033 4 I really enjoy a good art-house romance . The Road Home , In the Mood for Love , Chungking Express , White Valentine , Beyond Our Ken , and 3 - Iron were all very enjoyable . I've seen Last Life In the Universe ( LLITU ) now three times . I keep hearing all sorts of excellent references to this film , so I keep watching it to see if I'm missing anything . It's now safe to say that I'm not . It's not a bad film , but it's not a great one either . In a nutshell , it's a well-made movie that stumbles in both its conceptual and relationship development .
The theme of suicide is important in LLITU , but I was never convinced that Kenji was suicidal . His friend stops by his apartment , sees the noose , and says suicide again ? , inferring that Kenji keeps implying that he wants to kill himself , but lacks any sort of seriousness about it . His roommate then pulls the noose and it easily slips away from its foundation , thus implying that Kenji is so devoid of resolve that he fails to tie the rope tightly to the ceiling . Later on , the yakuza points a gun at him and he cowers backward , thus implying that he is , in fact , afraid to die . All of this contradicts the claim that Kenji was somehow suicidal before he meets Noi . In my opinion , this prevents LLITU from establishing even the slightest dramatic weight from the theme of suicide . The concept itself becomes superfluous and useless .
The same is true to a lesser extent with Noi's guilt over her sister's death . One minute she's crying over it , the next minute she admits that she thinks of her sister sometimes , even though she died only a few days earlier . She also refuses to return to the hospital and witness her sister's burial / cremation . These events mitigate some of the impact of guilt on Noi's character . Basically , she was getting over it too quickly .
Some may feel that I am nitpicking , and that's fine . Where this film truly stumbles is in the romantic development between the two leads . There is a patent lack of important narrative . This is not a problem , in and of itself , if the film is capable of establishing non-narrative maturity ( i.e . , Kim Ki-duk's 3 - Iron ) . This is not easy to accomplish , however , and requires particularly clever scriptwriting to provide interesting events and scenarios that allow the characters to use physical interaction and subtle , non-verbal communication . No such memorable events are forthcoming here . Kenji cleans Noi's house , hits her boyfriend , then they go out for a generic night on the town . That's about it .
If the filmmakers wish to convince me that two people could somehow develop a deep caring for one another over a single weekend , they had better provide some compelling moments with significant emotional / dramatic weight . Lots of uninteresting , everyday events fail to do the job . Relationship development is not earned by characters washing dishes , doing laundry , or strolling around an empty house . Sure , it's all very pretty , very slow , and distinctively art house , but it's also very tiresome , and frankly a waste of time .
I'm not sure exactly how people fall in love - if love exists at all in this world - but I sure as hell know that it requires something special . This film trivializes it and turns it into something so inconsequential and easy to obtain that it effectively becomes a meaningless , petty incident . I've personally been searching my entire life for someone to care for . It's nice to know that I can simply invite a girl to hang out for the weekend and do my laundry . I'll be married by the end of the month .
LLITU is not horrible by any means . The acting is solid , the women are sexy , and the atmosphere is calm and effective , but I honestly cannot think of one truly memorable scene in this 104 - minute film . Needless to say , it left no emotional aftereffects . It ended , I put the DVD back in its case , wrote this review , and forgot about it instantly . Although something tells me that I'll be constantly reminded of its greatness by its many loyal fans .
( On a side note , here again we have another art-house film attempting to convey the concept of loneliness , ala Tsai Ming-liang . While this film is not nearly as bad as Tsai's films , it still ultimately fails to say much of anything or contribute any depth or insight to the concept of loneliness , and only provides a very vague , superficial treatment of an implicitly interesting topic . Kiyoshi Kurosawa should again be commended here for creating a deliberately-paced yet interesting exposition on loneliness in his film Kairo . It is interesting to note that his horror film accomplishes more maturity and conceptual development than art-house dramas that attempt the same . )
001 4 Pen-Ek Ratanaruang's 2003 film , Last Life in the Universe , is an intelligently crafted drama of two polar opposites who meet under unusual circumstances . Kenji , Japanese , is living in Bangkok , and is a suicide-obsessed neat freak librarian whose brother is a yakuza . The brother , played by none other than Mr . Intensity himself , prolific Japanese director Takashi Miike , comes to the librarian's apartment to hide out for a short time but while there , tragedy ensues and Kenji has to leave , fast .
Noi , a native Thai ( the director is Thai ) is arguing with her younger sister in the middle of traffic . When they stop in the middle of a busy thoroughfare , yelling at each other , Noi telling her sister to leave , tragedy of a different kind occurs and Noi is left completely numb .
Noi , as it happens , is a total slob . When these two meet - - both in their 20s - - there's a halting , push-pull back and forth that is underscored by lack of familiarity with the other's language . They speak to each other in hesitant English that gives their attempts at connecting to each other a much greater poignance and heartfelt feeling than if they'd been both Thai or both Japanese .
The subtlety of this connection is so sensitively created that it is a real pleasure to watch this film , to see two mismatched people try to converge emotionally . In one brilliant scene , Noi lies with her head in Kenji's lap and for a brief moment , we see not Noi lying there , but her younger sister , now gone .
Interestingly enough , this film was submitted to the Cannes Film Festival at the same time as Lost in Translation with similar thematic elements and is , in my opinion , a far better film . Unfortunately it did not win anything . The director's previous work , which has garnered strong praise from various sources , is , alas , not available domestically ; it definitely should be .
UPDATE : Good news ! The comedy 6ixtyNin9 by the same director will be out domestically in January 2005 .
A beautifully made film that should be seen by those tired of American cinematic cliches and want something fresh , original , and unique .
Very highly recommended .
002 4 Originally concieved as an excuse for four cinematic talents to combine forces and make a film together ( i.e . to have some fun ) , * Last Life in the Universe ( Ruang rak noi nid mahasan ) * has moved above and beyond its humble genesis to become an art-house watermark for the burgeoning Thai film industry , the splendid result of multi-cultural synergistic craft . The first mature outing for writer / director Pen-Ek Ratanaruang , * Last Life in the Universe * concerns itself with two disconnected spheres , slowly orbiting the other , seeking solace against the grief of the past .
