Yes Or No

I am going to try and do lots of reviews over the next couple of days, as I have had a little film watching burst over the last week or so.  I have been exploring some of the more under-explored regions of Asian Cinema, with some gems to talk about, as well as some awfulness.  The net effect will be some shorter reviews than usual, but I wanted to do a little more than the usual capsules.  We will start in Thailand, with a lovely little romantic comedy.  What makes it a little different is that it is a Teen Lesbian Rom-Com. 

In “Yes or No” we meet pretty University student Pie (Aom Sucharat Manaying), a pretty young Marine Biology student who has been having some issues with her openly lesbian room mate, and has been moved to a new room.  There she meets new Agricultural student Kim (Supanart Jittaleela), who is rather boyish in appearance.  This causes some initial discomfort, as although she seems to have a lot of gay friends, her upbringing has meant she is not terribly accepting to “Toms” – girls who dress like boys.  The irony is that Kim may well outwardly appear to be a Tom, but she actually is not sure of her own sexuality, and coming from the country, is not very experienced in the world of love and indeed gender stereotypes.  However, even though Pie is terribly rude to Kim initially, separating the sides of their room by red tape, eventually they grow to become firm friends, and they start to have much deeper feelings for each other.  They both struggle with these feelings, and are doubly compromised by Pie’s homophobic Mother and her childhood friend Wan who would love for Pie to be more than his friend.  Add into the mix Pie’s ex-roommate Jane, who holds a massive torch for Kim.  Can the girls actually be together, or will their own doubts and the compromises they make for societal acceptance drive the burgeoning lovers apart?

This really is a lovely little film.  Whilst nearly every Thai film I have ever seen has found some place to introduce Lady boys, the concept of lesbianism seems to be one that is not so accepted.  And it is handled so well – this is not a film full of soft focus teasing and titillation.  With little more than a couple of kisses and some hugs, we really get the sense of a proper romance brewing, with the two girls getting to know and become reliant on each others company.  It is in a word – believable. 

This does contrast with the other characters, who are drawn in much broader strokes, mostly for background comedic effect – Jane is an aggressive girly-lesbian, Boy is an overcompensating camp gay male, Nerd is a strange asexual creature (that steals every second she appears on screen with one single biting line of dialogue) and there are a bunch of typical boys that act as a kind of Greek Chorus.  On the less humorous side we have Pie’s mother, who is a strange way is actually a refreshing character – with deep issues about boys and girls that play with gender appearances.  She is in no way a sympathetic character, but her voice does add balance.  On the other side – we have Kim’s Father, who rivals Nerd for scene-stealing – a more open and accepting Father a young Lesbian girl could not wish for.

This is a low budget film and is  not spectacular in any way, and the acting is a little ropey - Supanart Jittaleela is a little awkward and uncomfortable, but it works in this case as it shows how different she is – both in terms of her sexuality and being away from her country home.  But is has that certain something – a gentle tenderness and understanding about what is being explored.  Reading up a bit, it does seem that whilst homosexuality is accepted in Thailand, there is still a bit of a disconnect – on the level of it is ok for people to be gay – as long as they are not my Children – and the complex nature of the religious and cultural background of the Thai people.

Not only that, but it is also brave enough to only give us a semi-happy ending.  We never find out the final fates of our lead characters.  They gain acceptance of their relationship between each other.  Little is resolved with Pie’s Mother, and I am not certain that this is the “one” for both of them, that they will live happily ever after.  The message of the film is, if you find the one you love, then give it a go, and give it a go whole-heartedly.  Its a great message, and one I can support, and therefore this one is Recommended.