Chok-Dee

Thank you for xavier durringer to give us this movie and for sur the ladybars movies too but chok dee is really interesting for all the thailand fans bernard giraudeau play so well and it is his last movie before he die and dida is very good actor i don't know why he doesn't play anymore so thai boxing at his best.

Looks like I'm the first person to review this. It seems odd that seemingly no one has seen this (no reviews anywhere, except a few in French), and there's no information about this movie on IMDb The movie is starred by Dida Diafat, A Thai boxing champion, and it's based on his autobiography, although his character is called Ryan. So he's playing himself, I suppose. Diafat's character gets thrown in jail in France, where he learns the basics of Thai boxing from another inmate. He then travels to Thailand to study more Thai boxing, in order to become a champion. That's basically the story, but there are a few subplots and background elements such as a romantic interest, which are likely fiction. The subplots, which seem to appear, disappear and reappear at irregular intervals, are mostly in the background and don't affect the straightforward storyline too much. However, the subplots seem a little out of place and don't quite fit the movie. It would have been better if the entire movie would have concentrated on just the Thai boxing.

Diafat's climb to the top doesn't seem unrealistic, and is presumably based on fact. There are few if any fight movie clichés. In fact, the movie could have used some, like the mandatory epic final battle where the protagonist almost loses but doesn't. The final fight is very short and ends abruptly which, again, could be factual. The fights are mostly shot well, and they alternate between close shots and fast cuts, and wider and longer takes. Considering Dida Diafat was a world champion eleven times (or so I read), the movie could have used much longer shots without fearing that it would look fake.

I couldn't see anything at fault with Diafat's acting, and generally there's really nothing wrong with the movie. I just wish it would have concentrated exclusively on the training and fighting, with more longer fighting scenes.

First off, completely dismiss the person's review who didn't enjoy the movie. It's so completely obvious they know nothing about Muay Thai, or fighting for that matter. He said something along the lines of the lead actors form was amateurish, and that he is an amateur. That is SO wrong. As someone who trains in Muay Thai, I know that technique is super-duper important and this guy had great technique. As soon as he begins training it's very, very obvious this guy has had previous training. The knees were beautiful, he kept his shoulders up, threw punches with fluidity....I can go on and on. By the way, the actor playing the lead, Dida, this is HIS story, and he's a World Champion. Yeah, he's no amateur.

The movie itself is no slouch either. The movie gives off an intimate and nice feel of what being at a Muay Thai camp in Thailand would feel like. Following our lead from a petty thief to a Muay Thai fighter was a very fun and interesting ride. I suppose I'm more bias because I love fighting and appreciate technique and the brutality Muay Thai delivers. But if you also enjoy these aspects then you should also enjoy Chok Dee.

With simple side plots the involve back-stabbing and love, the movie also tries entertaining you with other real life areas. But the star of the movie is really the Muay Thai. And by using non-actors mostly, the film delivers lots of legit muay thai. Since they know their sport so well, the fights aren't played so softly. Instead they'll throw the kicks to safer spots like the shoulders or arm pit area.

Chok Dee delivers an intriguing yet simple story, by having a lead actor who expresses himself with a solemn intensity that really works. He's obviously not a great actor, but when you're watching him fight and train, acting flys out the door. As with the other good comment I also agree that a bit more focus on the camp would have made the movie something special. Instead you do have subplots, which do fine on their own, but it's not why you're watching this flick. If you enjoy fighting and Muay Thai, there is no reason for you not to check this out. A surprisingly good film.