Last Life in the Universe (Thailand, 2003)
Shy Kenji is a Japanese librarian in Bangkok who lives within a neatly organized world and fantasizes about committing suicide, but gets interrupted every time he attempts to end his life. While at work, he becomes obsessed with a beautiful girl he spots through the bookshelves. Later, while attempting to jump off a bridge, he watches her die when she is hit by a car. Kenji attempts to comfort the girl’s sister, Noi, but eventually returns home, where he is visited by his loutish brother and a Yakuza-linked associate. A scuffle between these visitors results in their deaths. Scared and confused, Kenji retreats to Noi’s messy home, which he systematically cleans while they get to know each other and help each other through painful issues in their lives.
Tragic and blackly comic with elements of gangster cinema and toilet humor, LAST LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE is a touching work that refuses easy categorization. Pen-ek Ratanaruang’s film boldly takes its time to unfold, allowing viewers to savor Christopher Doyles’s (IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE) lush visuals. With Kenji, Asano Tadanobu has created a protagonist who says more with his silences than most characters do with dialogue. Japanese film fans will also enjoy director Takashi Miike’s raucous cameo as a Yakuza boss.
Workshop Coordinator: Antony Wong
