Seven Days Twenty-four Hours

I went to see this movie because I am living in Bangkok, and I wanted to see some local cinema. I actually enjoyed the experience quite a bit; watching a foreign movie in a foreign country is a bit different than watching it in your living room.

The movie itself was fairly impressive as well. It did not have the smoothly polished effects of a Hollywood movie, but the acting was far better than what I've seen back home.

The story is about Ble who is actually two twins, Ble A and Ble B, stuck in one body. They alternate days. For example, Ble A has the body on Monday, Ble B has it on Tuesday, etc. Ble works at 7-11 (which are more common in Thailand than Starbucks in Seattle) because every day is the same, and neither twin will miss anything. Ble becomes romantically involved with a coworker, Tau, and the movie centers around their relationship. Obviously, the complication of having two people in one body causes some problems in their relationship.

These difficulties were my biggest problem with this movie. Ble A and Ble B did not communicate effectively with each other, and most of the difficulties in their relationship with Tau were caused by this lack of communication. This, to me, was a case of a character's stupidity driving the plot, and I hate that.

Despite this, the movie was really enjoyable, and I would recommend it to anyone that can overlook a few minor plot problems.

While the basic summary of this movie is correct, the real charm lies in the two very different personalities that inhabit Ble (pronounced more like the English word "bun".) The actor, with a little help from the costume department, does an excellent job convincing the audience that Ble A, organized and responsible, and Ble B, a rather charming hopeless romantic, are two totally separate people.

The leading lady's role is decidedly less complex, but she still shines as the attractive coworker tortured by Ble's hot and cold swings. And the three other notable supporting characters, seen in most of the movies posters, are hilarious beyond simple explanation.

All that said, the plot is not always airtight, and even if you have a good understanding of Thai culture, you'll still want to watch this with a friend and compare notes to make sure you understand it all at the end. Between the excellent performances, clever scenarios, and distinctly Thai eccentricities, you'll have plenty to talk about.