I just caught the movie and I must admit I am very impressed. The story was centered on a controversy yet the director managed to deal with the sensitive issues delicately. The nature of the plot in itself was touching and also inspiring. As the protagonist brings you into his conflicted of world of wanting to be a woman versus that of being a masculine Muay Thai fighter, you feel for her in times of good and bad.
Okay I won't elaborate further on the artistic or emotional appeal of the movie cause you've got the critics to do that and they are best at their business!
As the plot isn't really our topic of concern, I lifted this from the net:
"Inspired by a true story, this drama from Thailand tells the story of Nong Toom, who was born in a small community where his family struggled with poverty, and Nong Toom himself was the target of bullies who made fun of his delicate nature. From his early childhood, Nong Toom felt more like a girl than a boy, and when he encounters a transsexual for the first time, he comes to the realization that he also is a woman trapped in a man's body.
While Nong Toom is not by his nature aggressive, one day he is forced to fight a bully to defend himself and one of his friends, and he discovers he has a natural talent for kickboxing. Nong Toom begins training with a skilled kickboxing coach, Pi Chart, but despite the best efforts of Nong Toom and his best friend Pi Bua, the secret of his unorthodox sexuality leaks out.
To his surprise, Pi Chart accepts Nong Toom as he is, and boxing promoter Pi Mo embraces his lifestyle as a marketable gimmick, as the fighter now battles his opponents while wearing makeup -- and wins more often than not; however, Nong Toom begins to alienate his new following when he declares that his embrace of women's clothing and makeup is not a joke and that he's saving his prize money to one day have a sex-change operation." - Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Although the plot above omits certain crucial parts of the movie, I think its extensive enough a coverage. I have separated my analysis of the movie into the second part as piecing everything together made it into a long boring lengthy post.
For your viewing pleasure, here's the trailer of the movie! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Here's the url to visit the official website: http://www.beautifulboxer-themovie.com/
Credits:
Synopsis of movie from: Starpulse.com, http://www.starpulse.com/Movies/Beautiful_Boxer/Summary/, viewed on 10th November 2007
Poster taken from: http://www.impawards.com/2005/beautiful_boxer_ver1.html, viewed on 10th November 2007
Trailer: uploaded on Youtube.com by user tlareleasing, http://youtube.com/watch?v=Dav45yuScvk, viewed on 10th November 2007
