 A FilmExposed Film Review |
 Dir: Ekachai Uekrongtham, 2004, Thailand, 112 mins, Thai with English subtitles
Cast: Asanee Suwan, Sorapong Chatree, Orn-Anong
Beautiful Boxer is one of the biggest disappointments of the year so far, given the awards it has garnered in its native Thailand (two Supannahongsa’s) and on the international festival circuit. The fascinating tale of Nong Toom, who ‘fought like a man, to become a woman’ is drained of all life in this slushy, unremarkable biopic. Ekachai Uekrongtham’s debut feature employs the lazy framing devise of a journalist’s interview with Toom tracing his (or her?) first steps as an effeminate youth, through his time as a trainee Buddhist monk, then ruthless fighter, to his ultimate act of self-emancipation.
Toom believed from an early age that he was a girl trapped in a boy’s body. Attracted by the financial rewards of Muay Thai (Thai Kickboxing) he set out to master this most masculine of sports in order to fund a sex-change operation, and caused a national outcry by donning full facial make-up in the ring. Sports fans soon recognised his phenomenal athletic and technical ability, and all taunting opponents were swiftly instructed in the true meaning of the term ‘bitch-slap’.
As Toom, real-life Kickboxing champ Asanee Suwan proficiently presents the paradox of psychological fragility and physical toughness, outer beauty and inner turmoil. The recreated fight sequences are bloodily choreographed and suitably sophisticated, but alone prove too minor a draw with films such as Ong Back (2005) competing for business.
Perhaps the dialogue in Beautiful Boxer is ‘lost in translation’, feeling stilted, overtly earnest, and unauthentic. The textbook narrative plods along a predictable path, presenting very little in the way of effecting drama, and a garish, soft focus is smuttily reminiscent of the Red Shoe Diaries franchise. Definitely more of a Cinderella Man (2006) than a Raging Bull (1980). |
