Uncle Boonmee is dying from a kidney disease and decides to return to countryside to prepare for his death. With him are his nephew and sister in law and his Laotian carer. Over dinner one night the ghost of Boonmee's wife appears who thanks her sister for looking after her husband and tells him he has nothing to fear. The surrealism continues as an ominous dark creature with bright vivid red eyes appears and enters the room startling the group, but this 'monkey ghost' is actually the missing son of Boonmee. The film's story changes suddenly as we see a princess ashamed of her looks bath in a pool where she offers jewels to a catfish in the hope she will become beautiful and the catfish commits oral sex on the princess. We are then back with Boonmee as wife's ghost leads them through the jungle into a cave where Boonmee declares he was born. They fall asleep and when they awake Boonmee is dead. A Buddhist funeral follows and then the nephew, niece and sister in law sit in a hotel room contemplating life after the death of their loved one. This Thai film won the Palme D'Or at Cannes in 2010 and has divided audiences ever since. The film is a reflection on life and death and has many hidden meanings which for those of Buddhist mind may understand more than others. it starts very conventionally, even if a long languid scene of a cow seems irrelevant, but perhaps the cow is on of Boonmee's past lives. Beautifully shot, the lush of the natural surrounds are complemented by outstanding performances from the Thai cast with their softly spoken rhythmic language. When ghosts and monkey ghosts appear things becomes surreal and amusing; the reactions of the family are priceless, with the sister in law questioning why the son (the monkey ghost) has grown his hair so long, received one of the bigger laughs. Yet among the surrealism there are moments of pure beauty, such as when they eat the honey from the bee hive. The shift in story to the princess, seems to break the flow of the film, it perhaps suggests this is Boonmee recalling one of his past lives, but it does so ambiguously, perhaps he was the princess or perhaps he was the catfish. When we return to Boonmee, his time is limited and yet there is no sadness and if anything his death is expected making the event less than tragic. Hints at racism (the sister in law's dislike and fear of Laotian's) as well as the tragedy of war (Boonmee recalling fighting against the communists) suggests that beneath the surface there are deeper elements waiting to be discovered should the audience want to delve in deeper. But even if you don't this is a very well made, albeit ultimately art-house cinema, that as much entertains as it does confound.
