Present Perfect (2017)

STORY: The whole show centers around Toey's experiences in a foreign country (Japan) while trying to get over his recent heartbreak and trying to figure out his feelings toward Oat, a fellow Thai, who rents the unit next to him. It's quite a long movie but evenly paced and never really felt slow. The ending is a bit disappointing but understandable in the context of the movie.

ACTING/CAST: The guys are cute and they have good chemistry. There are a number of sweet moments and they pull them off nicely.

MUSIC: I only seem to remember a piano in the background. It went well with the show but I remember little else.

REWATCH VALUE: Nah, while it was enjoyable once, no need to see it again.

OVERALL: This is a multilingual movie: Thai, Japanese, English.  It was fun to watch. Also it was sweet to watch Toey and Oat draw close to each other. But, as the details section states above, they have to disappointingly "return to the 'real world'." Also, lots of pretty scenery of Japan. Hope you like Natt?!

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Haven't watched the second one but here is my review on the first

I didn't have any expectations going into this which was nice but it surprised me. Like what the other reviews said it's slow-paced but personally not in a boring way. I think the story is simple but beautiful. The ending though not the happiest was nice and it defiantly eft room for part two which I will watch later. I wouldn't recommend this movie to people who like watching dramatic, fluffy and maybe smutty BL's. But if you want to watch a heartwarming story that to me seemed to depict a gay relationship in a real way then this is for you. The story is simple but well done and I loved the metaphor of the nattō. I also like to way it followed one person's perspective, as in when they didn't remember stuff we wouldn't see it, and we wouldn't see the stuff that they didn't. It again made the movie have a more realistic feel unlike others which jump around POVs (not that there is anything wrong with that) Yumi is one of the best characters in this, she knows just the right things to say and doesn't judge anyone based on their actions. I would recommend this to the LGBT+ community, because of the mature way it depicted a gay relationship. There are a couple of bits that I didn't like one being the reason Oat got engaged but no show is perfect! But overall I found this movie to be heartwarming and enjoyable

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After rewatching it, I had to revise my first impression

The first time I watched the movie it felt a little lengthy and the acting a little stiff.

Nevertheless I have watched the second part (see my review there) and thought, I should rewatch the first one because I felt so much closer to the actors in the second movie.
And I am glad I did so. Because now, with the feelings from the second movie, the acting in this movie makes more sense to me. The english parts are still a bit bumpy, but Tonawanik Adisorn plays the "being torn because of having had sex with a man" really good, the confusion is literally writen all over his face. He is a quiet character and I misread that the first time, so you have to watch his face closely. And his heartbreak brought me to tears (again).
The character of Oat is even when rewatching a bit plain, no changes there. But Yumi is great, I loved her from the beginning.

Another thing I love about the movie: the soundtrack. There is not much music, but the song when they kiss is terrific and adds to the scene extremly well. And the scenery is awesome, for example the picture when they stand on the mountain and watch the land below is like a painting, beautifull.

My conclusion: I like the movie *insertsmileyhere*

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A Refreshingly Quiet Love Story

This quiet little drama is worthy of a 10 but the enigmatic, open-ended ending is a real disappointment. Nevertheless, there's a familiarity about this story. It's one an older generation of gay men have shared with me over the years. They had boyfriends early in life but eventually were forced into a traditional marriage with kids. When the kids finally grew up they were able to revisit their native sexual orientation. It was really refreshing to see a quiet little drama out in the countryside with only three main characters (for the most part). The music was wonderful (even if not very well edited together). This could have been like a rather dull stage play with just the two houses, but the director opened up a lot of beautiful scenery and dialog-free montages. The metaphor of Natto being distasteful until you acquire a taste for it (or until it's presented properly) was a delightful way to say, "How do you know you don't like something until you've tried it?" Well, I guess there's a sequel to this (which I have not seen yet) but, in my view, a better ending would have been for Toey to end up with another guy (perhaps the one he says goodbye to at the airport?) and leave Oat to this chosen life path. You can still have that scene of regret, but life goes on and it's better not to dwell too much on a past you can't go back to.

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Some Questionable Story Elements, But Enjoyable All in All...

What a depressing, frustrating ending! I'm so glad that there's a sequel so that Toey and Oat can be reunited. I've heard so many rave reviews about the sequel and wanted to watch it, but of course, I had to watch its prequel first.

