Could someone suggest a few films from Thailand (or Asia in general), which are in the same level and style as LLITU? It's difficult to get information about this kind of films in Europe. Oh, and a few words about each...Thanx!
"It's me. If there's an extra ticket...would you go with me?"
If you liked the quiet pace of the movie, try Vertical Ray of the Sun (http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0224578/) and A Scene at the Sea (http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0103704/).
shareThis director's Ruang talok 69 ("6sixtynine9") is similar in many ways, although it is a bit more of a farcical comedy and the pace is much faster. If you liked LLITU for the pace and contemplative mood, you might try Taiwanese director Ming-lian Tsai's Ni neibian jidian ("What Time Is It There"), which you can probably find on DVD.
Other Thai directors who are worth checking out included the Pang brothers (Oxide Pang Chun and Danny Pang). Their Jian Gui (The Eye) is a great stylish horror movie. They also did Bangkok Dangerous, which is quite well known (but isn't really as interesting as the other movies I have mentioned -- more of you typical HK action type flick, not that that is always a bad thing!).
LLITU reminds me strongly of the films from Wong Kar-wei; don't know exactly why, maybe it's the same poetic and melancholic way of telling storys. So you could check out "fallen angels", "chungking express" or "happy togheter" (they got the same beautiful pictures like LLITU - Chris Doyle is just a great cinematographer!).
By now Wong Kar-Wei should be well known in Europe (because of "in the mood for love" and "2046"), although he made better films than these two. I also recommand films from Takeshi Miike (e.g. "Audition", by the way: Miike plays the yakuza-boss in LLITU), Takeshi Kitano ("Sonatine", "Violent Cop", "Hana-Bi") and Kim Ki-Duk ("seom").
"This is bliss"
Have you heard of 'Tears of the Black Tiger'. Its a Thai western with deliberately lurid colours and painted backdrops as well as cartoon-like violence. Although it takes a lot from genres such as the spaghheti westerns and old Thai melodrmas, its probably like nothing you've ever seen! Its available on DVD in the UK.
shareThe director has made another film called Invisible Waves. I haven't seen it yet. It stars the same leading guy from this film.
Try The Road Home by Zhang Yimou (Hero, House of Flying Dagger). It's nothing to do with kung-fu. It's a love story and I find that the mood is similar to this movie. I personally like it very much.
Thai films are generally not great. And I know because I'm Thai.
Have you seen Nang Nak by Nonzee Nimitbutr? It's a love story about a wife who died giving birth to a son but refuses to go away. Her husband went to war. When he came back, he doesn't know that his wife died. It's such a sad movie. It's sometime frightening, but mostly I felt like crying because of how much the wife, Nak, loves her husband. It's based upon a very popular legend in Thailand.
"Had joy no date nor age no need."