Fantastic Fest 2008: Chocolate
Prachya Pinkaew has pulled out another winner from whatever pot of gold he stole from that passerby leprechaun, if Thailand has such a thing or equal option. Having already wowed the world with Ong Bak and Tom Yum Goong Pinkaew adds a feminine touch to the martial arts world and introduces us to Jeeja Vismistananda, a young actress destined for stardom. Indeed, Chocolate does rule like freaking lords.
By now the story of Chocolate is all too familiar to ScreenAnarchy readers. Jeeja plays Zin, the daughter of a Yakuza father and Thai gang member mother. Clearly the two cultures are having their own turf wars and Jeeja’s mother must raise her on her own lest great harm come to them. Her mom’s boss forbids her from having any contact with her father. What makes this all the more challenging is that Zin is autistic. She is however a sponge for information and has lighting fast reflexes. She absorbs martial arts skills by watching martial arts on television and watching Thai boxers practice next door. She begins to emulate their skills with deadly accuracy and strength.
Zin’s mother contracts cancer and there is no money to pay for chemotherapy. Her mother tries to contact Zin’s father but the Thai gang boss intercepts the message and issues a warning, permanently injuring one of her feet. Zin’s friend finds a book that belongs to her mother and inside is a list of contacts that owe her mom money. Zin and her friend go to collect these owed funds and soon it is evident that they will have to take this money by force.
And what a force this Jeeja is. Holy crap. I would need to see Jeeja show off her skills outside of the restraints of a controlled set to get a better sense of her skill level but she is more than competent to play with the big boys. She is fast. She is agile. She is just downright ferocious sometimes. Judging by what I saw on the screen I would wager that she is due for stardom but probably still a couple years away from true greatness in Muay Thai. Irregardless of my ignorant opinion Chocolate adds another vital chapter to Thai martial arts cinema. It is hard hitting, groan inducing and awe inspiring action that no other country can match at this point. Starting with the Fist of Fury homage in the first set piece it is still evident that Pinkaew is an action director first and at the top of the field around the world. Chocolate ends with a two part climax that rivals all other martial arts films, moving from a dojo to the window sills of a four story building. This action is as sweet as the candy the movie is named after.
And despite what you may have heard about the story I wouldn’t be too worried about it. Of the three films that Pinkaew is known for Chocolate sincerely has the best story of the three and even a fair amount of heart without being cheesy or sappy. It does a better job of setting up the action and establishing character than either one of those others films could ever hope for.
