Grimossfer
Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%
Izzy Adkins
The movie is surprisingly subdued in its pacing, its characterizations, and its go-for-broke sensibilities.
Brennan Camacho
Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.
Cristal
The movie really just wants to entertain people.
Armand
history page. beautiful show. preoccupation for nuances. huge project , romantic slices, plots, love, heroic scenes, battles and story of a queen as reflection of sacrifice spirit and love for country. sure, it is more a subject of Thai pride. but, in same measure, an admirable work. at first step but this step is remarkable. for measure, for images, for nuances of tale, for science to create a window to Orient far from basic recipes of exoticism. it is a mega - production who preserves its identity. a testimony of charming potential of South Asian cinema to give a different product by Bollywood . and the fact is not insignificant. portrait of Thai XVI century, it is a beautiful jewelery, really impressive for each its part.
winner55
This film loses a point because it chooses not to be anything more than a presentation of an important moment in the history of Thailand; but given that, it is rich in story and extremely well-mounted. The acting is not exceptional, but apparently that too was a choice: the director's investment is in historical narrative, not high drama. What he is striving for here is credibility, not potential star-turns.And this he accomplishes. One feels both the oppressive, almost claustrophobic, atmosphere of living among south-east Asian royalty, and yet also the determined self-sacrifice of a people devoted to family and nation. Thus the story, while never a tragedy in the Western sense, nonetheless unfolds with a rhythm so insistent, every outcome, once it occurs, feels inevitable.Thanks to the flashy choppiness of television and computer games, many young Americans have become deluded into thinking they can do without story. They're wrong; and the rest of the world seems to have grown aware that special effects can never take the place of interesting characters doing interesting things in interesting situations. This film suggests one reason why: a people need their history, and history is a form of story.Recognizing that, this is one of the better told stories on film so far this century.
All_about_Bangkok
This film boasts itself at being the most expensive in Thai Film history, I'm sure the king has propositioned more expensive pieces. From beginning to end, it is a true historical spectacle filled with everything you would ever want to see in a movie. Well, everything except for nude women, speaking for us men. I learned a lot about the Thai people through watching this film. I also learned a lot about the strength of Thai women. Although I first saw this film under the "Francis Ford Coppola Presents" title, it's US release is only surpassed by the Thai release. The costumes, choreography, and action are incredible, how nice to see battles without CGI. The performances are intriguing and captured with emotion and pride. Can I say anything bad about it. I was disappointed to learn that the composer was US based. The music adds lots to the film, it would have been nice to keep it local though. Anywho, check out this epic. I recently watched it with a friend who complained of the Thai nasally voice. If this gets to you then maybe pass. I however like their tones and language.
awiseman-1
I had heard a lot about this movie and I rented the Coppola version. While the costumes and sets were impressive, and the battle scenes were alright, in general I didn't like it. The acting seemed really wooden (I realize they're royalty, but it still seemed forced), the dialogue was cheesy. The emotions seemed to come out of nowhere - all of a sudden, people were in love, or angry, or what have you. It seemed like they were trying to tell us this was an amazing story, rather than making us feel that it was. And frankly, I didn't think it was that impressive - the ending seemed kind of pointless and forced to me, even though it's a true story.