the director and screenwriter; or in the 2022 documentary JMJ: Lesson 25, in which you participate as an actor and director, you have shown how versatile and capable you are of connecting with the public.
With 'Doi Boy' it is not the first time that he has faced the challenge of playing a leading character. Also in the drama ThirTEEN Terrors (2014), and the special Project S Let's Say Goodbye, from 2018, he had already been placed in front of the responsibility of leading plots. However, taking on the lead role in a film like this involved new challenges, and for the actor, it was a crucial step in his career.
Pae Arak Amornsupasiri as Ji, and Aelm Bhumibhat Thavornsiri, who plays Wuth, are the other two main characters.
The way in which social criticism, border problems and issues related to sexual orientation and male prostitution are represented in the film is not coincidental. In his first work, the documentary 'Boundary' (2013), its director, Nontawat Numbenchapol, already addressed the reality of the local population on the border between Thailand and Cambodia never before recognized in Thai cinematography.
Interested in social issues, in his second documentary, 'By The River', he visualized the situation of the villagers of Klity affected by lead water contamination. With this documentary, for the first time a film of that nationality won the Special Mention at the Locarno International Film Festival.
'Doi Boy' is not the first film with which the filmmaker analyzes issues related to sexual or gender identity. With the hybrid docu-fiction #BKKY, from 2016, this renowned documentary filmmaker and cinematographer visualizes stories of 100 teenagers interviewed in Bangkok about their loves, their dreams, and their coming of age just after graduating from high school. With it, he won the Jury Prize for best feature film at Lesbisch Schwule Filmtage Hamburg, Germany.
Despite a solid premise and good performances and general direction, the film does not reach perfection because it is based on an underdeveloped script, with aspects that deserved further exploration.
Beyond its positive aspects, Doi Boy can be perfected, like any artistic creation. The absence of unique characters like Sorn, Ji and Wuth and the practically non-existent presence of stories like this in Thai and Asian cinematography in general could work in its favor. However, these same positive qualities cause the film to be undervalued by followers of the BL genre, but as a thriller and drama it works well.
'Doi Boy' is a forceful justification to talk about Thailand far beyond the false and illusory representation, both in cinema, television and other national media, of a country as a sexual paradise and freedoms for members of the LGBT+ community and the rest of its population, equally discriminated against for political, ethnic and racial reasons. The film is a reflection of what hurts millions of human beings both in that nation and in the world. That is why I am grateful that it does not have a made-up ending and shows reality as it is until its ultimate consequences: those gray areas of the existence of the Thais shown in 'Doi Boy' are not really reflected in the BL dramas from that region of the planet.

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