Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Surprising, funny, with a profound message about greed, January 31, 2005
This is the first Thai movie I've ever seen, and I was skeptical about watching it after seeing the previews for it. After all, Thailand isn't known for its film industry. As I watched it, I was surprised at every turn, as this movie is quite sophisticated in playing with your expectations from the get-go and going in a completely opposite direction. Just when you think you know what's going to happen next, something else happens instead. I suppose that's to be expected from the title of the film ("6ixtynin9"). Don't let that fool you, its nothing more than a marketing gimmick to play with your expectations of what that number represents. The actual "Thai language title" of the film is "A Comedy about the numbers 6 and 9."
The film is about a woman (Tum) who is laid off from work and one morning finds a mysterious box outside her apartment door. Since her apartment number is a 6 that keeps falling around to the number 9, this sets off a series of comedic capers when she takes the box in and discovers that its full of Thai baht, the equivalent of $25,000. She calls her best friend and speaks hypothetically to find out what her friend would do in such a scenario. Tum decides to keep the money and that's when things are thrown off kilter. Two guys come looking for the money, and we learn the money is for fixing a Thai boxing match, and once it has gone missing, everyone starts looking for it, and the dead bodies that keep piling up as a result.
What makes this film a surprisingly entertaining and absolute joy to watch are the talented cast of off-beat characters, most especially the nosy downstairs neighbor. She is a riot, with her exaggerated facial expressions and manner of speaking, you just can't help but love her. This film perfectly captures Thai society, with the bribery system and how much money plays a role in people's lives. The caper keeps upping the ante with new twists, as you don't know who's bad or good in this, other than the woman who started the movie by keeping the money. Its vaguely reminiscent of the Tom Hanks film "The Man With One Red Shoe", as Tum isn't completely aware of all the bad going on around her. By the movie's end, you get to see what happens when an obscene phone caller sets off a roomful of trigger happy people, and the ultimate message of all...how greed ruins many people's lives. Its simply profound, symbolic, with hints of the Thai buddhist culture, fantastic acting, funny situations, and an overall message that could just as well speak to our country's obsession with money. There are several "artistic" scenes of absolute brilliance (such as when the screen is all red when Tum does a deed she hates doing and imagines someone else doing it for her). All in all, a great surprise and simply one of the best foreign language films I've ever seen, period. It is worth seeing, and well worth owning for any serious fan of foreign films.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
One of the better Thai movies I've seen, January 31, 2005
This movie was reminiscent of the style of film you'd see from Guy Richie ( Snatch). If you liked movies like Snatch or Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels... this movie is definitely for you.
The Dark humor made me laugh many times. As did the excellent performance put on by Lalita Panyopas. She's a natural beauty, who didn't need special makeup or any effects. Her acting not to mention was terrific as well.
The film was fast paced, and left little to let the mind wander. The script was well done, and the characters were definitely original. The camera angles were great and really impressed me for a Thai film. In the past most Thai films never had this level of artistry but this is a new beginning.
I highly recommend this film to anyone who loves dark comedy, action and cute girls stuck in quirky scenarios.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An amazing introduction to Thai Film!, March 21, 2008
"A Funny Story about 6 and 9" kept me enthralled the entire way through! Every time I've seen it. I must have seen it at least five times in the past year and a half. Not quite a travelogue, but definitely a window into a different world, blending the cinematic worlds of Thailand, crime drama, and melodrama, the film actually works best with an open mind and a fluid interpretation to what these genres "signify." Enjoy the darkly comedic underbelly of Bangkok by one of Thailand's groundbreaking directors... 6ixtynin9
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