Last Life in the Universe

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Drama

Last Life in the Universe is a Pen ek Ratanarung film with a mundane though surreal story arc and fantastic cinematography by Christopher Doyle who does the same for HKG's Wong Kar Wai. Best reason to watch it is Asano Tadanobu, Japanese actor par excellence who has made a career portraying psycho killers in japanese cinema.In a tongue in cheek shot, the director included a poster of Tadanobu's film Ichi the Killer in the library scene.Try to spot it.

When my daughter Carla told me she meet Asano at the Berlinale and asked him a few questions, I drooled with envy. Then she added she also saw Christopher Doyle at the Berlin Filmfest at the same time, it was like a double drool moment for me.

Asano Tadanobu's character Kenji is an obsessive -compulsive- neat- freak- suicidal Japanese in Bangkok who hooks up with a slob hot Thai babe played by Sinitta Boonyasak who lives in a house that is literally a pigsty. Its a pairing made in heaven or hell depending on whether you are the seemingly asexual neat freak or the sizzling and sexy slob.The relationship is platonic, we are made to believe.The movie captures an interlude in their lives and depicts how they deal with the realities of death,love, violence, malaise and emptiness. The ending is so oriental, nothing definite, but hints at the possibilities. This film was so beautifully brilliant and twisted I wept with delight.There are some violent scenes after the yakuza came to play and nudity but we can't be squeamish about that, can we?

Some lines to remember the movie by:
Kenji the japanese; Can I stay here a little bit longer?
Noi the hot babe: Why you no go home?
Kenji : It smells bad, there are two dead bodies there.
Noi: Ok stay as long as you want.

Noi: Do you masturbate a lot?
Kenji:Whaaaat?
Noi: Do you masturbate a lot?

Catch it here: Crunchyroll and You Tube
or better yet buy the DVD and support the artistes.Click here to order the DVD : YESASIA