Quiet. Watching this film is like taking a stroll in the park. Calming and relaxing. There's a feeling of ease. Though I did like Oat and Toey's relationship, how it started was questionable. A random rape subplot committed by Oat who didn't seem like the person who would take advantage of Toey. It felt completely out of character for Oat as if the writer wanted to inject some conflict into the story. In addition, the rationalization of the sexual assault on both Yumi's and Toey's end was questionable. "If it was a woman, it would be better." What?! And Yumi using natto to open Toey's mind up to guys was weird. All in all though, I enjoyed the film and really liked the relationships between Toey and Oat. That ending where they reunited after several years was quite sad and touching as they realize how much time has passed and thought about what could have been. I am ready for the much lauded sequel!

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As much as I enjoyed the short film (shown here), the same goes for this feature film. In terms of the story, these young men only had a few days at the Higashikawa Resort in Japan, each arriving from different motives. Toey came here to heal a broken heart after a five-year relationship with his girlfriend, and Oat, on the other hand, to enjoy the last days before the wedding. Very nicely produced (albeit in Thai with a slow fall) and also played, especially the more mysterious Oat impressed me and the overall tone, except for the twice rather loud music, was pleasantly sad, especially the ending after a while when Toey tried to take on "the form "Oat.



Tak jako se mi líbil krátký film (zde uvedený), tak to samé platí i pro tento celovečerní snímek. Z hlediska příběhu měli tito mladí muži na sebe jen pár dní v rezortu Higashikawa v Japonsku, kam každý přijel z jiných pohnutek. Toey sem přijel vyléčit zlomené srdce po pětiletém vztahu s přítelkyní a Oat naopak užít si poslední dny před svatbou. Moc hezky vyrobeno (i když thajsky s pomalým spádem) a i zahráno, především tajemnější Oat na mě zapůsobil a celkové vyznění, až na dvakrát dost hlasitou hudbu, bylo příjemně smutné, především ten závěr po čase, kdy Toey se snažil na sebe vzít "podobu" Oata.

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A sad but fluffy reality

I can say that I enjoyed this film enough. The pacing and the acting all remind me very closely of Japanese movies and dramas I've watched in the past, so don't expect the liveliness that you might find in Thai series - there's none of that here other than the two main characters speaking the language. It's also VERY quiet - I'm pretty sure there's just a few moments where some OST can be heard, while everything else just has ambient sounds or is completely silent. The pacing is also pretty slow and meant for the viewer to take in all the details and the acting without rushing in. I can't recommend this if you're one who gets impatient or distracted easily!

The story itself is actually touching, although in its own sad way. Toey and Oat meet in Japan in a small town, both far away from their personal problems (Toey just broke up with his girlfriend after years of being together, Oat is on his last solo vacation before getting married). Since they're both so far away from their life in Thailand, the entire film feels almost dream-like, as if it was a fantasy rather than made of actual events, which is something that I liked a lot. This dreamy atmosphere is broken from time to time by real-life events and discoveries, which made me want Toey and Oat to keep being happy in a bubble of their own even more.
I don't want to say more than it's necessary as I believe that it's better to watch the film than have a review tell everything. All I want to add is that there are some themes and events that might not be everyone's cup of tea, so I can't recommend watching before bracing yourself in case you don't digest sensitive contents well. Overall it was pretty good, so I'd say you should give it a go!

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perfectly imperfect

know there r others that will disagree, but this movie exceeded my expectation's - first off reading the description was sure Toey was gay (cause this is a BL) and he had broken up with his gay-lover and was journeying to mend his broken heart, and meets Oat "...who is on his bachelor finale trip.." and presto he falls in-love as u do. boy was i wrong -

before anything have to say Toey's ex was brutal - like i get her breaking-up with him, but the sh*t that came out of her mouth - u don't demolish a persons soul just cause u want out of a relationship - and considering she already had a new guy. she could've just owned up to that and not annihilated his self-esteem on her way out. really there was no reason for it - other then to just be a mega-b*tch.

