Review of Syndromes and a Century (2006) by Charles P — 12 May 2016
My second film from Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul. "Loong Boonmee raleuk chat" or "Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives" was my first one and I expected a lot from it. It never lived up to it, so I had doubts about this one.
It's a different type of film. It's gentle, mysterious, quite weird and experimental when it comes to techniques of scene selection and tempo. We follow some doctors at a hospital. Weerasethakul's parents is in real life doctors, so this has been known as some sort of biography on that matter. Doctors are very much human beings and here we get into their lives as a more personal matter. The popular doctor Toey seem in center of it, but other doctors and some patients are on the screen too.
It's a romatic vibe here but the biggest vibe I get is some sort of calmness as it put's me in a trance with it's super slow panning shots and it's music. Shot's turn out from the conversations or move around in the building while nice dialogues keeps you interested.
I dig that repeated conversation thing and I love the black hole scene. Many great scenes, some weirder, some funnier than others. A lovely shot film, mesmerizing and calm - that takes your head to other destinations. Impressive stuff.
8 out of 10 orchids.
This review of Syndromes and a Century (2006) was written by Charles P on 12 May 2016.
Syndromes and a Century has generally received positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
