Present Perfect (2017)

STORY: The whole show centers around Toey's experiences in a foreign country (Japan) while trying to get over his recent heartbreak and trying to figure out his feelings toward Oat, a fellow Thai, who rents the unit next to him. It's quite a long movie but evenly paced and never really felt slow. The ending is a bit disappointing but understandable in the context of the movie.

ACTING/CAST: The guys are cute and they have good chemistry. There are a number of sweet moments and they pull them off nicely.

MUSIC: I only seem to remember a piano in the background. It went well with the show but I remember little else.

REWATCH VALUE: Nah, while it was enjoyable once, no need to see it again.

OVERALL: This is a multilingual movie: Thai, Japanese, English.  It was fun to watch. Also it was sweet to watch Toey and Oat draw close to each other. But, as the details section states above, they have to disappointingly "return to the 'real world'." Also, lots of pretty scenery of Japan. Hope you like Natt?!

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Haven't watched the second one but here is my review on the first

I didn't have any expectations going into this which was nice but it surprised me. Like what the other reviews said it's slow-paced but personally not in a boring way. I think the story is simple but beautiful. The ending though not the happiest was nice and it defiantly eft room for part two which I will watch later. I wouldn't recommend this movie to people who like watching dramatic, fluffy and maybe smutty BL's. But if you want to watch a heartwarming story that to me seemed to depict a gay relationship in a real way then this is for you. The story is simple but well done and I loved the metaphor of the nattō. I also like to way it followed one person's perspective, as in when they didn't remember stuff we wouldn't see it, and we wouldn't see the stuff that they didn't. It again made the movie have a more realistic feel unlike others which jump around POVs (not that there is anything wrong with that) Yumi is one of the best characters in this, she knows just the right things to say and doesn't judge anyone based on their actions. I would recommend this to the LGBT+ community, because of the mature way it depicted a gay relationship. There are a couple of bits that I didn't like one being the reason Oat got engaged but no show is perfect! But overall I found this movie to be heartwarming and enjoyable

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After rewatching it, I had to revise my first impression

The first time I watched the movie it felt a little lengthy and the acting a little stiff.

Nevertheless I have watched the second part (see my review there) and thought, I should rewatch the first one because I felt so much closer to the actors in the second movie.
And I am glad I did so. Because now, with the feelings from the second movie, the acting in this movie makes more sense to me. The english parts are still a bit bumpy, but Tonawanik Adisorn plays the "being torn because of having had sex with a man" really good, the confusion is literally writen all over his face. He is a quiet character and I misread that the first time, so you have to watch his face closely. And his heartbreak brought me to tears (again).
The character of Oat is even when rewatching a bit plain, no changes there. But Yumi is great, I loved her from the beginning.

Another thing I love about the movie: the soundtrack. There is not much music, but the song when they kiss is terrific and adds to the scene extremly well. And the scenery is awesome, for example the picture when they stand on the mountain and watch the land below is like a painting, beautifull.

My conclusion: I like the movie *insertsmileyhere*

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A Refreshingly Quiet Love Story

This quiet little drama is worthy of a 10 but the enigmatic, open-ended ending is a real disappointment. Nevertheless, there's a familiarity about this story. It's one an older generation of gay men have shared with me over the years. They had boyfriends early in life but eventually were forced into a traditional marriage with kids. When the kids finally grew up they were able to revisit their native sexual orientation. It was really refreshing to see a quiet little drama out in the countryside with only three main characters (for the most part). The music was wonderful (even if not very well edited together). This could have been like a rather dull stage play with just the two houses, but the director opened up a lot of beautiful scenery and dialog-free montages. The metaphor of Natto being distasteful until you acquire a taste for it (or until it's presented properly) was a delightful way to say, "How do you know you don't like something until you've tried it?" Well, I guess there's a sequel to this (which I have not seen yet) but, in my view, a better ending would have been for Toey to end up with another guy (perhaps the one he says goodbye to at the airport?) and leave Oat to this chosen life path. You can still have that scene of regret, but life goes on and it's better not to dwell too much on a past you can't go back to.

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Some Questionable Story Elements, But Enjoyable All in All...

What a depressing, frustrating ending! I'm so glad that there's a sequel so that Toey and Oat can be reunited. I've heard so many rave reviews about the sequel and wanted to watch it, but of course, I had to watch its prequel first.

