User reviews

This the first film I've seen by Pen-Ek Ratanaruang and without a doubt its one of the most accomplished and satisfying I've seen all year.

Two polar opposite characters - a quiet and meticulous Japanese librarian with a shady past and designs on ending his life (Asano Tadanobu) and a feisty, straight-talking thai female escort (Sinitta Boonyasak) - have one thing in common and not much else it seems. They are both utterly lonely, albeit for different reasons - she is recently bereaved of her sister, he for a reason never fully disclosed is distanced from the world, an introverted outsider with no good reason to go on. Thrown together by a sequence of events (chance or fate?) they take solace from each others presence. From this, lets face it, not original germ grows an enchanting, touching and idiosyncratic movie.One that's not concerned with characterisation, an intricate plot or histrionic's but with how two troubled, contradictory people growcloser and in the process rediscover a reason for being, for going on in the universe. Due to the language barrier (they flit from talking Thai, Japanese and English to understand one another) they may not have meaningful discourse, but here the meaning is hidden behind the formalities, the pedestrian, the everyday.

I'm not going to launch into an extended essay or spew to many superlatives but believe me when I say its a strange delight. Assured, amusing and touching, this multi-lingual film is replete with a dry wit, a surreal element that leaves a lot to interpretation and a deft ability to prick the emotions. There are laudable performances from the two central characters, and a third from Christopher Doyle's shifting oblique camera-work and composition. And despite its clear East Asian cinematic influences (in tone it reminds me of Kitano's Dolls - the lingering pace and melancholy signature theme music– and it features a yakuza based subplot) Last Life evokes modern day Thailand in all its chaotic ramshackle splendour brilliantly.

"Last Life in the Universe" was a rather unique and different movie experience. And it was a great combination of Thai and Japanese movie styles. Although the storyline in the movie is barely there, the movie leaves you with a very lasting impression and also with things to think about.

The story in "Last Life in the Universe" is about Kenji (played by Tadanobu Asano), a suicidal Japanese librarian in Thailand, who happens to meet Noi (played by Sinitta Boonyasak), a pot-smoking carefree Thai lady. The two sad existences end up becoming each others saviors. Taking refuge in Noi's dirty, beach-side home, Kenji starts to live again and emotions are brewing between the two strangers.

Although throughout the movie, the story is jumpy and skittish, there is a red line through it all. However, the movie is not really story-driven as much as it is emotion-driven, and that is what makes the movie so unique. Despite being fairly slow moving, the movie did deliver good entertainment and leaves you with something to think about.

And there was a great cameo appearance by Takashi Miike, renowned Japanese movie director, towards the end of the movie. Look for that one, because it was quite cool. The movie didn't have that big a cast list, but it still worked out quite well, because the two lead parts were really carrying the movie nicely and elegantly.

There are some pretty interesting visuals throughout the movie, which helps to add to the unique feel the movie has.

"Last Life in the Universe" is a must watch movie if you enjoy Thai and/or Japanese cinema. Just bear in mind that it is not an action movie, nor is it an average movie that you'd other wise see from Thailand or Japan. "Last Life in the Universe" is something extraordinary and unique.

I probably should not have watched this at 2am. I woke from my sleep and was looking for something interesting. Despite a noise inside my head calling me to go back to bed, I was entranced at the story unfolding before me.

Tadanobu Asano, who I last saw in Zatôichi, was captivating as a suicidal Japanese man living in Bangkock. He is an obsessive-compulsive on the order of Monk. He crosses paths with Sinitta Boonyasak in her first film. Her house is reminiscent of writers Iris Murdoch and John Bayley in it's proportion of slovenliness. They barely manage to communicate as she is barely conversant in Japanese and he in Thai.

We watch them as they try to communicate and share their tragedies in common. Both recently lost siblings. It is a Lost in Translation type of movie brilliantly done by Pen-Ek Ratanaruang. She smokes while he cleans and is in the background. Somehow they manage to help each other through their pain.

I know I will have to watch this again as I was not fully awake. I look forward to that experience.

