Midnight, My Love

Melancholy can be very beautiful. This much is clear from this nocturnal city film. In accordance with the desires and dreams of the nostalgic protagonist, the film often refers to a long-gone past. To a time when people still sang in films, to an age when films were projected on incredibly wide screens. And to a time when radio plays could make an actor famous and the whole population could be glued to the radio to listen to romantic stories. Taxi driver Bati is a shy man. He most likes driving round town at night without any customers, listening to his favourite radio station. Or he dreams of romantic, musical stories. One night, Bati gets a group of prostitutes in his car. He takes a fancy to one of them, the quiet Nuan. Bati soon offers his services as Nuan’s private chauffeur and he starts dreaming of a real relationship. But this seems beyond his capabilities. Each in their own way, Nuan and Bati both seem to accept their fate. Resignation prevents them getting any closer to each other and taking their fate into their own hands. In a contrary casting, Bati is wonderfully acted by the famous comic actor Pechtai Wongamiao. He gives the phlegmatic and sad character a special extra dimension. He also convincingly lets him keep a secret: Bati’s patient resistance to the harsh modern, technological society also turns out to have a less common cause. (GjZ)