Oat - from the sec he set eyes on Toey, he was "hooked" - maybe it was his last chance to "sow his wild oats" or maybe he was just attracted to Toey, u could see it with his stealing glances - so his actually being gay isn't a shocker. if anything it's sad that in-spite of being gay he got into a relationship with a girl and has fathered a child, that he really doesn't want - neither the kid nor the wife. what a "happy family"?!?
but considering his father being a military man, him being intolerant towards anything that isn't "normal" is implied, so maybe it's not astonishing that Oat got himself a "beard" - and yet it's sad for everyone involved -

even though the story was pretty clam, it was turbulent cause of all the emotional turmoil going on in each character, and the conversations with Yumi were so needed - she is the clam in a tempestuous sea... everyone really did a great job - loved Toey the most - he brought his A game, the confusions, hurt, anger - let alone his starting to open up and even fall for Oat - he was so great - like an open book that was easy and very enjoyable to read - hard not to like and root for a character like this. donno what awaits in the sequel just hope Toey gets a happy ending - even though i enjoyed how this ended - and even if i didn't know that there is a sequel - i would've enjoyed how this ended, cause it was logical. its left open - does Toey delete Oat's friend request, breaking all contact with him or does he chance it and accept him and everything that may come by choosing that path?!? (well don't have to guess, like u usually do - as just need to check out the sequel).

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Anusorn Soisa-ngim, the irreverent, the illusionist

Anusorn Soisa-ngim is a 35-year-old Thai man with a frank smile and happy eyes, a clean-shaven beard and modern pants and shirts as his clothing of choice, in which there is no shortage of the image of Britney Spears, which along with love is the other thing in this world that you believe in.
He looks like a high school math teacher. However, sometimes I imagine him in another way, with a wardrobe of bright colors, an earring in his ear and a bohemian air, and in his hands a banner with a motto drawn in the colors of the rainbow, in the middle of a crowd, fighting for the right to equal marriage and the end of the discrimination to which LGBT+ people are subjected in their nation, or actively participating in other protests against harassment and marginalization carried out by executives in the Thai entertainment industry.
Perhaps this way, Aam, as he likes to be called, was more similar to his film work, because Anusorn Soisa-ngim is not dedicated to teaching logarithmic equations to inattentive teenagers: his job is to be a Thai iconoclast or, what is the same, one of the most unique authors of contemporary world cinema.
From his beginnings on the big screen as a screenwriter and director, Aam showed his ways as an original creator. With great artistic skills and indie creation, he says what he thinks and, above all, tells the truth.
Eternal nonconformist and controversial to the core, but never apologetic, few filmmakers can boast in their entire careers the significance of the titles they have delivered from 2012 to date. His debut was with 'Present Perfect', a short film made during his university years, in which he filmed a story related to himself, which would be taken up five years later in a film with the same title, with which he set out to bring back to Toey and Oat, his main characters, with the aim that the audience enjoyed his realistic perspective on what he believes about love, and with the key message that if you think in a new and different way, sometimes it is much better than you expect.
It would then be followed by the films 'Bangkok Dark Tales' (2019), and 'There Is No Space for Me' (2014), the three seasons of '2moons: The Series' (Mello Thailand, 2019), the documentary 'BL Broken Fantasy ' (2020), the feature film 'Present Still Perfect' (with which the cycle momentarily closes, but another installment is planned), the film series 'Call It What You Want' (GagaOOLala, 2021), which includes 'It's Complicated', and the film series 'Till the World Ends', the latter two from 2023.
