By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Pen-Ek Ratanaruang
Starring: Chamanun Wanwinwatsara | Jayanama Nopachai | Porntip Papanai | Wanida Termthanaporn
Original language title: Nang Mai
Country: thailand
Year: 2009
Running time: 94
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1424366/
Michael says: “Ratanaruang is most widely known for the dreamy surreality of LAST LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE, but this film is more of a sylvan counterpart to his last film, never released in the states, PLOY. In NYMPH, the Thai director explores the myth of the women’s ghosts who inhabit the trees of the forest, while examining the breakdown of a contemporary marriage. It’s actually a bit of a horror movie, but told in Pen-ek’s inimitable style… so things are more creepy that horrifying. Unlike his last couple of films, NYMPH takes place largely in the forest, and like BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, a film which it echoes, I can’t believe people haven’t figured out that it’s not safe to go camping alone in the woods! Nop is a photographer, and May seems to be a journalist of some sort? May is having an affair with her boss, Korn, but Nop seems oblivious. Nop and May go on a vacation in the forest, spending a few days camping. The two spend their time apart, Nop photographing the amazing trees, and May rummaging around the campsite, talking on her cellphone with Korn. One night, Nop hears someone/something walking around their tent in the middle of the night and goes out to investigate. When he hasn’t returned when May awakens, she starts to worry. Things don’t go so well for anyone after that.
“NYMPH is marvelously shot, revealing the beauty, mysteries and dangers of the forest through the use of a swooping camera, and conveying tension and fear similarly. The soundscape created for the film, mainly natural sounds augmented by some distortion, manipulation and music convey more unease than the visuals. The leads do quite well in an otherworldly situation, and all-in-all, while a bit confounding and oblique, I ended up quite liking NYMPH and give it 4 cats
Screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, 2009”