Kenji (Tadanobu Asano) is a depressed, introverted Japanese man living in Bangkok with suicidal fantasies. He is not so simple as his quiet demeanour hopes to portray. His past is complicated and therefore he controls his present state with an OCD-repressed lifestyle. His clothes are colour co-ordinated, his socks ironed and folded, and his books are stacked so neatly there's an urge to reach into the TV and throw them around the room just to set the sterile organisation off-kilter.

The dream-like unreality of Kenji is punctuated by his meeting of Nid (Laila Boonyasak) and her subsequent departure. Her sister Noi (played by Nid's real-life sister, Sinitta Boonyasak) is suddenly in his life, and her home serves as an escape for a disturbing event that happens in Kenji's apartment. Their personalities are as contradictory as they are complimentary - she is as messy as he is organised, as free as he is controlled. He brings her life into order and she brings his into disarray.

The developing romance between the two is difficult to categorise. Kenji imagines on occasion that Noi has become Nid; it's almost as if Noi is the next best thing and he doesn't appreciate her for herself. This is however usurped by the ending, of which I won't give away. That has to be down to individual interpretation and perhaps can't be seen definitively anyway.

Director and co-writer Pen-Ek Ratanaruang's portrayal of a Japanese man and Thai woman's blossoming relationship is illustrated with their stilted dialogue - it veers from Thai, to Japanese, to halting English. Their mis-understandings of language are juxtaposed with their understandings of each other. There is nothing so clear as body language and this film relies heavily on the physicality of the two leads, both of whom give near-flawless performances. Asano in particular cannot be helped being taken to the viewers' heart; it's obvious here why he has such a high status in Japan. Boonyasak is not so sympathetic, but she is perhaps not meant to be, and she serves her purpose well.

There's some brilliant comic moments peppered throughout, but the poignant moments counter-balance these well. The ending gives some insight into Kenji's past but must be viewed more than once to appreciate. This is not a simple or straight-forward film, but nor is it complicated or pretentious.

Last Life in the Universe is difficult to sum up without mentioning its imagery, of which you have to see for yourself to appreciate, or describing it with the words 'beautiful' and 'subtle' - I almost managed it.

"Last Life in the Universe (Ruang rak noi nid mahasan)" is a testimonial to opening up films to new voices around the world, as Thai director/co-writer Pen-Ek Ratanaruang completely re-invents the worn-out Hollywood genre of opposites meeting cute and attracting (viz. "Laws of Attraction" or "Forces of Nature") that even the French could barely resuscitate in "Jet Lag (Décalage horaire)."

If I hadn't read a promotional flyer after the movie identifying the star Tadanobu Asano as also having been in "Zatôichi: The Blind Swordsman" I wouldn't have realized that the charismatic ronin there was the still, isolated, seriously depressed obsessive-compulsive here, but now I see why he's a big star in Japan and I will catch up on his films (oh, he's married to a pop star, directing her music videos, and in his own rock band, too, but I digress, sigh).

"Kenji" meets up with "Noi" a live wire, profane wreck of a Thai escort in tragic-comic circumstances brought on by their siblings that insert startling, balletic violence into the dream-like cinematography by Australian Christopher Doyle, reinforced by the mesmerizing music of Hualongpong Riddim.

But it took me as a monolingual American awhile to figure out that their communication difficulties were based on their limited language commonality as I couldn't tell when a character was speaking in Thai or Japanese (perhaps the annoying white-on-white subtitles could have included some coded indicators) until they ended up struggling in pidgin English. I'm sure I missed many other cultural clues (though I did pick up the telltale yakuza back tattoos that complicate their odd idyll outside Bangkok).

They contradict each other's expectations- he's allergic to sushi, she's surrounded in Western accoutrements; he's mysteriously left Japan, she's determined to emigrate there, and so on.

Slapsticky comedy and a sweet children's book continually lull us to the dangers they trip over. The lovely magic realism leaves the resolution up to interpretation, but I don't think I've ever seen such a moving courtship over the use of an ashtray or as sexy a hopeful line as "Tomorrow we'll do the laundry."

This has to be the offbeat romance of the year.