Kenji , a Japanese ex-pat living in Bangkok , spends his days working in a library , reading voraciously and constantly daydreaming about suicide . They say death is relaxing , he reflects in the beginning , no pressure . . . no responsibilities . Kenji makes several efforts to fulfill his daydreams , to no avail : either his obsessive-compulsive tendencies interfere ( he cannot resist the buzzing of a doorbell , or the ring of a telephone ) , or else outside events interrupt , one of which brings him into contact with Noi , a wildfire Thai escort and the polar opposite of Kenji's ultra-neat introvert . Due to circumstances which I will not reveal , the two end up at Noi's huge , filthy house in the rural outskirts of Bangkok , haltingly communicating in Thai , Japanese and English , slowly overcoming the barriers of language and temperament to engage in a languid , touching relationship . In the background , dangerous elements begin to emerge and threaten this tenuous connection ; but Kenji and Noi , oblivious , continue to drift toward a hazily-imagined horizon of love and contentment .
Ace cinematographer Christopher Doyle ( * Hero * ) adds his usual brilliant touch , capturing the integral element of ~ space ~ within Noi and Kenji's divergent domains , framing the characters so that all that unsaid speaks volumes . This is necessary to the film , in that , by the director's own admission , the script is thin . Certain clues as to the man beneath inscrutable , closed-mouthed Kenji are represented in this manner ( a mere moment of revelation - physically - in turn exposes a great deal of the ex-pat's backstory ) , as is the development of the relationship proper . Tadanobu Asano ( * Ichi the Killer * ) is almost unrecognizable as the stiff , emotionally-repressed Kenji , and Sinitta Boonyasak as Noi is simply a delight , playing well off Asano and exhibiting some real talent . Prolific ' shock n ' drang ' film-maestro Takashi Miike makes a brief cameo as a Yakuza , along with a couple of stock thugs ( Yoji Tanaka and Sakichi Sato ) who have graced any number of Nihon-noir flicks and even Quentin Tarantino's * Kill Bill * metahomage .
Others have remarked on the similarity of this film to * Lost in Translation * , and I find it interesting that both were submitted to Cannes at the same time . Both films contain characters in transition-phase , struggling with language-confusion and inner trauma ; both are slowly paced and scored to dreamy ambience . I consider * Last Light in the Universe * to be the better film , preferring the contrast of Noi and Kenji to that of bored , spoiled Westerns bouncing around the teflon glamour of Tokyo , sulking and sighing in the plight of their apathy ; moreover , * Last Light * contains brief moments of violence , exploitation and surreal visual inspiration that startle the viewer from the languid mood of the pacing , giving the occasionally-cloudy atmosphere a much-needed grounding in reality .
DVD comes with an interview of Pen-Ek Ratanaruang about the making of the film , an insightful commentary track and photo gallery courtesy of Christopher Doyle , and trailers for several art-house flicks . Happily , the ambiguous , multi-interpretive nature of the ending is not set in concrete by either Pen-Ek or Doyle . I am content to reflect on the parable of the lizard :
. . . Without family , friends , even enemies . . . what was there to live for ?
Kenji's emergence from a soul-crushing despondency to answer this vital question , be it ' real ' or simply hopeful fantasy , is enough . Five Stars .
003 4 This review is from :
Last Life in the Universe ( DVD )
Kenji , Asano Tadanobu , is a quiet man who is not only fastidiously clean , he labels which shoes he will wear for Monday , Tuesday , etc . and even has labeled his slippers for everyday use , but he also harbors a deep desire to commit suicide . However , before he has the chance to hang himself , slit his wrist , or blow his brains out something always seems to interrupt him . Near the beginning of the film , Kenji attempt at suicide is foiled when his older brother , a member of the yakuza , has unexpectedly come to hide out at his younger brother's place because he was caught having sex with the boss's daughter . Of a meek nature , Kenji allows his brother to stay at his book-filled apartment .
To pay the bills , Kenji works at The Japan Foundation's library where he is the target of the attempted seductions by the head librarian . However , Kenji's eyes are focused on a young Thai girl who works as a hostess , dressed in a sailor uniform , who comes to the library to read Japanese children's books .
Kenji's life might have remained unremarkable , but after his brother is gunned down by a yakuza and Kenji kills the yakuza with his brother's gun , Kenji leaves his hermetically sealed and sterile apartment . Standing on top of a bridge and daydreaming about drowning to death . Kenji encounters the young bargirl who has just been ordered to get out of her sister's car because she had intercourse with the boyfriend of the former . However , before they utter a word to each other a passing car hits the young girl . What follows is an odd relationship shared between Kenji and Noi , the bargirl's sister .
I picked up Last Life in the Universe on a whim a few months ago because its stars my favorites Japanese actor Asano Tadanobu . However , as the months went by I heard a number of good things about the film , including that Christopher Doyle was the cinematographer . The dialogue between Kenji and Noi is quite interesting because it consists of a mixture of Thai , Japanese , and English and although they are unable to fully communicate with each other fully through words , the chemistry between Asano and Sinitta Boonyasak is amazing .
Although the film consists of little more than dialogue between two characters , I found myself deeply drawn into it because of Kenji's taciturn nature and Noi's energetic but sad demeanor . The film is set primarily within Noi's family home which while ramshackle gives off a warm , comforting quality . If you have the chance to check out this film , please do .
004 4 Kenji , Asano Tadanobu , is a quiet man who is not only fastidiously clean , he labels which shoes he will wear for Monday , Tuesday , etc . and even has labeled his slippers for everyday use , but he also harbors a deep desire to commit suicide . However , before he has the chance to hang himself , slit his wrist , or blow his brains out something always seems to interrupt him . Near the beginning of the film , Kenji attempt at suicide is foiled when his older brother , a member of the yakuza , has unexpectedly come to hide out at his younger brother's place because he was caught having sex with the boss's daughter . Of a meek nature , Kenji allows his brother to stay at his book-filled apartment .
