Images of the tattered coastline in Taiwan following the devastating tsunami are still chilling and amongst this, Aditya Assarat sets his quiet and gentle film, Wonderful Town. Exploring ideas pertinent to the location and also his two central characters - loneliness, isolation and recovery - initially creates interest. This is an interesting concept. While the film takes some surprising turns, Assarat's deliberate pacing of the film creates a distance between the viewer and the film itself that doesn't always engage. This pace is intentional and appropriate given the content of the piece, but it makes for an unusually cold experience. Anchalee Saisootorm brings an understated charisma to Ton, a Bangkok architect escaping his dull city life, but Supphasit Kansen as Na, the owner of an always-empty hotel, is too removed from her own life to be engaging. Perhaps this character is underwritten. As a result, their chemistry sometimes feels stiff and unconvincing. The landscape is well captured and at times, the film is moving, but it feels to superficial to warrant recommendation or a repeat viewing. Perhaps the film needed some more characters and colours to justify its long 92 minute runtime.
6.5 on the DaveScale.
(dir. Aditya Assarat, Thailand, 92 mins)
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