The lives of a crazy Japanese man and an equally irresponsible Thai woman.This is not a common theme of many Asian films.But what is really good about Thai director Pen-ek Ratanaruang's film "Last Life In The Universe" is that he shows us some of the most precious moments of life when two wacky people meet and get to like each other despite all their differences.Quietness is one of the key aspects of this film.The entire film is shot as a quiet story where two losers attempt to make sense of their lives.This is the biggest reason why there is no unnecessary sound.The role of Thai girl is played by charming Sinitta Boonyasak.She does ample justice to her role of a wacky Thai girl by using all the tricks in her bag to make sense of her life and also that of her Japanese boyfriend.This film is a major star vehicle for famous Japanese actor Asano Tadanobu who plays his role of a lost librarian with utmost care.He is one of the few Asian actors capable of giving subdued performances which are on par with some of the best acting performances in the world.I saw this film at Osian Cinefan Film Festival of Asian cinema at New Delhi.

The male hero is a quiet suicidal librarian. But is he also an active (?) member of the yakuza? The female hero is a prostitute. Or is she just a waitress? Does she know magic, can she turn a driving licence from female to male version? Does the librarian die or does he make others die?

Nothing is certain here, but anyway most things takes part in "this" world (or this Thailand) anyway. The loving (?) couple might be found one by one in reality, but it's more uncertain if they would be a couple there. Or love at all. Mostly this is a black comedy, told with compassion and sympathy. But you will for a long time think about whether the end was happy or not.

Well told by director Pen-ek Ratanaruang. A story from a Thailand you don't know much about.

And I thought Mon-Rak Transistor was a masterpiece...

Last life in the Universe, or "Reung Rak Noi Nid Mahasarl", is problaby one of the best films made by one of the best Thai directors, Mr. Pen-Ek Rattanareung. I'll not waste time talking about this movie's sypnosis, but I'll just give some patricular reasons why this is a must-see Thai movie. First of all, this movie barely has a plot. It's all about emotions. Every elements you see in this film is... alive. They all have reasons for their existance. While a camera stays still for most of the time, lets you feel the very feeling of certain scene. Thanks, Chris. Secondly, the sotry is a love story, which doesn't seem so ordinary, but very ordinary itself. It's just natural. That's the way people who don't know each other talk, and even in a different language. You simply beleive they are who they are, there was no acting no pretending. It was just soooo natural. Last, because the subject matter is very precise, and sometimes hard to understand, you simply don't have to understand it. I mean, some parts of movie are very confusing, just ignore it. Try to absorb the moods and feelings this movie has to offer... You'll just feel really good after walking out of the theater. No other Thai movies are like this one. Pen-Ek himslef said that in previous movies, it seemed to him that he tried to tell everything too much, too straight. This film certainly doesn't do that, and it certainly is his masterpiece for me.

I've seen the plot before, at least in some fashion. A man and a woman meet under tragic (or tragicomic) circumstances. They are complete opposites, but begin an unconventional, semi-romantic relationship. It took me the whole movie to think of where I had seen it, but I did finally come up with a title (Monster's Ball). So I've seen the plot before. It's been done before. But it hasn't been done too often, and I tend to like stories like this. Besides, it's all in the way it's done, and, man, is this done right. Tadanobu Asano, best known as the masochistic villain Kakihara of Takashi Miike's Ichi the Killer, plays a withdrawn Japanese man living for unspecified reasons in Thailand. He works in a library and the walls of his meticulously organized apartment are lined with stacks of books. Through a couple of events, which are too good to spoil, he meets with polar opposite Sinitta Boonyasak, a Thai girl who works dressed up as a Japanese schoolgirl, and is probably something of a prostitute. Asano moves in with the girl and there is a connection (in that order). This is a subtle film that flows like a gentle brook. Christopher Doyle, easily the best cinematographer working today, lends his impeccable style to the picture (director Ratanaruang says many kind words about him in a 20 minute interview on the DVD), and the music, by Hualongpong Riddim, is simply amazing. Takashi Miike himself appears late in the film in an amusing role, and he's given the film's best line. Pen-Ek Ratanaruang's direction is truly impressive, and his attention to detail is particularly worth praising. It's a wonderful film, one that will live with me a long time.