To pay the bills , Kenji works at The Japan Foundation's library where he is the target of the attempted seductions by the head librarian . However , Kenji's eyes are focused on a young Thai girl who works as a hostess , dressed in a sailor uniform , who comes to the library to read Japanese children's books .
Kenji's life might have remained unremarkable , but after his brother is gunned down by a yakuza and Kenji kills the yakuza with his brother's gun , Kenji leaves his hermetically sealed and sterile apartment . Standing on top of a bridge and daydreaming about drowning to death . Kenji encounters the young bargirl who has just been ordered to get out of her sister's car because she had intercourse with the boyfriend of the former . However , before they utter a word to each other a passing car hits the young girl . What follows is an odd relationship shared between Kenji and Noi , the bargirl's sister .
I picked up Last Life in the Universe on a whim a few months ago because its stars my favorites Japanese actor Asano Tadanobu . However , as the months went by I heard a number of good things about the film , including that Christopher Doyle was the cinematographer . The dialogue between Kenji and Noi is quite interesting because it consists of a mixture of Thai , Japanese , and English and although they are unable to fully communicate with each other fully through words , the chemistry between Asano and Sinitta Boonyasak is amazing .
Although the film consists of little more than dialogue between two characters , I found myself deeply drawn into it because of Kenji's taciturn nature and Noi's energetic but sad demeanor . The film is set primarily within Noi's family home which while ramshackle gives off a warm , comforting quality . If you have the chance to check out this film , please do .
006 4 This is a very unique film . It is definitely not for everyone because of the slow pace , and the somewhat hard to follow - or believe - storyline . But for people who enjoy slow , dreamy foriegn films , this is certainly a film worth seeing .
This film struck me as more of a character study than a cohesive narrative film . The story is somewhat elliptical , and the narrative turns on some odd coincidences . There are a few parts that are truly jarring , and it kind of messes with the tone of the film , in a good way . I didn't even ' get it ' all the first time I watched it , so the film does reward further viewings . The characters are very well-drawn , and their quirks and personalities come accross as much in the quiet moments of the film as they do through story and dialogue . There are a few CGI scenes and hallucinatory sequences that give a somewhat haunting tone to the film , and help the viewer get inside the heads of the characters . I am hesitant to give away anything about the premise or characters , as I was happy to be surprised , and I'm unsure if a description of the story does the film justice or might give a wrong idea about the film . If you want a story synopsis , I will direct you to other reviewers . The story is good , but not really the strongest thing about the film , and that is why I give four out of five stars .
The main actor is very good , quite subdued in this role . I was surprised to learn that he was the same actor from the explosive Takashi Miike film , Ichi the Killer . Based on these two very different performances , I am very impressed with the versatility and risk-taking of this actor , and I now want to see more of his work . The two sisters ( played by real-life sisters ) are also very good , I'm unsure if they are talented newcomers , or if they are well-known in their native land , but they both seem very natural and believable in their roles . The director seems to have a good rapport with his actors , and lets them inhabit the characters fully and gets very subtle performances from them .
What stands out most in this film is the art dirtection , and the incredible cinematography by Christopher Doyle . Doyle is an Australian ex-pat who has photographed many of the most memorable and gorgeous Asian films in the last 10 - 15 years . He is best know for collaborating with Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar-Wai . He has also filmed ' Hero ' and ' Rabbit-Proof Fence ' , amongst many other notable films . If this film had been shot by anyone else , I don't know if it would have been so appealing . To be sure , the images are seductive and mesmerizing , and Doyle did much to add to the atmosphere of the film . The commentary on the dvd is by Doyle , and there is an extensive gallery of photographic collages done during the film that are really great , but are reproduced far too small to see the detail on-screen . I'm happy to see that the director views this film as a collaboration with Doyle , rather than treating him as a hired hand , and the film is richer for this . I actually bought this dvd before seeing it based entirely on the fact that he was the cinematographer , something I've never done . I recommend this film just to see the photography . Really , it's a lovely looking film .
Overall , I recommend checking this film out .
It's strange . It's sweet . It's kind of sad .
And it is beautiful .
008 4 This is one of those films that you can watch over and over , because it represents what a film should be .
I am in love with Sinitta Boonyasak , who played the character Noi . I thought she did a good job of showing a woman who was wild but yet , still human , as she grieved over the lost of her sister , Nid .
Asano Tadanobu is like a man with many faces , he is probably one of the most underrated actors in any walk . This is a actor who becomes his character as one should , and his performance in this movie as a suicidal anti-social loner name Kenji , is just another notch is his list of credits .
I am hopeless when it comes to love , which these two characters found themselves in . Despite the dilemma's occuring around them .
This film in my opinion is what a film should be , ( ART ! ) . The cinematography is incredible , Christopher Doyle , I am a aspiring film maker I hope within the next two yrs we can cross paths .
I must say that I have another favorite director . Pen-Ek Ratanaruang does a good job of letting this movie flow , quite visionary , although , I am one for happy endings when it comes to two people that belong together , most of the time ( predictable ) is a good thing . Anyway , I look forward to more work by this talented director .
As I will also be a follower of any movie Sinitta is a part of , Im hooked ! nuff said !
009 4 Part surreal , part romantic , part . . . yes , Lost in Translationesque , Thai writer-director Pen-Ek Ratanaraung along with Chris Doyle - deliver - rightly or wrongly as Ratanaraung himself alludes to in the interview in the DVD - a less than a knockout punch type of movie ( as Chris Doyle and Wong Kar-wai did with In the Mood for Love ) around a Lost in Translation theme . Last Life in the Universe , instead of being set in Japan is set in the rough and tumble Thailand . Yes , the main players are Japanese ; the Thai component is not too shabby either . What you have is a subtle , yet compelling film about love , friendship , and the meaning of life .
