Hi-So
Starring: Ananda Everingham, Sajee Apiwong, Cerise Leang
Director: Aditya Assarat
Rating: 2/5
Director Aditya Assarat whipped up quite a storm with his last film Wonderful Town and how he is back with Hi-So.
Assarat reveals that this is most personal project to make and it was script that he did write some time ago.
Ananda has returned home from abroad. Unsure of his career plans, he accepts an invitation to act in a new movie for a famous director.
During the filming in a small seaside town, Zoe, his American girlfriend from University, arrives for a week-long visit.
But the change of country takes its toll and she soon becomes frustrated at the situation. Meanwhile, Ananda meets another girl on the beach...
Sadly Hi-So is a bit of a mixed bag as there are some great moments in the film that are coupled with things that don't work so well.
The central character of Ananda is an interesting one as he is a man who is caught between two cultures; his Thai heritage and his education in America.
He is a man who does seem to be a little lost and doesn't really know what he wants from life.
Ananda Everingham gives an assured performance in the central role but his character really is a little under-developed and you never really feel that you truly get to know this character.
The major problem with Hi-So is the tediously slow plot and this results in a film that never really gets going.
Because the pace is all over the place the scenes don't really flow together and so the story is, sadly, a little disjointed.
Characters appear and then disappear with no real explanation. The role of Zoe is the perfect example; she visits Ananda at the beginning of the movie as he is shooting a film in Thailand.
There relationship is strained throughout their visit and then she just disappears. There is no real exploration of how their love affair dissolves into nothing - which is a major shame.
Hi-So looks stunning as Assarat really has made the most of the location; it is both beautiful but scarred by the tsunami.
There are some charming and sweet moments in Hi-So but the film really does lack drive to hold you attention for 102 minutes.
We caught up with Aditya Assarat to chat about the new movie.
Hi-So is out now