4 Romances for Christmas

A Christmas-time movie might be becoming something of a tradition for director Chukiat Sakweerakul. Last year around holiday time, his Love of Siam was released in cinemas, and indeed Christmas was an integral part of the film.

This Christmas, Chukiat will see the release of 4 Romances (Fun Waan Aai Joop, ฝัน-หวาน-อาย-จูบ), a four-segment omnibus in which he participates along with Prachya Pinkaew, Bhandit Thongdee and Rachen Limtrakul. With romance as the overarching main theme, the film also seeks to explore four different genres - comedy, action, musical and drama.

Set for release on Christmas Day by Sahamongkol Film International, 4 Romances looks to be following the successful formula laid out by rival studio GTH with the horror omnibus 4bia, and to a certain extent GTH's ensemble romance Hormones. It will also be facing competition on Christmas from the teen-oriented musical comedy Super Hap, and will be contending with the sheer spectacle of Baz Luhrmann's Australia as well as the animated Madagascar 2.

But 4 Romances has the solid success of the critically acclaimed Love of Siam to build on, and it features the stars of Love of Siam, among them Mario Maurer and "Pitch" Witwisit Hiranyawongkul. They are just a small part of the sprawling ensemble cast.

Chukiat is directing the musical segment called Dream (Fun), which features Pitch and the August band. There's also a music video for the band's song, "Kwam Rak" ("Love").

Mario is featured in Joop (Kiss), which is directed by Rashane, a producer at RS Film, but he also edited Chocolate. I guess this is the action segment, seeing how much of the trailer for 4 Romances (embedded below) is taken up by Mario and his mug, which has been beaten and bloodied. Turns out all he was trying to do was keep his girlfriend's first kiss stolen by another guy.

Prachya directs Waan (Sweet), starring the versatile Shahkrit Yamnarm and Suthida Kasemsan na Ayutthaya as a couple whose romance has seen better times. "Saipan" Apinya Sakuljaroensuk figures into this segment somehow.

Shy (Aai), directed by Bhandit, stars actress "Tan" Kanya Rattanaphet (girl-next-door Ling from Love of Siam), and a new face actor, "Boy" Pakorn Chadborirak. I can't quite make out what the segment is all about, except that involves the couple at the beach, giving each other significant glances from a distance.

And there's lots more about 4 Romances at Bangkok of the Mind, which despite a threat of going on hiatus also has been dishing up the latest on the impressionable young Mario and his new manager.