Thai filmmaker’s noodling mood piece for aficionados only

  • By Robert Horton Herald Movie Critic
  • Thursday, December 6, 2012 8:36am
  • LifeGo-See-Do

The Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul creates mood pieces that are as puzzling as they are seductive; the eloquent proof of this comes in his fascinating “Syndromes of a Century” and the Cannes Festival-winning “Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives.”

Compared to those two excursions, Weerasethakul’s newest, “Mekong Hotel,” feels like noodling around a theme. He all but signals this with his opening scene, which depicts a guitarist (apparently an old friend of the director’s) picking away at a melody and admitting that he can hardly remember his own composition — but he’ll keep playing until he finds it.

We hear this drifting solo guitar music through almost all of the remainder of the film. And indeed, “Mekong Hotel” moves about in search of a melody, without particularly disclosing what it is actually about.

Shot around a hotel that perches above the mighty Mekong River separating Thailand from Laos, the film includes scenes between two young people who meet and apparently fall in love; they talk a lot about reincarnation, and we conclude there might be a longer history between them than just the present day.

There’s also much talk of ghosts, as well as startling moments in which the young woman’s mother (who might be a ghost herself) is seen feeding on bloody entrails. Given the talk of supernatural spirits on the loose, perhaps these ghosts are a normal part of life here.

This is one of those projects that can safely be recommended only to fans of this filmmaker’s previous work. Weerasethakul’s long takes and non-narrative style can be entrancing, but working in this offhand fashion makes “Mekong Hotel” seem like a side project, not a main work. In fact, it’s inspired by another film Weerasehtakul tried to make 10 years ago but never completed.

The one-hour running time completes the sense of smallness. To fill out the program, the Northwest Film Forum is running the film with a new 20-minute short by the filmmaker, “Sakda,” which was unavailable for preview.

“Mekong Hotel” (2½ stars)

Filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul noodles for an hour at a hotel perched upon the mighty Mekong River, grazing across the story of two young lovers but also the possibility of an entrails-eating ghost on the premises. Not for newcomers to the director’s contemplative style; it screens with the new 20-minute short by the director, “Sakda.” In Thai, with English subtitles.

Not rated; Probably PG-13 for subject matter.

Showing: Northwest Film Forum.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

The Moonlight Swing Orchestra will play classic sounds of the Big Band Era on April 21 in Everett. (submitted photo)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Relive the Big Band Era at the Port Gardner Music Society’s final concert of the season in Everett.

2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD (Honda)
2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD

Honda cedes big boy pickup trucks to the likes of Ford, Dodge… Continue reading

Would you want to give something as elaborate as this a name as mundane as “bread box”? A French Provincial piece practically demands the French name panetiere.
A panetiere isn’t your modern bread box. It’s a treasure of French culture

This elaborately carved French antique may be old, but it’s still capable of keeping its leavened contents perfectly fresh.

(Judy Newton / Great Plant Picks)
Great Plant Pick: Mouse plant

What: Arisarum proboscideum, also known as mouse plant, is an herbaceous woodland… Continue reading

Bright green Japanese maple leaves are illuminated by spring sunlight. (Getty Images)
Confessions of a ‘plantophile’: I’m a bit of a junky for Japanese maples

In fact, my addiction to these glorious, all-season specimens seems to be contagious. Fortunately, there’s no known cure.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Hyundai)
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited is a sporty, all-electric, all-wheel drive sedan that will quickly win your heart.

The 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T hybrid’s face has the twin red lines signifying the brand’s focus on performance. (Dodge)
2024 Hornet R/T is first electrified performance vehicle from Dodge

The all-new compact SUV travels 32 miles on pure electric power, and up to 360 miles in hybrid mode.

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

Don’t blow a bundle on glass supposedly made by the Henry William Stiegel

Why? Faked signatures, reused molds and imitated styles can make it unclear who actually made any given piece of glass.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.