Hi Colin,

I’m not much of a film critic, but it does seem like the film’s been written about fairly exhaustively online. I like Weerasethakul, but I can’t pretend to understand all of what he’s doing – certainly those who know more about Thai politics and religion would get more out of this than I did – and the little bits I did know (like the importance of funeral books in Thai culture) only reinforced how much I didn’t know. That said: it’s a beautiful film, something to relax into, and it is very pleasant. Everyone points out how good the sound design for the film is, which is true; I think it demands to be seen in a theater, preferably a big theater. I liked it, maybe more immediately than I’ve liked his other films. 

It’s hard to think of something to compare it to, because it is very much its own thing. Maybe Gus van Sant’s slow trilogy – Gerry, Elephant, Last Days – there’s a certain similarity in tone. 

Dan