6ixtynin9 (Ruang talok 69), directed by Pen-Ek Ratanaruang, 1999
Pen-Ek Ratanaruang is really starting to earn a high spot in my list of directors whose works I'm trying to track down.
Last Life in the Universe was beautiful and
6ixtynin9 is just a subdued riot.
A recently unemployed woman, Tum, accidently recieves $25,000 at her doorstep, due to the constant slipping of the number on her door, dropping from room 6 to room 9. While in the process of trying to decide if she should give the money back or not, two gangsters force themsevles into her door...two dead bodies later and our gal now has $25,000.
The violence is peppered throughout, but isn't over the top though there is often a decent amount of blood on display. One area where the movie really shines is through the great humor and the, fairly Elmore Leondard-esque, remarkably clever script. It just gets better and better as it goes along, introducing a surprisingly wide variety of subplots and characters who for the most part wind up on the floor in some capacity or another. And the movie just gets funnier as the bodies start piling up around our hero and she still keeps her cool, defiantly pursuing her new found fortune.
The same craft mastered in
Last Life is clearly in the developmental stages here, but Pen-Ek still knows how to work silence and above all his actors in this early work of his. Lalita Panyopas is really great as Tum, never going over the top, playing it serious the whole time and still eliciting a plethora of smiles with her actions. All of the supporting characters are fantastic, especially a sex-obsessed, nosey, house-wife neighbor and her clique of middle aged girlfriends.
It's just an overall great flick. It certainly isn't flawless or the first of its kind, but it maintains a lot of originality throughout and enough nuances to keep you coming back for more. It's the small things that really make the movie worth it. The small plot points and the small tricks and tweaks that Pen-Ek uses to make us flinch or laugh. I particulairly liked the subtitles for a deaf character's sign language that were just a black bar, hehe.
6ixtynin9 may not be a one of a kind, but it is a gem - highly enjoyable and a nice early entry from a fantastic director.
I'd highly recommend a two night viewing of
6ixtynin9 and
Last Life in the Universe, it'd be a great night.