Kenji ( Tadanobu Asano ) is an fanatically clean Japanese who so happens to be living by himself in good old Bangkok . Kenji earns a living as a mild mannered librarian at the Japanese Cultural Centre . To foreshadow the neat theme , one need only look through his house which reveals the extent of his fussiness . Kenji's books and stuff are organized through a personal filing system . Kenji , as we immediately are exposed to has also been thinking about killing himself . His fantasies are all about death and the methods to achieve it . As all good things come to an end , Kenji's oh so systematic life is thrown into disarray when his brother turns up at his doorstep . Kenji's brother coincidentally is on run from his gang leader . The Yakuza connection is the least of his worries . It is alluded to that Kenji himself is Yakuza with the tattooed back and assassination attempt . The brother complication is a sort of transition into his meeting of Noi ( Sinitta Boonyasak ) , who's essentially his exact opposite - like the flipside of his existential angst . She is unsystematic , cluttered , and neglects minutiae . Kenji lands up at her beachside abode , his neat freak nature kicks in and he , predictably , tidies up the house . Almost innocently , a love interest develops between Kenji and Noi , in spite of the language barrier and personality differences - one might even argue because of their differences . A short note here about the magic of Chris Doyle . With regards to the house as Ratanaraung alludes to in the interview that accompanies the DVD - Doyle is about making the spaces come alive and become integral to the scene . Absolutely . In this movie , the house becomes as much a player as those who had speaking parts . The collaboration between Ratanaraung and Doyle has produced yet another cinematic gem .
A significant portion of Last Life in the Universe is about the interaction between Kenji and Noi , who are both loners not used to reaching out to others . Pen-Ek's almost let things happen does not result in the Wong Kar-waiesque In the Mood for Love intensity . It's an interesting directorial style for a romance ; my sense is for a movie to achieve a sense of eternality it needs to pack a strong emotional punch . Arguably , yes Pen-Ek Ratanaraung is not gunning for cinematic immortality and it is a very beautiful movie - just not Wong Kar-wai of old . Pen-Ek Ratanaraung also plays with the surreal - which is - really cool . The one scene to look out for is when Noi is coming up the steps and surreal nature of the movie lends itself to all the stuff in the house flying in and out of the shelves - pure magical realism and sheer genius . Kenji and Noi do not speak each other's languages , so they turn to a fractured English to communicate , and Pen-Ek Ratanaraung manages to bring to presence the complications of such a situation . The two lead actors deliver a rather nuanced performance .
Last Life in the Universe is a technical and visual delight . The soundtrack wicked . The combination of Doyle and Pan-Ek Ratanaraung allows the actors to let silence do its thing . It may not be In the Mood for Love but plays in its own ballpark and should be acknowledged for that .
Miguel Llora
010 4 Last Life in the Universe is a beautiful movie studied in quiet , long glances at blank walls , and breezy afternoons through open windows . If you lack patience and / or appreciation of film as observation it's probably not for you , but if you let yourself be immersed in this movie about people half heartedly escaping from who they turned out to be it's really an experience .
011 4 Kenji , the head librarian at The Japan Foundation's library is a quiet hermit . Like many young Japanese , he is lonely . His loneliness and apathy for his own subsistence , has caused him to seek death . Kenji's entire focus is to commit suicide . Fortunately , before he has the chance to hang himself , slit his wrist , shoot himself in the head , he is interrupted by the common happenings of life , i.e . , a phone call , a door bell , et cetera . Every scene , you are on the edge of your seat - certain that life is over for him . Kenji is totally doomed , until he meets Noi .
Last Life in the Universe is my favorite movie . My eyes run across this title in my movie collection , and I can't help but think about the raw chemistry that exists between the two characters .
012 4 This is one of my favorite movies . Right after i watched it , i searched Amazon to buy it . Its one those movies that makes you sit and think about life and how alone everyone is , and how in the end we all need each other . You have to pay attention to detail to get the mixed messages and there are alot of truths exposed in this movie . But over all very interesting , and like Kenji said , japanese cars are better !
013 4 This is a movie in a minor key and mainly revels in giving us as little as we need as audience members to understand the action . It's both romantic and anti-romantic I would say , regarding labels . An interesting thing about the movie is the visual style which is used to create images within the characters heads ( events they imagine , or hallucinate happening ) . This imagery is both real and unreal , which makes you as an audience member sometimes question whether something is actually happening . Also , an important thing to note about this is the suicidal subplot . It makes the film reminiscent of Harold and Maude or even Better Off Dead in which the subject matter is treated with gravity and then levity as well . I can honestly say that this is the first Thai film that I have seen and I'm very impressed . I think that I'm most impressed by the fact the film ends while the characters lives are reaching another crucial period and we are OK with the film ending at this point because what's happened to get them there is enough . I highly recommened this to people who like Lost In Translation because it contains many of the themes that play out in that film : 1 ) language barriers 2 ) alienation from close relationships 3 ) seeming life crises 3 ) opposite attraction . Sorry , these two are closer in age than the other film , but I consider that a positive .
014 4 This film is one of my favorites . I have seen it nearly a dozen times . The quiet elegance and masterful story-telling make this one of the most beautiful movies of all time , in my opinion ( and I'm just some guy ) . The story is what it is , on the surface . For me it's not just the story , but the cinematography and art direction that make this film so magical .
015 4 This review is from :
Last Life in the Universe ( DVD )
The film is a beautiful piece about how in moments of great frustration and alienation , life and , more importantly , love can be thrust upon us , radically altering our worlds . The use of vivid cinematography and elements of magic realism create this altered visual state .
016 4 The film is a beautiful piece about how in moments of great frustration and alienation , life and , more importantly , love can be thrust upon us , radically altering our worlds . The use of vivid cinematography and elements of magic realism create this altered visual state .
017 4 The director answers this at the end of his commentary by saying : never ask . He doesn't want you to wonder what this art film really means because it can be taken at a number of levels . I liked the moody , subdued soundtrack and the cinematography , of course , is brilliant . Is everyone in Japan this depressed , you wonder ?
018 4 This would be a little unknown Thai gem . Starring the brilliant Tadanobu Asnao , he plays a lonely suicidal man who finds love in a beautiful young Thai woman . A truly unique and beautiful story about love and loss . Helping the realistic yet dreamy tone of the film is cinematographer Christopher Doyle . This picture is beuatiful to look at and has a small bit role by cult director Takshi Miike . Highly reccomended .