Their creations share a taste for telling realistic stories that reflect their own lives, or about how they wish society was, how they wish people would treat each other. Despite the stylistic variations between each work, one cannot escape the feeling that they point to the same essences, convictions, fears, securities, philias and intimate worldviews of the author. As if Anusorn Soisa-ngim created a portal to his mind through his filmography, because the Thai director believes in the power of telling stories, in creating content that speaks to people, that makes them feel, think and question . He ultimately believes in being unapologetically himself, no matter what the industry says.
His journey has not been easy. After graduating in 2014, the filmmaker dove headfirst into the world of glitz and glamor that is the entertainment industry, only to discover that it's more about who you know than what you can do. But here's the kicker: Instead of following their rules, Anusorn Soisa-ngim made his own. And that provoked the anger of the hierarchy.
Inspired by real events, 'Call It What You Want' reflected the pressure of the BL industry on artists: plastic surgery, strict diets and, worst of all, the suffering to which young actors are subjected when they are harassed by film producers series, in addition to the need to keep the relationships between many of the protagonists of these dramas a secret from the company and fans. This meant an attempt to silence him.
Being banned from the entertainment industry has meant for him that he is not chained to having to follow guidelines, so he can break the rules and, although he does not have money for his creations, he has been able to push the limits and create art that really means something, without fear that it may generate controversy.
Aam's cinema has as many tricks as a conjurer. Characterized by telling real, raw stories full of passion, his works are about people, life, struggles and triumphs, and that is what makes them unforgettable. His creations go from laughter to horror as they reflect the sexual harassment of young actors by executives in the entertainment industry, or the promises that giving them their bodies would guarantee them entry to Earthly Paradise; but perennially having as its main theme the romance between boys.
Always trying to be himself and, at the same time, trying to understand what the fans really want to see.
Away from fiction, but about it, in the documentary 'BL Broken Fantasy' he addresses the behind-the-scenes of BL. Starring Bright and Win, the protagonists of the famous BL 'Still 2gether', Anusorn Soisa-ngim himself and a group of directors, producers, actors and scriptwriters of the genre, including Aof Noppharnach, Vachirawit Chivaaree and Metawin Opas-iamkajorn, try answer questions such as: Where does the BL series come from? Why are Yaoi fangirls devoting themselves physically and financially to BL?
Revered in 2022 as the best-selling BL sales director, in 2023 he was the Filmmaker of the Pride Month. He was nominated twice for the Asian Contents Awards, the first in 2020 thanks to '2moons: The Series', and then the following year with his second series, 'Call It What You Want', with which he was also nominated for an award. Content Asia, for "illuminating the struggles of independent filmmakers in the cutthroat entertainment sector." This series of films reveals, through the lens of Aam Anusorn, a tapestry of challenges, triumphs, and eternal perseverance.
Known for his unique approach to storytelling, drawing inspiration from his own experiences to create stories, Aam has made a name for himself in the independent film industry, and founded his own production company, COM'ME'TIVE By Aam, while still He was in his second year at Bangkok University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in Film and Performing Arts.

