High School. Sort of.
Dark skinned, with glasses and braces =
the complete cliche package of an ugly
girl falls in love with unbelievably
handsome and charming upperclassman.
Of course he has to be perfect in every
way possible, all sensitive and artistic (but athletic and hot at the same time) while she is the clumsy nerd in the shadows.
The movie opens up with Nam's quirky
group of friends and a teacher who is
too straightforward for her own good.
A few juvenile scenes of picking out
crushes, passing notes during class and
stolen glimpses and suddenly, the story
becomes all too familiar.
All those enchantment-believing, book-
reading and daydreaming moments
could might as well be anybody else's
story and it was that gravitation to
something so recognizable to all, I
think, that made this movie so popular
and endearing to people who have a
heart and once used it for something
no matter how one-sided and futile the
experience was.
But of course the lead character must
shed off her veil of ugliness and become
this pretty swan in a matter of a few
months. Any story set on screen could
definitely not end with the Prince
Charming falling in love with the still
visually despicable commoner! The
transformation was so dramatic I had
to Google if two different actresses
played her part.
I found it bothersome how society
(apparently even in Thailand) entails
that for a character to be noticed and
loved, she has to be physically
beautiful. Yes it's nice that after a lot
of name-callings and schoolyard
torture, the caterpillar that we have
grown accustomed to has wreathed out
of her cocoon and transformed into a
beautiful butterfly. But still, wouldn't
it be more interesting, and inspiring
even, if the Prince Charming and the
ordinary girl had their happily ever
after without some cliche make-over /
metamorphosis in the middle to make
everything easier on the eyes?
For me, it was a rocky road from the
moment Nam became painfully
beautiful. She suddenly lost her
adorable awkward charm and it was
not as interesting seeing her being
fawned upon by random schoolmates.
Fortunately, the story picked up near
the ending with humiliating confessions,
predictable heartbreak and some
flipping through a black book.
Overall, it is a must-see for everyone
who have gone through high school
and/or puberty. I guaranty you will
relieve those tiled school halls with
such clarity it's disconcerting. The
trailer got it right when it said that it
is based on a true story of everyone.
And I find myself agreeing with that
claim. At least for the first 30
minutes. ;)
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