What a sly, subversive film this is, as director Ratanaruang mixes several genres, adding his own quiet powers of observation to upend the viewer's expectations! The first thing that should be said is that very little is spelled out for the viewer, so that if the viewer comes to the film expecting a conventional meet-cute love story, or a Yakuza shoot-out, or a film with a conventional beginning, middle and end--well, look for something else--you're with the wrong movie.

As it follows an obsessive neat-freak about to commit suicide to his introduction to the girl he will come to love in spite of the fact she's an unbelievably messy housekeeper with a checkered past, the film veers from oddly comic scenes of death to quietly contemplative meditations while decisions are being made. This is a complex film with gorgeously lush photography and naturalistic acting, but if you want easy entertainment--this ain't it--the director makes the viewer work as time and space are frequently mixed. This film is an entertaining challenge; if you like puzzles, you'll likely be in movie heaven!

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.)

The last 3 or 4 movies that I've seen lately made me fall asleep in the over air-conditioned, too comfortable theatres in Bangkok, which sometimes provide a blanket and pillow in a lazy-boy chair in the high-class places (at a surprisingly low price). But last night, I didn't even blink my eyes once while watching this wonderful movie. I was impressed... It was beautiful from the very start until the end.

This movie was magic... It didn't pretend to be perfect, and it's not, but it works so much on your feelings that you go out from it with mixed feelings. The jokes are very funny (for example the morning after the green papaya salad), the dramas are tear jerking, and you have to watch every details because there's a lot to watch. Believe me, it won't get you bored or sleepy, it's pure pleasure from the start until the end, no boring parts promise!

I hope that this movie will get more attention, I do recommend it to all. It's not an easy of family movie, some rough scenes, but go see it... I will go see it again, and I will buy the official DVD when it's available, not the pirated copy found in some markets... 4/5...

Pen-Ek Ratanaruang's gently observed tale of the love that develops between a suicidal Japanese librarian and a streetwise Thai woman who meet under tragic circumstances is hypnotically absorbing. Shot in a lyrical and languid style by Christopher Doyle, who abandons his trademark vivid and hyper-real use of colour, the piece has been given a muted, naturalistic look. This suits the subdued tone and measured pace of the film which focuses on emotion rather than action. Ratanaruang, describes Last Life in the Universe as his most tender film, and this is as good a word as any to describe the relationship of Tadanobu Asano's Kenji, and Sinitta Boonyasak's Noi.

After unhappy fate has brought them together Noi and Kenji find sanctuary in each other. Kenji, deeply introspective, disconnected from reality, and suicidal, is literally saved from himself by Noi, whose joie de vivre, though dampened by grief, is infectious. Noi brings energy, colour, and most importantly life, to Kenji's dull and organised universe. Kenji brings a sense of order and balance to Noi's chaotic life, and his tranquil non-intrusive presence helps Noi to cope with her grief and the resulting sense of loneliness. As Ratanaruang claims, it is very tenderly done, and this is translated into the performance of both leads.

Asano, hugely famous in Japan for playing offbeat characters, brings a restrained sense of wonder to Kenji whose growing appetite for life is communicated in simple gestures such as a draw on a cigarette, or a ruffle of his hair. Boonyasak, in what is a very difficult first role, does exceptionally well to convince as a woman who though filled with grief has an irrepressible lust for life. Part of what fascinates the audience about both characters is the ambiguity that surrounds them. They are both without a history, especially Kenji who appears to have been linked to the Yakuza, and though it is never made clear why he is in Thailand there is an implication that he may have a murky past in Japan.

Reduced to the basics then Last Life in the Universe is a simple love story with very familiar themes; opposites attract, and the redemptive power of love. That this well-trodden path is followed again here takes nothing away from the film however, as though the story unfolds slowly it is well paced, well acted, and sensuously shot. The only potential weakness was Ratanaruang's inclusion of the comic gangster element (actor/director Takashi Miike plays a mob boss bent on revenge) which could very easily have been Last Life in the Universe's Achilles' heel, upsetting the tone and balance. As it turns out the Yakuza scenes work very well. In the context of the story Miike, and his henchmen do not seem out of place, and the absurd humour that they inject provides a necessary distraction from the studied inaction of Kenji and Noi. Overall then the elements combine to make Last Life in the Universe an unmissable film.

