Last Life in the Universe
| Last Life in the Universe | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Directed by | Pen-Ek Ratanaruang |
| Produced by |
Wouter Barendrecht, Nonzee Nimibutr |
| Written by | Pen-Ek Ratanaruang, Prabda Yoon |
| Starring |
Tadanobu Asano, Sinitta Boonyasak, Laila Boonyasak |
| Music by | Hualampong Riddim & Small Room |
| Cinematography | Christopher Doyle |
| Distributed by |
Five Star Production, Cinemasia, Fortissimo Films |
|
Release date
|
8 August 2003 |
|
Running time
|
112 min |
| Language | Thai, Japanese, English |
Last Life in the Universe (Thai title: เรื่องรัก น้อยนิด มหาศาล, Ruang rak noi nid mahasan) is a 2003 Thai film directed by Pen-Ek Ratanaruang. The film is notable for being trilingual; the two main characters flit from Thai to Japanese to English as their vocabulary requires. The film stars Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano and Sinitta Boonyasak.
Kenji is a lonely librarian in the Japan Foundation in Bangkok. Living in an apartment full of precise stacks of books, his half-hearted attempts to kill himself are continually interrupted by the people around him. Kenji's most notable obstacle is his self-absorbed brother, Yukio, a yakuza, or Japanese gangster. Yukio fled from Japan to escape the wrath of his employer, with whose daughter he had had sex. Yukio's friend Takashi suggests that if it were his daughter, he would have the despoiler killed, but Kenji's brother laughs this warning off. Yukio frequents a club where he can enjoy the attention of a bunny-eared hostess, a local girl named Nid. Nid's sister, Noi, is furious at her sibling for having slept with her boyfriend, Jon.
One day in the library, Kenji spies on Nid, clad in a school girl's uniform. Soon after, he discovers that his brother has hidden a pistol inside a teddy bear. He is about to shoot himself when Yukio is slain by Takashi, who was apparently hired by Yukio's employer. (During the library scene where Kenji first encounters Nid, a hanging poster for the Takashi Miike film Ichi the Killer is clearly featured. Tadanobu Asano was also the star of that film.)
Takashi sees Kenji, who appears hopeful at his impending death, but suddenly Kenji shoots and kills the assassin. Not long after that, Kenji is about to jump off a bridge when Noi and Nid, driving past, have an argument. Noi throws Nid out of the car, then reconsiders. Nid, distracted by Kenji sitting on the railing of the bridge, is struck by another car and dies.
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