WONDERFUL TOWN

Watched this evening what I believe may be my first Thai movie, Wonderful Town (2007), about a recovering architect (from bar musician and alcoholism) who is seeking a little solitude while on a building assignment) who meets the lovely Na, housekeeper and manager of an older hotel in a small southern Thailand town, recovering as well from the ravages of the tsunami. Of course, they fall in love, and the budding romance is sweet and unrushed. But some in the town, including her minor gangster brother and several street toughs, disapprove (not entirely sure why, other than perhaps regional differences) of their romance. The movie is beautifully shot and slowly paced; mountains tower in the rear, while a wide open ocean expands from the beach to the horizon. Directed by Aditya Assarat, with nice performances by the lovely Na (Anchalee Saisoontorn) and Ton (Supphasit Kansen), it is a delightful movie, although [spoiler alert] it is also a bit of a downer.