Last Life in the Universe, a story about a suicidal librarian who moves in with a pot smoking woman, i'm sure you've already read the synopsis of the film.

I liked the story quite a bit, it held my interest for the most part. It had some unexpected twists and turns. The imagery was especially beautiful. A lot of cool shots and directing concepts drew me strongly. The chemistry between Kenji and Noi was realistic and charming. The cute quips they fired back and forth put a grin on my face.

However, the pace was slower than it needed to be i felt. It's hard to appreciate good imagery and dialogue when the shots linger too long. The movie could have been about 15 minutes shorter of the director had edited down some of the shots go on too long after we get the gist of it.

7/10 heartfelt and intriguing, but let's not take so long about it please?

there's something about this movie that makes me just want to break out in a big smile, and it has nothing to do with my thinking the lead actress is really pretty. the visual composition of this movie as with most movies by Christopher Doyle is amazing. you could stop the movie at any point and it would make an award winning photograph. Tadanobu Asano also displays in this movie why he is one of my favourite actors. his performances in this movie, ichi the killer and zatoichi should rate him as one of the best actors outside of Hollywood(not that that makes him worse than anyone there, and he should stay out of Hollywood but thats a totally different subject for another day). the film itself has a pretty simple storyline, but follows a rather similar tone to another movie that was released last year, lost in translation. personally i felt this movie was superior because it seemed less contrived and pretentious. plus the extra little storyline with the yakuza is fall-off-your-chair funny. with hints of wong kar wai this is a very refreshing movie that should help get back your faith that good movies can still be made on small budgets.

Librarian with gangster affiliations whom is obsessed with suicide becomes infatuated with a young Thai girl after bonding over her sister's car accident .

Slow paced storytelling, even the love connection is messy. Some may praise cinematography for this is average for Christopher Doyle .. Takashi Miike makes a cameo

Kenji (Tadanobu Asano), a thirty-something year-old Japanese librarian living in Thailand, who doens't suffer from obsessive–compulsive disorder but he surely exaggerates about cleaning or packing. Anyway, has a complicated brother whose scams and irresponsible acts leave Kenji's house with two dead bodies in it, his brother's and the assassin's. For the record, there's a scene where we see Kenji spying on a girl in a uniform, Nid (Laila Boonyasak), who works on the bar where we previously watch Kinji's brother. Kenji's got to run. Having already tried to kill himself before, he heads to a bridge and while preparing to jump, as he looks back a running over takes place right behind him. Nid was the victim He immediately helps the injured young woman and ends up requesting shelter to the girl who'd been making company to Nid, her sister Noi (Sinitta Boonyasak). Nid didn't survive. The story is not confusing at all, told in this way. The problem is that this isn't told to you very clearly. And from this point, scenes come up where Nid and Noi alternate. Like the Asian cinema has been showing, the director Pen-Ek Ratanaruang explores both loneliness and love. Eventually, the notion of the love being explored diverges from the normal, now more related to family or friendship, but still, very inspiring and audacious. The biggest problem with this one, is that it gets incredibly boring at certain points, making it quite uncomfortable to make it until the end, 6/10

From Thailand, this is a bizarre art house film about loneliness and the struggle to survive. Unfortunately it moves at a snail's pace and doesn't really have much to say. Our main character doesn't want to live then doesn't want to stay in his apartment because of the smelly corpses there. His brother's dead and he meets a girl whose sister has just died. They form a relationship in a weekend over nothing incredible happening. Really?! This is supposed to be comedy, in a way, but I fail to see it, perhaps because I'm just an American used to American or British comedy. I dunno. The camera work is at times beautiful but other times I was left scratching my head wondering why if this person knew what he was doing. Audio, too. I don't often have a hard time understanding a film but this is a little perplexing. Maybe, just maybe, I'll watch it again one day to see if I can see it in a different light, a light that sheds some sense on it.

4.6 / 10 stars

--Zoooma, a Kat Pirate Screener