Directed By: Puttipong Pormsaka Na-Sakonnakorn; Wasin Pokpong
Written By: Puttipong Pormsaka Na-Sakonnakorn; Wasin Pokpong
Cast:
Pimchanok Luevisadpaibul – Nam
Mario Maurer – Shone
Sudarat Budtporm – Teacher Inn
Tangi Namonto – Teacher Pon
Pijitra Siriwerapan – Teacher Orn
Acharanat Ariyaritwikol – Top
Kachamat Pormsaka Na-Sakonnakorn – Pin
Language: Thai Genre: Romantic comedy
Crazy Little Thing Called Love is a Thai coming-of-age romantic comedy. It follows Nam (Pimchanok Luevisadpaibul) and her friends as they navigate through the precarious terrain of school life. The film is a flashback narrative that goes in episodes and each episode ends with one school term and Nam’s class moving up ahead.
It is about the desires that people have of making a connection with someone. And about how you need to keep trying for that love because nothing could be too less for it.
Nam is in love with Shone (Mario Maurer), her senior at school and tries to attract his attention through indirect means. Instead of succumbing to the idea that she may not be good enough because she is plain in comparison and also darker (which in Thai society translates to the same thing), she beautifies herself, steps out of her comfort zone by joining the drama group – only so that she will be noticed.
She is also trying to do better in her studies so that she can go to America to be with her father who is working there as a chef in a Thai restaurant. So Nam is on a path of self improvement, aided by her friends.
The friends keep trying out love methods from various countries – foolproof ways to get the guy you are interested in to fall in love with you. This book seems to be popular with the students and they try it out after overhearing a girl say that it worked for her.
The film shows how people and circumstances keep throwing up new twists into the possible romance between Nam and Shone but what really stands out is the idea of friendship. The friends stick up for each other and go out of their way for each other. It also portrays the kind of misunderstandings that can occur between friends.
Also paralleled with Nam’s story is that of her teacher Inn (Sudarat Budtporm)’s hapless attempts at romance with the sports teacher Pon (Tangi Namonto). For competition she has the Thai dance teacher Orn (Pijitra Siriwerapan) who is also trying, albeit subtly, for him.
Teacher Inn heads the drama group which Nam joins. Incidentally, the drama group isn’t too popular when compared to the Thai dance group. This is largely because as mentioned, in Thai society, the people of Chinese-origin are preferred for their fey-like complexion and the Thai dance group is comprised of students who have these particular features.
While it might seem that the film is almost reinforcing these stereotypes because Nam becomes beautiful and fair as the film progresses, that idea gets quashed when certain revelations are made. The film interestingly, explores the insecurities of the good-looking – something that isn’t really considered. However, the film could have presented the passage of time in a more realistic fashion for instance the characters don’t really look as old they ought to.
Crazy Little Thing Called Love is a warm-hearted love story that retains the innocence of a first love. It is a realistic exploration of a girl’s love for a boy. Of how she keeps mementos of things connected with him, just so that she could possess or lay claim to some part of him. It then makes sense that the film was promoted as the true story of every young person’s first love.
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