SUNDANCE 2021: ONE FOR THE ROAD

Nattawut “Baz” Poonpiriya‘s sophomore feature Bad Genius — a high school heist thriller, which was also the highest-grossing Thai film of 2017 — was deemed as one of the best films ever made in its original country. Now, 4 years later, he follows it up with One for the Road, a stylish and affecting road-trip drama exploring old loves, regret, and male friendship. The movie may not reach the same level of excellence as its predecessor, but there’s still plenty to admire from it. From the mesmerizing visual to the catchy music selection and the solid performances from the two leads, Poonpiriya is clearly not a one-hit-wonder, but a director who slowly emerges as one of the best filmmakers working today.

A Road-Trip to Remember

Poonpiriya‘s latest film focuses on two best friends, Boss (Tor Thanapob) and Aood (Ice Natarawho), who embark on a road-trip all across Thailand to find amend with some people they might have wronged in the past. Boss is a lady-man and the owner of a high-end bar in New York, while his pal, Aood, is a shy young man who just recently was diagnosed with the final stage of leukemia. When the film begins, however, Boss has no idea about Aood’s condition, as they’ve been estranged for a while. It’s only after Aood calls him out of the blue, in the middle of the night, that Boss finds out about his illness.

Aood has one wish left, which is to visit his ex-girlfriends for the very last time. And since he’s not allowed to drive alone, he needs Boss to fly home from New York to Thailand to accompany him. Boss, though reluctant at first, decides to help him — so begins the road-trip of a lifetime. The first half of the movie focuses on the two men’s journey as they relive Aood’s past romantic life. And Poonpiriya smoothly but confidently moves back and forth between the past and the present, and between Thailand and New York to provide some context on Aood’s relationships with his three ex-girlfriends. In that sense, One for the Road not only becomes a road-trip drama charged with nostalgia, but also a moving story of how past regret can haunt us, especially when we’re about to reach the end of our mortality.

Granted, regret and forgiveness are at the center of both the movie and the road-trip. One for the Road understands deeply how oftentimes in our life, whether intentionally or not, we make mistakes and hurt people so bad, especially the ones who care for us the most; and how forgiveness is not always easy to give away. And, in the end, the way Poonpiriya, along with his co-writers Nottapon Boonprakob and Puangsoi Aksornsawang, explores these subjects is what makes the film somehow still feel so honest even when at times it leans heavily into melodrama.

Witnessing Aood facing up to his mistakes and trying to do better for the three women he’s hurt before is where One for the Road gets most of its heartbreaking moments. But Poonpiriya is smart enough to not make Aood simply a saint in the story. He’s, in fact, portrayed as someone who is deeply flawed; whose mistakes in his past might not even deserve a small dose of forgiveness from his ex-lovers. But this is why this character and his journey felt real and complicated. We want to root for him on the one hand. But on the other hand, we also understand why it’s so hard for his ex-girlfriends to forgive him. And Natarawho‘s performance, which tiptoes between an excellent level of vulnerability and charms, makes his Aood all the more compelling.

Where the Movie Begins to Lose Steam

This isn’t to say that One for the Read is completely flawless though. While the visual, which includes some breathtaking shots and angles, is always on-point, and the heart of the story is always in the right place, some parts of the movie, especially as it arrives in the second half, feel somewhat lackluster. Poonpiriya tries to pack so much, exploring Boss’ past life toward the end of the movie, assuming it will give the movie more emotional kicks. But the result, sadly, feels more bloated than it is interesting.

Of course, it’s understandable if the movie wants to add more context into Boss and Aood’s relationship; into how they got into this place right now. But the movie has already done so much in the first half, that the second part becomes a little repetitive and even exhausting. To put it simply, the movie has already lost some of its steam even before hitting the climax. Thankfully, however, the performances from Thanapob and Violette Wautier, who play Prim, Boss’ former girlfriend, are captivating, so even when the movie feels a little dragged out, it always remains watchable.

Final Thought

One for the Road, though it has some narrative shortcomings, especially in the second half of the movie, proves further that Baz Poonpiriya is one the most exciting Asian filmmakers working today. His vision is translated beautifully onto the screen. His script, albeit a little bloated, is filled with heart and plenty of genuinely touching moments. It’s not perfect, but it’s nevertheless a solid and affecting movie.