Quiet. Watching this film is like taking a stroll in the park. Calming and relaxing. There's a feeling of ease. Though I did like Oat and Toey's relationship, how it started was questionable. A random rape subplot committed by Oat who didn't seem like the person who would take advantage of Toey. It felt completely out of character for Oat as if the writer wanted to inject some conflict into the story. In addition, the rationalization of the sexual assault on both Yumi's and Toey's end was questionable. "If it was a woman, it would be better." What?! And Yumi using natto to open Toey's mind up to guys was weird. All in all though, I enjoyed the film and really liked the relationships between Toey and Oat. That ending where they reunited after several years was quite sad and touching as they realize how much time has passed and thought about what could have been. I am ready for the much lauded sequel!

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As much as I enjoyed the short film (shown here), the same goes for this feature film. In terms of the story, these young men only had a few days at the Higashikawa Resort in Japan, each arriving from different motives. Toey came here to heal a broken heart after a five-year relationship with his girlfriend, and Oat, on the other hand, to enjoy the last days before the wedding. Very nicely produced (albeit in Thai with a slow fall) and also played, especially the more mysterious Oat impressed me and the overall tone, except for the twice rather loud music, was pleasantly sad, especially the ending after a while when Toey tried to take on "the form "Oat.



Tak jako se mi líbil krátký film (zde uvedený), tak to samé platí i pro tento celovečerní snímek. Z hlediska příběhu měli tito mladí muži na sebe jen pár dní v rezortu Higashikawa v Japonsku, kam každý přijel z jiných pohnutek. Toey sem přijel vyléčit zlomené srdce po pětiletém vztahu s přítelkyní a Oat naopak užít si poslední dny před svatbou. Moc hezky vyrobeno (i když thajsky s pomalým spádem) a i zahráno, především tajemnější Oat na mě zapůsobil a celkové vyznění, až na dvakrát dost hlasitou hudbu, bylo příjemně smutné, především ten závěr po čase, kdy Toey se snažil na sebe vzít "podobu" Oata.

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A sad but fluffy reality

I can say that I enjoyed this film enough. The pacing and the acting all remind me very closely of Japanese movies and dramas I've watched in the past, so don't expect the liveliness that you might find in Thai series - there's none of that here other than the two main characters speaking the language. It's also VERY quiet - I'm pretty sure there's just a few moments where some OST can be heard, while everything else just has ambient sounds or is completely silent. The pacing is also pretty slow and meant for the viewer to take in all the details and the acting without rushing in. I can't recommend this if you're one who gets impatient or distracted easily!

The story itself is actually touching, although in its own sad way. Toey and Oat meet in Japan in a small town, both far away from their personal problems (Toey just broke up with his girlfriend after years of being together, Oat is on his last solo vacation before getting married). Since they're both so far away from their life in Thailand, the entire film feels almost dream-like, as if it was a fantasy rather than made of actual events, which is something that I liked a lot. This dreamy atmosphere is broken from time to time by real-life events and discoveries, which made me want Toey and Oat to keep being happy in a bubble of their own even more.
I don't want to say more than it's necessary as I believe that it's better to watch the film than have a review tell everything. All I want to add is that there are some themes and events that might not be everyone's cup of tea, so I can't recommend watching before bracing yourself in case you don't digest sensitive contents well. Overall it was pretty good, so I'd say you should give it a go!

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perfectly imperfect

know there r others that will disagree, but this movie exceeded my expectation's - first off reading the description was sure Toey was gay (cause this is a BL) and he had broken up with his gay-lover and was journeying to mend his broken heart, and meets Oat "...who is on his bachelor finale trip.." and presto he falls in-love as u do. boy was i wrong -

before anything have to say Toey's ex was brutal - like i get her breaking-up with him, but the sh*t that came out of her mouth - u don't demolish a persons soul just cause u want out of a relationship - and considering she already had a new guy. she could've just owned up to that and not annihilated his self-esteem on her way out. really there was no reason for it - other then to just be a mega-b*tch.