019 4 Pen-ek Ratanaruang's Ruang rak noi nid mahasan ( Last Life In the Universe ) is an interesting film that manages to captivate and engage its audience even though not a lot happens .
The film presents a weekend in the life of Kenji ( Tadanobu Asano ) a quiet , suicidal librarian who may or may not be what he seems at first glance . Kenji witnesses an accident that takes the life of a Thai hostess and becomes involved with Noi ( Sinitta Boonyasak ) the sister of the dead girl . As the two become friends we get a powerful yet simple film about second chances and eventual love mixed in with some surreal imagery . Throw into the mix a Yakuza killing and an appearance by Japanese cult director Takashi Miike and you get a pleasant evening in the theatre .
The standard definition disc presents a decent transfer of the film with good subtitling of the Japanese and Thai dialog Included as extras are an interview with director Pen-ek Ratanaruang and a somewhat dry commentary by master cinematographer Chris Doyle .
If you have an interest in modern Asian cinema you may want to check this one out .
020 4 I have seen this film a couple of years ago and then for no particular reason , I decided to see it again . It is a story about librarian of Japanesedescent who lives in Thailand . He is working in the Center for Cultural Exchange and his only activity seems to be reading book . His own apartment looks more like a library than a place to live . It is obvious that our character is obsessive compulsive but it is hard to determine why is it that he is motivated to commit suicide when he has no broken heart , money problems and is not suffering from hopelessness - the usual reasons for killing oneself .
It is also darkly comical that every time he seems to want to kill himself something gets in the way - his brother visits him , the phone rings , or someone else gets killed instead . By chance he runs into a young Thai woman , who along with her sister works as a call girl and has good for nothing ( thug ) boyfriend . As librarian and young woman get to know another in a string of the most unlikely ( and sometimes undesirable ) circumstances ; we start to worry for both of them since their bond is likely to be broken . A young woman is planning on leaving Thailand and moving to Osaka , Japan in order to start a new life .
Soon , things turn out to be compeletely different from what they seem . Perhaps the librarian we thought we knew is not what he seems to be . I loved the end - director seems ot love to be playing with having his audience guessing on how this wonderful story should end .
021 4 A quietly funny movie chronicling an obsessive complusive potential suicide's return to life through a quirky relationship with a Thai woman . The funny observations of the lives of these characters outline the desperation in both of them . Well worth the time invested .
022 4 This review is from :
Last Life in the Universe ( DVD )
Quite surprised by how much I enjoyed Last Life in the Universe . The clash of Thai and Japanese cultures as the back drop for a suicidal Asano's search for purpose made for an enchanting story .
While it won't please a mainstream , those of us who are beguiled by melodic pacing and understated Asian acting will love the interaction between the two main characters .
If you have seen and enjoyed The Taste of Tea , Sonatine , or The Man on the Train then this is the film for you .
023 4 Quite surprised by how much I enjoyed Last Life in the Universe . The clash of Thai and Japanese cultures as the back drop for a suicidal Asano's search for purpose made for an enchanting story .
While it won't please a mainstream , those of us who are beguiled by melodic pacing and understated Asian acting will love the interaction between the two main characters .
If you have seen and enjoyed The Taste of Tea , Sonatine , or The Man on the Train then this is the film for you .
024 4 The Last Life in the Universe ( Pan-Ek Ratanaruang , 2003 )
I feel like the first thing I should say about this movie is that all the critics are right about it . They pick out certain things about the movie and hold them up as shining examples of the filmmakers ' art , and they're right . The problem is , the whole doesn't quite add up to the sum of its parts .
Kenji ( rock star Tadanobu Asano , who in the past ten years has also become a film superstar ) is an obsessive-compulsive suicidal librarian . He is interrupted in the middle of hanging himself by a visit from his brother , a Yakuza , who shortly afterwards winds up shuffling off this mortal coil . The same day , he sees the beautiful Nid ( Laila Boonyasak from the Buppah Rahtree flicks ) through the stacks at the library . Through a convoluted series of events , he's foiled in another suicide attempt ( this time , jumping off a bridge ) by seeing Nid again - - and watching her get run down accidentally by her older sister , Noi ( Sinitta Boonyasak , Laila's real-life big sister , in her screen debut ) . The two of them are drawn together through their shared experience , but there's a twist - - Noi is going to Osaka at the end of the weekend .
It is , of course , a plot you've heard many times before , and its simplicity begs embellishment . Paradoxically , when we get to the point where the two opposites are supposed to attract , the story simplifies quite nicely , and from that point on ( we're about halfway through the movie here ) , it really starts working well - - a simple story told in simple form , helped along by the excellent work of director Ratanaruang ( 6ixtynin9 ) and , especially , cinematographer Christopher Doyle ( Rabbit-Proof Fence , Three . . . Extremes , etc . ) . It's the first bit that's needlessly complex ; it almost seems as if the whole first bit were written in order to set up the famous cameo by Takashi Miike , and it's a whole lot of setup for a relatively short cameo .
The good things about this movie do outweigh the bad , but expect to wade through some swine before you find the pearl . * * *
025 4 Well Asano Tadanobu is awesome in this film , as well as Sinitta Boonyasak . . . anyhow , the storyline isn't the most important thing here . in the special features Pen-ek mentions that the story has flaws but it doesn't matter because people won't ask questions as long as you keep surprising them . It's ambiguous , that was the point . But the fact that Kenji repeatedly tried killing himself in the beginning of the movie , not because of money problems , a broken heart , etc . . . but because of senselessness and the absurdity of our existence is such a major philosophical issue . In fact , it immediately reminded me of Camus ' book The Myth of Sisyphus when he says that suicide is the most important philosophical question , but it isn't the answer . Life is absurd and has no depth or meaning , but as you grow , you're supposed to shape your meaning and find love . Without love you cannot truly feel , or exist . So the story takes Kenji through that existential roller-coaster and in the end you're left to guess what happens . It's ambiguous , like i said . It's a surreal movie , and i recommend it to anyone who likes philosophy , especially existentialism or the disconnected PoMo philosophy . five stars .
and keep your eyes open for this director's next film , Invisible Waves , also starring Asano Tadanobu . It's supposed to be similar to Last Life in that it will continue with that disconnected feeling , and is all about atmosphere . christopher doyle is also on board for that film . it will be bliss .
unfortunately i can't recommend any other films like this , as i've never seen anything similar to it . that's how good it is . mark your calenders for Invisible Waves , due out sometime in 2006 .
