CHOCOLATE

Director: Prachya Pinkaew
Stars: Jeeja Yanin, Ammara Siripong, Hiroshi Abe, Taphon Phopwandee, Pongpat Wachirabunjong
Year: 2008
Rating: R

(in Thai w/English subtitles)

A truly cool action film by the director of Ong-bak (one of my favorite films, starring the immensely limber Tony Jaa), Chocolate begins as a love story. Yakuza criminal syndicate member Masashi (Hiroshi Abe), in Thailand, has fallen in love with a beautiful Thai woman named Zin (Ammara Siripong), who also happens to be the woman of one of the biggest crime bosses in the country. When their affair is discovered by both sides, Masashi is forced to go back to Japan - while a very pregnant Zin goes into hiding to have and raise her child.

Said child, named Zen (nicknamed "Chocolate" because of her passion for the sweet), is diagnosed from infancy with autism - a real blow to Zin, as she fears her daughter will be subjected to a life of problems and loneliness. But as Zen grows, it becomes quite apparent that her autism comes with a special talent; she becomes fascinated, absorbed even, with martial arts films - and simply from watching them, or studying the young men practitioners of the art in her own home village, Zen is able to mimic their classic moves perfectly. As she grows into her teens, Zen's skills only grow stronger. When Zin is diagnosed with cancer, in fact, the young teenaged boy she has who both befriends and watches over Zen for her, Moom (Taphon Phopwandee), helps Zen to raise money for her mother's medical bills by setting up a sort of sideshow carnival act with Zen. He literally puts Zen in a chair, surrounded by people who, in turn, throw everything from balls to rocks at her - and Zen catches every one before they even get to her. It's a talent that leaves the other kids in awe.

But by the time Moom and Zen are young adults, Zin's cancer is worse and the money situation disastrous. That's when Moom finds a journal in the house, while playing with Zen - a journal that details all the tradespeople in town and the area who've owe Zin money for years ... and have never paid up. Moom takes it upon himself to try and collect the money, taking Zen with him because he's supposed to be watching her - but no one wants to pay, and in fact threaten the teenagers. But all Zen understands is that mom is sick, mom's need money to pay for her treatment/medicine, and these guys owe her mom money ... and when she beats the living snot out of one of the merchants to get mom's money, it begins the quest of Moom and Zen to seek back payments for all who owe Zin.

And when Zin's old crime boss/boyfriend gets wind of the shakedowns (they're his network of people being shaken down, after all), he sets about finding Zin - and a way to get revenge.

The action sequences - especially when you know there were no stunt doubles or CGI/special effects used, are pretty breathtaking; in fact, after the film and just before the end credits (as well as on one of the DVD extras), viewers are treated to the injuries that went into the making of the fairly amazing fight scenes. Jeeja Yanin, who trained for two years prior to the making of the film (as well as remained in training for the entire length of the making of the film) is perfectly cast as Zen; not only can she fight with precision, grace and skill, coming off as an amazing presence for being such a petite, sweet-faced young woman ... but she also does a very good job as an actor, in portraying the young woman afflicted with autism. The fight scenes get progressively bigger and broader (and more crazy) as the film goes on, ending with one hell of a battle that stretches indoors to outdoors and over maybe four stories of a run-down building.

Truly an entertaining film with a good heart and solid action. And it was really nice to see a female kicking some bad-guy butt, for a change. While Jeeja Yanin may not be the female Tony Jaa just yet, she's certainly on her way. *** - Reel Cool