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Thailand · 2004
1h 58m
Director Ekachai Uekrongtham
Starring Asanee Suwan, Sorapong Chatree, Ornanong Panyawong, Nukkid Boonthong
Genre Drama
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Based on the true life story of a Thai man who wished to have a sex change operation to become a woman. To pay for his operation, he entered the brutal world of Thai boxing, unnerving his opponents by performing a makeup application ritual before each fight.
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Those in search of a liberating treatise about empowered sexuality may find too much of the movie's erotic potential sublimated in sports metaphors, while those looking for a martial arts matinee will find its feats of physical prowess shriveled next to a fully engorged genre workout like "Ong-Bak."
San Francisco Chronicle by Carla Meyer
Unique.
It’s a good story, and Uekrongtham, making his feature debut, captures the camaraderie of camp life and the subsequent matches with the panache of a veteran studio hand, but the insights into Toom's psyche never extend past the fun he has applying powder and eyeliner.
Uekrongtham handles the material with reasonable restraint, and you can't help but cheer on the hero.
Los Angeles Times by Kevin Thomas
This altogether remarkable film is as much of a paradox as Nong Toom: at once poetic and sensitive yet as gritty and hard-hitting as any boxing movie.
The New York Times by Lawrence Van Gelder
A rare hybrid: an underdog sports picture that's also a transgender fairy tale.
The Hollywood Reporter by Michael Rechtshaffen
Ekachai's film takes a more compassionate view of its subject and boasts a dynamic performance by real-life kickboxer Asanee Suwan.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer by Paula Nechak
Rich with insight and cinematic style and beauty, the film tells a uniquely moving and inspiring story. Unfortunately, it takes some stamina to distill its message from its overly long, overindulgent love affair with itself.
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