The Stranger (2021)

A short with a queer touch and a universal story

"Each person who passes through our lives is unique. They always leave a little of themselves and take a little of us with them. There will be those who will take a lot, but there will not be those who will leave us nothing. This is evident proof that two souls do not meet by chance", Jorge Luis Borges.
'The Stranger' is a drama that addresses a chance encounter between a young university student and a stranger with whom he seems to create a deep bond, and whose presence attracts him spontaneously. Likewise, the short film portrays the chemistry in relationships, and allows us to observe a series of behavioral and physical manifestations that show the existence of a deep affinity between both.
The protagonist of this story is Him, played by Cheerafat Keowlek in his acting debut, a lonely and shy student from the province, who, with a camera in his hands, arrives at the emblematic Lumphini Park, in the Thai capital, to carry out a university project. Bath (Pongrak Chulanon) walks through the place, known for playing a supporting role in the 2021 series 'Loveless Society', who on this occasion plays a young worker, somewhat older, who has been waiting for a long time for his girlfriend to finish the workday to take it to her house.
The encounter with a stranger guides the protagonist of this story to a place equally unknown to him, full of doubts and uncertainties, but also well-being, joys and emotions.
The film begins when two strangers exchange a couple of words. The plot begins in that brief one-on-one conversation in which the characters, uncomfortable, measure distances and points in common, establishing a development that determines the plot of the next 22 minutes. The truth is that the interactions bring emotions that will not allow us to leave our seats, and from minute zero we fall in love with the two protagonists, waiting for their frugal meeting to lead them to embark on a romantic love story.
I like how the characters get carried away by the moment, leaving their lives on hold, and somehow ignoring the objective of why they are there, giving themselves over to the other person and the advancement of the plot brought about by their meeting.
'The Stranger' tells of an awakening towards friendship, but it could also be towards something much deeper, when a young man realizes that he is attracted to the stranger who sat next to him on the shores of a city lake, after reaching him a few lost hearing aids.
The short film, written and directed by Pipat Wattanapanit, director of 'Loveless Society', also tells us about the search for trust, security, shelter, understanding and complicity in a stranger whom we may never see again.
Based on the film 'The Stranger', by Miranda, the script is concise and all the dialogues, although quite simple, well establish the closure of the audiovisual production on how the two protagonists relate to each other in their brief meeting.
The performances are correct and complement the idea that the protagonists create a bond that could be the prelude to a beautiful friendship and, why not, a love relationship. The two characters embody their roles and well convey the emotions and discomfort present at the beginning of the meeting, with Cheerafat Keowlek acting as a reserved young man who little by little opens up to the nobility and delicacy of a stranger who catches his attention a special way, and Pongrak Chulanon as a relaxed, optimistic, self-confident individual, but with an aura of mystery that equally captivates the viewer.
It is a pleasure to see the two actors interact, that their different personalities collide and convincingly show the attraction through curiosity, non-verbal language, contact, including visual contact, the fluttering of pheromones to have a feeling.
The production is well shot, making good use of location work and different angles, with powerful images, photographed by Pratchaya Pethwisit. Each scene integrates well with the other, giving the film a nice flow from the first frame to the last.
The soundtrack deserves special mention. The music is written and produced by Sarakorn Rujirawannakorn, whose main theme is titled "Stranger", a song performed by actor Pongrak Chulanon. Well chosen, it also does a great job of making transitions between different scenes and recreating the feelings and emotions that overcome the protagonists.
The narrative is presented as a clear vision with a great flow that will keep the viewers engrossed till the end.
The director is a talent that must be paid attention to and followed in his future productions.

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