Bangkok Traffic (Love) Story

Granted, I wasn't familiar with "Bangkok Traffic (Love) Story" (aka "Rot fai faa... Maha na ter") from 2009 with director Adisorn Trisirikasem at the wheel, when I happened to stumble upon it here in 2020. And being an avid fan of Asian cinema, of course I took the time to sit down and watch it.

I wasn't familiar with the cast list, but I will say that both Sirin Horwang (playing Mei Li) and Theeradej Wongpuapan (playing Lung) were well-cast for the movie, as they were good in their performances and they definitely had some great on-screen chemistry.

The storyline was enjoyable, while it was generic and straight forward for a romantic comedy such as this. But there was just something very enjoyable about the movie, which made it quite worthwhile to sit through.

I thoroughly enjoyed "Bangkok Traffic (Love) Story" and found it to be a nice surprise. If you enjoy Asian romantic comedies and have the chance to watch this movie, you definitely should.

My rating of the movie is a six out of ten stars.

Amid Bangkok's endless traffic jams and urban chaos, Bangkok Traffic (Love) Story delivers a charming romantic comedy about finding connection when life feels stuck.

The film follows Mei Li (Cris Horwang), a 30-year-old single woman under pressure from her family and peers to find love. Her chance encounter with Loong (Theeradej Wongpuapan), an engineer working on Bangkok's skytrain system, sparks hope and humor as she navigates awkward situations, insecurities, and the challenges of modern urban romance. The story reflects both personal longing and the cultural expectations faced by single women in contemporary Thai society.

The film's greatest strength lies in its relatable protagonist. Cris Horwang delivers a warm, endearing performance, capturing Mei Li's charming and vulnerable nature. Theeradej complements her with understated charisma, creating chemistry that feels both sweet and believable. Bangkok itself becomes a character-its skytrain, bustling streets, and suffocating traffic symbolizing the frustrations and opportunities of city life.

Visually, the film embraces a bright and polished style, aligning with its lighthearted tone. Humor is sprinkled throughout, balancing the more sentimental beats. However, the pacing can feel uneven, with specific comedic sequences overstretched and some emotional turns predictable. Still, its sincerity and cultural specificity give it freshness compared to formulaic rom-coms.

Ultimately, Bangkok Traffic (Love) Story resonates as a story about hope and resilience, reminding viewers that love can arrive unexpectedly, even amidst life's gridlock.

Rating: 7/10 - A lighthearted and relatable romantic comedy, elevated by strong performances and urban charm, though held back by uneven pacing and predictability.

Coming from Thailand's neighboring country, I can relate to the premise of the movie quite well; an urban metropolitan and hectic lifestyle where public transportation and rapid transit seem to be the only dot connecting everyone. As simple as this is, the traffic provides the right setting to develop the majority of the movie's fundamental themes.

Let's settle the flaws first. Yes, the movie can get draggy at times and it may seem like a rather tedious task to watch, but I don't necessarily think these parts are fillers per say. These little nuances, as irrelevant as they seem, are important in building up the character of the main leads. The tiny pieces of informations coming from different parts of the movie patch up any doubts the viewers have towards the leads; they are romantically-flawed individuals yes, but each of them have their own reasons for every action of theirs, and this actual sense of insecurity connects us with them.

Retrospectively watching this after watching Cris Horwang's stellar acting in Seven Something (2012), I finally realize what is it about her that enables the audience to love her. She portrays fragility and femininity very well. Her acting embraces her flaws; she doesn't pretend to be devoid of weaknesses, and this 'flaw' of hers makes her acting relatable to an average city dweller like you and I. Elsewhere, I've read comments about Theeradej being somewhat stoic in this movie. I would say that I find it perfectly fine. Being an engineer that has been working the night-shift for a long time, he symbolizes loneliness and being unable to somehow express himself. I mean, how often do you see a girl that is human after midnight? He fits the role perfectly, and he's perhaps the sole reason behind the popularity of the movie among the girls.

As a whole, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of watching this flick. I find myself really loving the Thai's way of making romances; stripping them of any overly-dramatic elements and just making them as close to reality as possible. Who cares if its draggy at times? As long as viewers finish the movie with a smile across their face and feel more appreciative of their partner, I'd say this movie worked pretty damn fine.

This is film's screenplay is good, it was filled with a lot of comedy. But, execution was poor. Direction, Editing, Acting etc had timing problems. Should have been much better if more attention was paid. The climax felt like stretching far and further. But, as a whole, watchable movie.

The title is appropriate because it reminds me of Bangkok's infamous traffic jams. Watching the movie is like being caught in slow-moving traffic for more than two hours, with an insufferable long-winded babbler for a companion.

The film is basically the story of Muei-Ly (Sirin Horwang), a Thai-Chinese girl who, at 30, is feeling desperate at finding her Mr Right. Societal pressures are hard to ignore, especially when most of her girlfriends, including a so-called 'ugly duckling', are getting hitched and moving out of her social circle.

Late one night, however, a drunken Muei-Ly gets into an accident and meets her Mr Hot (Theeradej Wongpuapan as Lung), an engineer working the night shift at the BTS (Bangkok Transit System or Skytrain) station. Lung would have been just a passing 'dream' for Muei-Ly if he had not showed up at her house a few days later - as 'Uncle' to the boyfriend of Muei-Ly's family maid.

She meets him a few more times at the Skytrain stations - but dares not make the first move, at least not until her pretty neighbour Plern (Ungsumalynn Sirapatsakmetha) starts hitting on him. And just when she manages to spend the Songkran (Thai new year) holidays with him, she discovers some heartbreaking news.

Wongpaupan is really a charmer and would definitely go well with females in the audience. Sirin Horwang has rather limited facial expressions but we tend to root for her as the shy, pampered girl who lives with her parents and Teochew-speaking grandma. Co-star Unsumalin Sirasakpatharamaetha (as Plern) provides comic relief and a little tension to the plot. And if you see a lot of scenes on the Skytrain, it is because the movie is sponsored by the BTS, celebrating its 10th anniversary.

Its flaws are plenty, most notably in its implausible and sometimes moronic script (by director and co-writer Trisirikasem, Benjamaporn Srabua and Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit) that drags, sputters and stalls for more than two hours to tell a story that could easily have been done in half that time. Indeed, the film-makers feel compelled to emphasise the nightmares of the infamous Bangkok transport systems - stressing on 'smelly' armpits and others - and doing infantile gags involving Muei-Ly's boss and his solar-energy bras, etc.

What I cannot tolerate about the film is the writers' misrepresentation of Muei-Ly as the urban female. They portray her as the dreamer and schemer going after the love of her life - and yet when she gets him, she acts coy throughout. Yes, this is a love story when the lovers do not even hold hands, let alone kiss each other! "Bangkok Traffic (Love) Story" is director Trisirikasem's third feature, after "Lucky Loser" (2006) and "My Girl" (2003). I have not seen the previous films but would definitely recommend that he takes a look at what young people do on dates these days, before he makes another romantic comedy. That way, his movies may cross more borders (besides Singapore and Malaysia) and gross as much as those from Hollywood. (limchangmoh.blogspot.com)