026 4 The combination of Pen-ek Ratanaruang , Asano Tadanobu , and Christopher Doyle is absolutely electrifying in as subtle a way as possible . Ratanaruang delivers a masterfully told boy-meets-girl story without all the chick flick mooshy-ness . It's the silence in this movie that speaks louder than the dialogue . Doyle's magnificent eye for shot composition helps that aspect , as well . Asano is , in my opinion , among the top 10 actors alive and he proves it with the portrayal of the main character . Watch ' Ichi the Killer ' to see the opposite end of the spectrum of his abilities . Also , keep an eye out for Takashi Miike and his posse of typical actors in ' Last Life . . . ' . Birds of a feather truly do flock together .
027 4 Kenji is a quiet , reclusive librarian working in Bangkok who is an obsessive-compulsive , fastidious neat-freak . He is also suicidal . By my count he tries to commit suicide at least eight times in this film , although he is never successful because fate intervenes - - the door bell rings , his alarm clock goes off , a coconut falls from a tree , and , most importantly and improbably , he meets the sister of a girl he fancies . Fate is a key theme in this film , as we learn from several intersecting subplots . Kenji is also unsuccessful in his suicide attempts because of friendship with the Thai extrovert call-girl Noi , who is in every sense his opposite . She lives in a rural Thai village in a house that is a pig sty of dirty dishes , trash , and stray dogs . Director Pen-ek Ratanaruang thus fashions their akward , endearing love into a study of the powerful influences of friendship and fortune . This film won awards at festivals in Sundance , Toronto , and Venice , although reviewers have been sharply divided . I liked it and recommend it . In Thai and Japanese , with English subtitles .
028 4 i have seen this movie so many time i lost count . Kenji is a very alienated person who literally choose to shut himself from the social world . He is obsessed with death so that he can let go all the pressure in everyday life and just be at peace . However every suicide attempt is a failure that becomes laughable at times . His isolated life change when he met the extrovert outgoing noi in an accident whose life is as well becoming lost . The relationship of the two becomes something so sweet that is only cut short in a distant memory and the parable of the lizard which kenji relates his life literally becomes his own story . Life is between heaven and hell .
The cinematography is done by doyle who also did fallen angels which is another film that i loved the most . Doyle made the cinematography flow with soft atmosphere that becomes surreal .
Seeing this movie at first got me to like the film but left me puzzled . The second time i saw the film got me to understand the story . The third time i saw the film got me so hooked that i finally have my cheap butt to buy the movie .
all i can i say is that when i watch the film my whole attention is put in a zone that i dont want to resist but want to persist with the beatiful atmosphere of the movie .
029 4 Last Life in the Universe is such an incredible movie . It's such an incredible character study , letting you to just watch two desperately lonely people start to come together . . . the imagery and backgrounds are all so eerily beautiful and the acting's so nuanced and subtle . . . I especially liked the actress who played Nid . Anyway , I really liked this movie . It's sort of like a different spin on Lost in Translation , with the characters brought together by loss instead of culture . Like I said . . . it's an incredible movie . : )
030 4 I love the way that Last Life in the Universe dives deep into relationships with no regrests . It takes a realistic look at suicide that you never see in American films . I love the elements of Yakuza film that it has . Truly a brillian movie that everyone should watch . It is now my favorite movie ever because you experience something new each time you watch it .
031 4 Early in the film , I compared it to Tony Takitani and thought that differences can cheer people up when being with the perfect fit can cause depression to intensify and how it is easier to lift other people up than to help oneself .
I avoid Thai movies that have horror or fighting themes so it was a treat to see Thailand especially the old furniture . Surprisingly , this movie shot Bangkok in grey .
As for the story , it seemed familiar and predictable . I liked getting to see Thais in Thailand so it was an enjoyable experience despite the targeting of typical pulse points of alienation , distance between people , etc .
032 4 I saw Last Life In The Universe when it was released for a week long engagement here in LA and was immediately captivated by it . It's rare to watch a movie these days and find yourself so cpmpletely enthralled by its beauty that the story takesa back seat to simple character interactions , and the sound of the ocean . That is not to say the movie lacks a plot , rather the plot is not focused on , or explained , but rather derived by the viewer who is willing to piece together a tapestry of unspoken facts . I won't ruin the film for you , rather I will simply say that watchingLast Life is like relaxing under a shady tree , beautiful , serene and enjoyable in a way that cannot really be described .
034 4 As if wandering in a dream of destruction , Kenji , a suicidal librarian continuously plots his own death at random moments . His attempts seem to be portrayed in a comical way and this lifts the heaviness from the plot and turns the movie into a surreal romantic comedy with playful artistic appeal .
Thrown into his fate by otherworldly reasons , Kenji is handed moments where his life could easily be ended by others , although , at this point he seems to fight for his life all while not really knowing how to deal with his own actions . His quietly obsessive-compulsive nature almost seems to be in denial of any destruction in his perfectly ordered life as he continues as if in a dream of his own life .
After meeting Noi , a Thai woman , he decides to remain at her disorganized home instead of returning to his obsessively clean apartment . You have to see the house to believe it , although I once cleaned a house exactly that chaotic so they do exist .
Spider webs are dark with dust against the drab walls ; the floor in one room is completely covered so you would literally have to walk across items to reach the phone on the other side . While observing this nightmare for any cleaning lady , you are blissful in your realization that Kenji is the right man for the job . Within a certain moment of poetic beauty , Noi runs through the chaos as the beach house magically reorganizes itself , although we realize what is truly occurring . This scene ends up being one of the most intriguing moments in the movie .
