Beautiful Boxer

The last Thai sports movie to reach UK shores was Yongyoot Thongkongtoon’s The Iron Ladies, the true story of a team of ladyboys who triumphed at the 1996 national volleyball championship. Beautiful Boxer, similarly based on fact, has an even more remarkable tale to tell, that of a professional Thai boxer who fights in order to fund a sex change, yet is easily the lesser film. The Iron Ladies was nothing more than an agreeable piece of fluff, but crucially it came with a terrific sense of fun. You could of course argue that such an element has no place in a film of Beautiful Boxer’s subject matter, but then it sorely needs something. Indeed, given its sheer, almost naïve, simplicity, the audience is left begging for at least a hint of relief from somewhere.

For Beautiful Boxer isn’t a considered, in-depth look at macho culture, Thai culture or even homosexual culture, but so thoroughly mainstream in its outlook that it intentionally bypasses every single one of these considerations. The fact that it’s narrated in flashback to a reporter is just the first in its catalogue of clichés, ones that are often so extreme, even for a sports movie, they’d shame a Rocky sequel. (Stallone never went quite as far as to have his fight outdoors in the middle of an immense thunderstorm for maximum emotional effect.) But then the later Rocky movies were never anything more than unashamed pieces of entertainment, mere build-ups to their increasingly lengthy, cathartic climaxes. Beautiful Boxer on the other hand does have a great deal of drama going on behind the bouts, yet Ekachai Uekrongtham (who directs, produces and receives a co-writer credit) seems to scared of the issues, or rather the potential alienating effect they may have on the audience.

Indeed, we’re faced with a situation whereby any potential subtext has been completely eradicated. Everything has to be spelt out for us in the most basic manners meaning that there’s not a single scene which can be taken any other way. Characters merely walk in, say what they’re feeling (“I’m ashamed of you”, say) and leave – it really is that simple and as such deeply patronising to anyone whose age extends beyond single figures. Moreover, such an approach leaves the performers with nothing to work from and as a result they can’t help but become helpless caricatures. Asanee Suwan, who embodies the lead role, is there solely to simper and share embarrassingly saccharine scenes with his onscreen mum. During one particular scene we find his character sent-up by a rival boxer courtesy of a comic effeminate routine, yet tellingly there’s little difference between the two. Certainly, his homosexuality is never allowed to manifest itself through an actual relationship or the like. The filmmakers may feel that they’re taking his seriously by treating him in a sympathetic light, yet surely a serious portrait would involve some kind of depth of character or a modicum of nuance.

In this respect you begin to wish that Beautiful Boxer had gone the other route and been a lot less reverent to its subject. The film’s sheer simplicity often means that it skirts dangerously close to camp melodrama anyhow, yet by never acknowledging this potential it prevents itself from being enjoyed on such a level. Without the knowing wink it instead occupies that middle ground whereby it’s neither good enough to be taken seriously nor fun enough to provide any kind of enjoyment. By trying to please everyone – or rather not offend anyone - Beautiful Boxer ends up as ultimately ineffectual and, frankly, pretty much awful as well.

The Disc

Another of Tartan’s NTSC-PAL conversions, Beautiful Boxer looks frankly awful in this DVD incarnation. We may get the film in its original aspect ratio, anamorphically enhanced and with optional English subtitles, but this is where the plus points end. Otherwise we’re faced with an overly saturated image and one that is blighted by an astonishing level of softness. Indeed, even the opening credits become difficult to read under such circumstances. As for the soundtrack, here we find the original Thai in optional DD2.0, DD5.1 or DTS mixes. In this case it is the DD5.1 offering which is the intended soundtrack and as such the one to go for. Certainly, all three have no technical flaws to speak of, but there’s little reason to downgrade to standard stereo or indeed to upgrade to DTS as the differences are negligible at best.

The extras amount to a 28-minute ‘Making Of’ and a series of interviews, each of which is generally agreeable. The featurette allows us to see footage of the real Nong Toom in action as well as taking us through the film’s production – from casting onwards. Admittedly it never really progresses beyond the level of soundbites and cheap platitudes, but as a standard EPK it does the trick. More substantial, as you’d expect, are the individual interviews. Director-producer Uekrongtham spends 16 minutes discussing how he chose to approach the subject. The real life Nong Toom discusses her reaction to the film and her participation in its production. And actor Suwan talks about how he made the move from professional Thai boxer to first time actor. Rounding off the package we also find the film’s original theatrical trailer.