AllMovie

An odd, thoughtful mix of spiritual drama and fish-out-of-water comedy, Nonzee Nimibutr's Baytong is a sweet but clear-eyed meditation on survival and the capacity for love and compassion in a turbulent, sometimes violent world. As with a real cataclysmic event, the terrorist bombing that opens the film prepares us for hard-hitting drama, but not for the affectionate, gentle comedy that ensues as disparate people come together in the wake of tragedy. Using a vibrant palette, the filmmaker skillfully alternates apprehension, melancholy, and joyousness as the unassuming and likeable main character, Tum (Poowarit Poompuang), a monk, is forced to engage with the modern world. While the film is dealing with Tum's embarrassing unfamiliarity with fashion and customs (including a mercifully low-key allusion to the zipper scene in There's Something About Mary, as Tum ditches his robes for the first time in his adult life), the film has a breezy air, which leads organically to conflicted romantic yearnings and then to modest intrigue. The film is anchored by skilled, naturalistic performances from Poompuang and Jeeranan Manoojam, who plays the sweet young woman, her path already mapped out, to whom Tum finds himself drawn. As with many films made outside the U.S., there's also a wonderful performance by child actress Saranya Kruangsai who, for all her wide-eyed adorableness, still comes across as a believable little kid. Baytong is a brave film, dealing with complicated real-world conflicts. Tum occasionally teeters on the brink of theological prejudice, but the film ends up resolving his dilemmas with unfailing grace and generosity.