Last Life in the Universe is sweet in its moments of silence and magical in moments of stylish beauty all within an intimate mood . While this is rated R for a few seconds of violence and implied erotic content , the mood is much more PG - 13 with an erotic tension that is surprisingly fulfilling and dreamily romantic . The director truly retains the classiness of the mood all while keeping you highly entertained with the thought of possibility .
If you love this , you may also adore In the Mood for Love .
~ The Rebecca Review
036 4 Last Life in the Universe was conceived as a way for friends Miike Takashi , Asano Tadanobu , Christopher Doyle , and Pek-ek Ratanaruang to work together . All of them share the same philosophy that the making of a film , rather than the final product , is the truly enjoyable and worthwhile aspect of filmmaking . Their enjoyment on set creates a very engrossing cinematic experience and quite a good film , but it is not the perfect masterpiece that it has been made out by many to be .
First off , the ambiguous ending of the film is not profound , it's abrupt and lazy . Ratanaruang needs only look to filmmakers like Kiyoshi Kurosawa , Shunji Iwai , or Chen Kaige to understand the difference between unnecessarily and uncharacteristically abrupt and profoundly open-ended . Also , at a few rare instances the film does fall ever so slightly over the line into pretentiousness . 90% of the time it's masterful at treading that line , and even when it begins to stray from the balance it succeeds much better than , say , Garden State , but there is no doubting the films occasional pretentious aura .
The story is appropriately thin , and the characters are quite nearly perfectly developed and performed . While Asano's reasonless suicidal tendencies to get a bit repetative and are never fully convincing , the rest of his role is so real that you often feel as if you're watching a documentary instead of a narrative film .
Christopher Doyle's cinematography is good and appropriately subtle , but don't look for any of his trademark colors or stylized segments ( a good choice in this case , in my opinion ) .
Contrary to the rest of these revies , I feel that Last Life falls slightly short of Lost in Translation's near-greatness . Both film are terrific and , despite some similiarities , perhaps should not be compared , but I feel that Last Life still feels a little more student film and less cultural character exploration , which could entirely come from the fact that Ratanaruang is filming his own country while Coppola was in the same boat as her characters and audience .
Anyway , it's unquestionably a worthy film . I wish they had half stars , as 4 stars does kind of cut the film short , but I just do not feel that it's quite deserving of a full five stars .
037 4 Many of the aspects of Last Life in the Universe resemble Lost In Translation , but this film is even better . It tells the story of how fate brings two strangers together to help one another . It is one of the best asian films ever ! It really explores people's interaction and relationship .
038 4 Last Life in the Universe definetly makes the list of top foreign , asian , and plain films of all time . It reminds me of Lost in Translation , but so much more . You really feel for the characters . It is an amazing film for art film lovers . The cinematography is worth seeing the film alone .
039 4 A superb balance between sensual stimulation and a slippery slide in and out of logical reasoning . This movie is well worth watching and provides the viewer with amazing beauty . The story is very thin but most definitely not lacking in plot . I feel that if the movie had more of a story , the essence of it would be lost . It is a simple movie , but in no way is it simplistic .
Enjoy .
041 4 This movie is simply beautiful .
Kenji , a man who has seen too much , yearns for the peace that death ( suicide ) will bring .
Noi , a Thai prostitute , struggles with the death of her sister .
These two damaged people meet and the meaning of their lives slowly changes completely .
It would have been easy for this movie to have been made into a sugar coated cliche . However , it is anything but that .
Painful , funny , haunting and simply beautiful . Without a doubt , one of my new favorite movies .
042 4 For that pricetag , you should be salivating over this release . I haven't met anyone that doesn't love it . It's gorgeous ( shot by Chris Doyle-Hero , Crouching Tiger , In the Mood For Love ) , the direction is awesome , and the acting is second to none . Do yourself a huge favour , this is like miso soup for the soul .
043 4 This is an attempt at avant-garde or art film making on the part of a Japanese-Thai crew ( with some western funding ) . The story , or what there is of one , revolves around a bookish yakuza living in Bangkok and working at the Japanese equivalent of a British Council library , and the sister of a Thai bargirl . They meet rather inauspiciously and the rest of the story is a Thai-Japanese buddy-bonding film . Not much happens , rather the interesting stuff that does ( yakuza hit man kills protagonist's yakuza brother who in turns kills the hit man ; female lead's gangster boyfriend becomes jealous of protagonist ) doesn't go anywhere . This is the movie's downfall : It suffers from the lack of any kind of a compelling storyline . One wonders what the people who greenlighted this film were thinking . This is not to say that the movie isn't visually pleasing , it is , but even fast-forwarding through it to watch just that makes the movie last twice as long as it should . You may be thinking to yourself well yes , but I see nothing laughable about all this so I'll just use two examples I mentioned above to illustrate my point : Protagonist kills yakuza hitman with the gun he has found concealed inside a teddy bear wrapped up as a present belonging to the yakuza victim . Come now , who is going to believe that a yakuza's teddy bear is going to be used to conceal a gun half the size of the toy ? Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar and trust me when I tell you that a yakuza's teddy bear gift is always just a teddy bear . Protagonist and female lead meet under unfortunate circumstances ; the death of her sister when she is knocked down by a car . Now , look . I'm just as sentimental as the next guy but if I can enter into an intimate buddy relationship with an utter stranger immediately rather than waiting a day for my sister to die , I'd take the instant relationship . The point being that life is precious why waste time ? This movie has a dozen jumping off points that could have been developed into something very cool but it simply never takes the leap . I wouldn't recommend this to anybody , not even to fans of Asano .
044 4 this movie was a great and i definitly recommend it to everyone . The stroyline and the way this film was directed is briliant
045 4 i think this was a great movie , the story line of two people who are totaly opposite coming together the way they did was great . This movie really kept my attention , great story line , and cinematography ! !