Oat - from the sec he set eyes on Toey, he was "hooked" - maybe it was his last chance to "sow his wild oats" or maybe he was just attracted to Toey, u could see it with his stealing glances - so his actually being gay isn't a shocker. if anything it's sad that in-spite of being gay he got into a relationship with a girl and has fathered a child, that he really doesn't want - neither the kid nor the wife. what a "happy family"?!?
but considering his father being a military man, him being intolerant towards anything that isn't "normal" is implied, so maybe it's not astonishing that Oat got himself a "beard" - and yet it's sad for everyone involved -

even though the story was pretty clam, it was turbulent cause of all the emotional turmoil going on in each character, and the conversations with Yumi were so needed - she is the clam in a tempestuous sea... everyone really did a great job - loved Toey the most - he brought his A game, the confusions, hurt, anger - let alone his starting to open up and even fall for Oat - he was so great - like an open book that was easy and very enjoyable to read - hard not to like and root for a character like this. donno what awaits in the sequel just hope Toey gets a happy ending - even though i enjoyed how this ended - and even if i didn't know that there is a sequel - i would've enjoyed how this ended, cause it was logical. its left open - does Toey delete Oat's friend request, breaking all contact with him or does he chance it and accept him and everything that may come by choosing that path?!? (well don't have to guess, like u usually do - as just need to check out the sequel).

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Simple, sweet and super slow-paced

Pros:
-Really pretty scenery in Japan with a chill, quiet and calming atmosphere to the film overall.
-I liked the natural, sweet pace that the couple get to know each other at.
-The actor for Oat is really charming and his smile is so friggin cute.
-Kiss scene is really lovely- soft and genuine.
-I loved Toey's Japanese friend Yumi- she was so charming and open-minded.

Cons:
-Not all that much happens tbh- I almost felt like it was in slow motion at times and was really tempted to up the play speed to 1.5x. The runtime is almost two hours (I watched this in two sittings tbh as I got bored after a while).
-I liked the bilingual aspect, but some of the English scenes scenes did feel a bit awkward/unnatural at times- which jilted the flow of some scenes.
-Not a big fan of the fact Oat took advantage of Toey while he was drunk when it's clear he got him drunk on purpose and knew he identified himself as straight.
-The ending sucks. I understand that this film is telling a common story of gay men who feel like they're constrained to fit into a society where they have to forego love for a straight marriage and children... But it is what it is- sad.
I hated that Oat pursues Toey from the beginning in a true act of selfishness as his last jilt before marriage. Especially knowing the entire time that he won't stay with him and that his girlfriend is pregnant. He just uses Toey and throws him away without even having the respect to say goodbye in person.
I dislike that him cheating on his partner is glossed over just because his internal struggle is something a lot of gay men go through. (I sympathize more with the hurt his partner would feel knowing someone married you for mercenary reasons but never actually loved you).
I acknowledge this movie isn't about me though and these things aren't perfect (and that's kind of the point of the movie). But this is not something I'd ever feel motivated to rewatch.
I really wish the movie finished with Toey rejecting the friend request and moving on with his life with a new love interest. I get it's "romantic" and melodramatic to "wait" for his one true love to come back (I know there's a sequel along those lines). But to me it'd be more satisfying to show that you should have the self-respect to move on from people who use you and find someone who truly wants to be with you.

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Well, I'm not gonna watch it if its a sad ending tho. I will start with the Present perfect. I guess it has a short story to tell but the movie itself was more than an hour. The slow-pacing will get you to sleep while on the bed and tired af. But don't get me wrong, it has an amazing story to tell and the slow-pacing help to build the emotions they wanted to portray. When Oat mentioned that Nawha was pregnant make-up the story and that was a good twist. Of course, it did not end up well and that makes my heartbroken. The last part was heartwarming tho, they reunited and realized how time has passed. Their looks in the eyes were so touching. The use of the English language is cute but annoying at some point. Present Still Perfect was the best of best. The story hanging on the first film was completed. The characters added was so amazing and gives a positive vibe. the sex scenes were romantic and not awkward. The actors did a great job this time. Toey's acting is so exceptional, especially on the crying scenes. Everything seems to be perfect. Good thing Namwha is open-minded and seems like she was influenced by western culture. It was a happy ending and this is all I want There is no doubt that these films had received a lot of awards internationally. I won't talk about the technicality of the film because I'm not good at it and besides it doesn't concern me.

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