'PRESENT PERFECT' AND 'PRESENT STILL PERFECT'

Aam's most notable work to date is 'Present Perfect', which he adapted from the original 2012 short film. It is considered the first Thai film to receive funding from the government of Hokkaido, Japan.
The film revolves around Toey, a young Thai man who, after a painful breakup, decides to heal his broken heart in the Japanese city of Higashikawa, where he meets Oat, a man who travels to Japan to experience freedom for the last time in his life, because he is about to get married. From strangers to friends, romance blossoms between the two. Before returning to the "real" world, the two men have to pick up the broken pieces and rebuild them.
Starring Kritsana Maroukasonti as Oat and Tonawanik Adisorn as Toey, for her 2017 debut, Aam Anusorn Soisa-Ngim drew on him own experiences to tell this romantic story that will take the viewer on a moving journey as the characters follow the simple quest of love The encounter forms a beautiful relationship between two men, because each has his own trauma.
For the filmmaker, recovering these characters, especially Oat and Toey, was like seeing himself.
Produced by Nuttachai Jiraanont, Tanwarin Sukapisit and Chen Rong Hua, the film won the Best Film Award at the Amsterdam LGBTQ Film Festival in the Netherlands and was screened at many film festivals around the world, including the World Festival Bangkok Film Festival, the Serile Filmului International Gay Film Festival, Romania, and the Western Visayas Film Festival, Philippines.
Then, the film ended inconclusively, in the airport scene in which both young people have to separate. The director faced a dilemma, when one is about to accept or delete the other's friend request. And he chose to just leave it there, because he wanted people to create their own ending. "Those were those times, in 2017, when gay marriage was something we didn't talk about in Thailand," he told the press at the time.
While 'Present Perfect' is more realistic and intended to be true to life, 'Present Still Perfect', released on March 12, 2020, offers a more idealistic view of same-sex relationships in modern Thailand, while the A pair of former lovers reunites once again on the remote island of Koh Kood.
Four years after what is told in 'Present Perfect', Toey meets Oat at the airport and all his pain returns. In an attempt to cope with her pain, he decides to travel to Koh Kood where he meets Jane (Darina Boonchu), the guesthouse owner who recently discovered that her husband was having an affair, and Kenta (Ryota Omi), a traveler from Japan who was staying at his house.
The peace and beauty of the island brought Toey joy again, but he knew he couldn't ignore her feelings for Oat forever. Until one night he receives a message from Oat about how much he missed him. Toey responds by stating that he loves him too, because deep down being with Oat is all he wants, but he is cautious, knowing that his love is forbidden. The next morning, Oat appears on Koh Kood. Now Toey has to decide whether to follow his heart and rekindle his relationship with Oat or let him go since they can never truly be together.
'Present Still Perfect' is more about how Aam wishes society was. With his dream of getting married one day still unfulfilled, the filmmaker needed his dream to come true, at least on screen. For this reason, he did not hesitate to see his characters triumph in love. "I feel like I'm already married, even though that's not the truth. So yeah, the reason I keep coming back to these characters is because I want them to be successful in love, and ultimately they were."
The sequel to 'Present Perfect' makes a clear statement in favor of same-sex marriage.
And if on the one hand, the film has contributed to changing mentalities and making visible people from the LGBT+ community and their struggles for the legalization of same-sex marriage in Thailand, it also leaves another clear message: the act of letting go, the act of forgiving. If your husband is gay and you already knew it because you have been with him for years, you have to learn to let go and accept the truth.
In 2018 he did not have the budget to film the second part because no one supported him. Then one of his fans suggested, "Why don't you go to Indiegogo.com and then do some crowdfunding?" And after a lot of thinking: "Who is going to pay me the money? I'm a nobody. Nobody cares about me. Why do I have to?", he discovered one day that he had enough money to embark on that other trip. .
On the other hand, much of 'Present Perfect' and its sequel deal with cultural differences. In 'Present Still Perfect', for example, a Japanese character explains how in Japan it is considered disrespectful to let an old woman take her seat on the bus.
However, what is truly extraordinary is the cinematographic wrapping of these topics in films and series that leave the unmistakable feeling of being unique.
This, and no other, is the key to Anusorn Soisa-Ngim's exceptionality. If we look closely, the themes are not different from those of hundreds of authors, many of them also Thai, no matter how much personal quirks are sought in their work. However, his way of conceiving stories on celluloid has such a singularity that there is no other choice but to applaud and applaud him, like the magician who has just pulled a white rabbit out of his hat.

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Simple, sweet and super slow-paced

Pros:
-Really pretty scenery in Japan with a chill, quiet and calming atmosphere to the film overall.
-I liked the natural, sweet pace that the couple get to know each other at.
-The actor for Oat is really charming and his smile is so friggin cute.
-Kiss scene is really lovely- soft and genuine.
-I loved Toey's Japanese friend Yumi- she was so charming and open-minded.

Cons:
-Not all that much happens tbh- I almost felt like it was in slow motion at times and was really tempted to up the play speed to 1.5x. The runtime is almost two hours (I watched this in two sittings tbh as I got bored after a while).
-I liked the bilingual aspect, but some of the English scenes scenes did feel a bit awkward/unnatural at times- which jilted the flow of some scenes.
-Not a big fan of the fact Oat took advantage of Toey while he was drunk when it's clear he got him drunk on purpose and knew he identified himself as straight.
-The ending sucks. I understand that this film is telling a common story of gay men who feel like they're constrained to fit into a society where they have to forego love for a straight marriage and children... But it is what it is- sad.
I hated that Oat pursues Toey from the beginning in a true act of selfishness as his last jilt before marriage. Especially knowing the entire time that he won't stay with him and that his girlfriend is pregnant. He just uses Toey and throws him away without even having the respect to say goodbye in person.
I dislike that him cheating on his partner is glossed over just because his internal struggle is something a lot of gay men go through. (I sympathize more with the hurt his partner would feel knowing someone married you for mercenary reasons but never actually loved you).
I acknowledge this movie isn't about me though and these things aren't perfect (and that's kind of the point of the movie). But this is not something I'd ever feel motivated to rewatch.
I really wish the movie finished with Toey rejecting the friend request and moving on with his life with a new love interest. I get it's "romantic" and melodramatic to "wait" for his one true love to come back (I know there's a sequel along those lines). But to me it'd be more satisfying to show that you should have the self-respect to move on from people who use you and find someone who truly wants to be with you.

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