046 4 Tadanobu Asano won a Countercurrent Best Actor Award for this film at the Venice International Film Festival . Often referred to as the Japanese Johnny Depp , he excels at taking odd roles . He is the best part of this Thai cinema production by director Pen-ek Ratanaruang . Asano plays Kenji who lives in Bangkok . He's an obsessive-compulsive , having a well-ordered house filled with books where everything from food to shoes is labeled . Unfortunately , he wants to commit suicide . Just as he's about to hang himself , his brother shows up . Pushy and demanding , his brother brings a friend back to the apartment . Two gunshots later , Kenji is left to wipe the blood off his precious book and pictures . He decides to throw himself off a bridge just as two Thai sisters are driving by . The younger sister Nid , played by Laila Boonyasak , gets out of the car & stares at Kenji perched on the bridge railing long enough to get creamed by another car . So Kenji with his dead brother and Noi with her dead sister become friends . They are a real odd couple with Kenji quiet and neat and Noi loud and sloppy . One high point in the film comes with some magical housework that whips things into shape . However , since the film isn't about magic , the sequence seems out-of-place . The main problem with the film is its snail pace . Shots take very long without huge payoffs of understanding the inner working of the characters . Sinitta Boonyasak as Noi is not very deep as an actress , having to hide her head in her hands for her one major crying scene . This film does have some nice moments , but one must wade through a lot of the movie to get to them . This is a film for the patient . Taxi !
047 4 I wanted to like this movie . But it just dragged on and on . Possibly it requires a second viewing to uncover some deeper meaning . But my advice is to spend your money elsewhere .
048 4 Poetic ? Possibly , but disconnected and pretty boring - and fashionably ' minimalist ' . An obsessive , fastidious and reclusive young Japanese man , Kenji , living in Thailand , perpetually contemplates and often attempts suicide - seemingly with ultimate success . He meets a wild and disorderly Thai girl , Noi , and sits around her for most of the movie - despite Noi's several vain attempts to initiate sex . There is a sub-plot , in which a nest of gangsters kill one another and , for good measure , try several times ( unfortunately without managing it ) to kill Kenji . This movie is brought to a merciful conclusion by her departure for Japan and his arrest . It takes a smarter man than me to make much sense of this pretentious waste of film , which in some ways recalls the genre of Alain Resnais ' Last Year in Marienbad . I suppose I am just not into deeply-hidden meanings , because it has received almost universal rave reviews .
A mysterious , obsessive-compulsive , suicidal Japanese man named Kenji ( Tadanabu Asano ) who lives in Bangkok , Thailand , is thrown together with a Thai woman ( Beautiful Sinitta Boonyasak ) through a tragic chain of events . The woman is everything he is not . He is a neat freak who keeps his dishes washed and his books neatly stacked and categorized . She dresses like a slob , smokes pot and never picks anything up . It's a match that somehow works , though . Slowly and entertainingly , more is revealed about the Japanese man and why he's suicidal and living in Bangkok .
The cinematography is fabulous in this enchanting little film . While it does have overt magical moments , like when Noi's house cleans itself ( as a result of her smoking pot ) , Noi's character transforming , the film's style is more realistic than one would expect . I saw a few subtle use of symbolism , at times , the screenplay felt like an extended dreamscape . I saw 4 very subtle symbolism ; Kenji's obsessive , compulsive , clean freak I think means that he is trying his best to keep whatever is left in his life in order while Noi's filthy house symbolizes her indifference to what will come next in her life . Kenji's house cleaning means that he brought direction in Noi's life . Noi's transformation to her younger self may be an expression of her becoming more optimistic ( youngsters are more so ) for the future .
Tadanobu Asano ( Ichi the killer ) radiates pure charisma even if his character is a bit of a nerdy one at first look . I don't want to spoil anything but the way the story made its slow revelations on Kenji's character is very nicely done and kept me interested . The dynamic chemistry between Asano and Thai hottie Sinitta Boonyasak is so strong and energetic that it will draw any viewer into their blossoming relationship . Even with the film's surrealistic tendencies , the lead characters ' relationship plays out realistically . They break the language barrier with the use of English , the two leads feel a bond forming between them , not love or lust , but definitely something REAL and undeniable .
Last Life in the Universe may have the ability to depress viewers with its subject matter , but thankfully , the director managed to pitch a lot of humorous moments with Asano's deadpan reactions as well as some comical sequences with the trio of Yakuza hitmen .
VIDEO / AUDIO : 1.70 ratio Anamorphic widescreen . Clean transfer , a bit on the softer side with nice colors . 5.1 Dolby Digital English , Thai , Japanese . The subtitles are very good where needed .
Parting Thoughts :
I am an action / sci-fi / fantasy guy , I can barely believe I am getting into High-minded ART films myself . Perhaps , I am getting old . The film is not pretentious , it is quite poetic and engrossing . Even though it is marked with a bit of a sleepy feel , the film never once failed to captivate me and will definitely not fail to engage an audience . Ponderous , Last life in the Universe will submerge the viewer into its beautifully-drawn world from the 1st act . It is a beautiful breath of fresh air and is never boring . . .
Highly recommended ! ( 4 ½ stars )
005 4 Believe it or not , this movie is sort of an atmospheric love story / comedy , but it will take you a couple of hours to figure it out . I thought that the French film CACHE had the most leisurely pace of any film I had seen in years , but LAST LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE is the current title-holder .
This is not a criticism of the film ; its long takes enable us to appreciate the elegant screen compositions that director Pen-Ek Ratanaruang has created . And for the curious and the patient , we are rewarded by an intelligent and thought-provoking film that surprises us with a magic realism take on things about midway through .
For those of you interested in the actual plot , I'll refer you to other reviews on this site . I will say that as a Westerner who has never been to either Japan or Thailand , I can't help but wonder if there is a cultural subtext to the movie's depictions of the controlled , cold Japanese man ( Kenji ) and the freer , more chaotic Thai woman ( Noi ) .
SIDELIGHT : What a polyglot ; this is the first movie I've seen that uses English , Thai , and Japanese in approximately equal measures . ( It's also the first film I've seen that lists its main title after 36 minutes ! )
