Dorm (2006)

You won't be disappointed!

That was an excellent one.

Awesome Movie

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

It was 25 years ago and Adrian Cronauer had a thing for Trinh. The movie was, of course, Good Morning Vietnam. Here she is, much older. Who would have guessed they cast a Thai in the role of a Vietnamese woman. At least Chintara Sukapatana has the opportunity to be more than eye candy this time.Some may have grabbed this film expecting a horror film or, at the very least a ghost story. You will be disappointed, as it is more of a coming- of-age tale.The young cast is very good, and Chintara Sukapatana is brilliant as the teacher.

Thailand. Ton Chatree is a twelve year old boy who has family problems and is sent by his father to a boarding school to study more and have some discipline. The boy feels bad about his father idea, and things don't stay easier for him once he arrives the school: he doesn't have friends there and the school itself is very creepy. Every night his schoolmates tell ghost stories,specially about a boy that died in the school's swimming pool and a young pregnant woman that committed suicide. Feeling scared and out-casted, Chatree starts a friendship with another lonely boy called Vichien, who has many similar problems like he has. Very soon, Chatree will discover a secret about why his teach Ms. Pranee is so strange, and that Vichien is in fact the boy that drowned in the school's swimming pool.When I watched ''Dek hor'', I was expecting it to be a horror movie, so I stayed very surprised when I verified that it actually is a drama who tells a tale of friendship. Even not being what I expected to be, the story worked pretty well, and the sacrifice that Ton does to help Vichien is very touching and deserves to be not only recognized, but also appreciated.

Throughout the history of Asian horror many film makers have tried their hand at the sensitive ghost story. And the genre has been done with varying degrees of success. With Dorm, Director Songyos Sugmakanan elevates the genre to pinnacle not yet reached by previous attempts, creating a film that is simultaneously tragic, and creepy.Dorm tells the story of Chatree, a twelve year old with family issues, who begins the seventh grade at a new boarding school. The school itself is depressingly creepy, and is run by a ambiguously macabre teacher named Ms. Pranee. Chatree soon becomes bully fodder for the other students, until he meets Vichien, another boy with similar problems. As the two become close friends, Chatree finds himself drawing nearer to a dark and terrifying secret.The secret of Dorm's success is how seamlessly Sugmakanan juggles the creepy atmospheric vibes that are typical of Asian horror, with the tragedy of Asian dramas. One of the films creepiest -and tragic- qualities is the school itself. The sterile shots of the dormitories, dining halls, pools, and washrooms help reflect the films feelings of alienation and loneliness. Feelings that all twelve year old boys with displacement issues would be familiar with, and are represented well under Niramon Ross' expert cinematography.Along with the cinematography the film features an excellent (and subdued) score. It features slow moving orchestral pieces and haunting piano ballads. Although, this is typical of the genre, the score helps to heighten the films dramatic sense.Couple those qualities mentioned above with Charlie Trairat's nuanced portrayal of Chantree, and you've got yourself a damn good film. In fact, you'd be troubled to find fault with any of the actors in this film. Which is saying a lot when most of your cast is young boys. And it's not just the kids that hold their weight as thespians, Chintara Sukapatana is excellent(if not sadly underdeveloped) as the scarily sympathetic Ms. Pranee.To be truthful, while Dorm does have it's strength's it also has it's share of weaknesses. The films first 45 minutes are incredible and touches on the universal themes of childhood fear and angst. Then the film slows down to a snails pace and doesn't come back strong until the last 20 or so minutes. Also, the film has it's share of Asian ghost story cliché's but... that being said, it remains original enough in it's initial premise and delivery that the good qualities outweigh the bad.Bottom Line- Dorm is a well done sensitive ghost story with brilliant cinematography, acting, and score. While it does have it's clichés and faults, the premise and delivery far outweigh the faults.

I would've given this a 10 if the unnecessary sex scenes were cut out. Afterall, as you can see from the movie poster, this movie is about a bunch of kids in a dorm, nudity is uncalled for. I really like the hilarious parts of the movie where they integrate some mixed feelings of horror and comedy. I would say the Thai are pioneers in terms of putting funny elements in a scary movie - especially in those specific parts. The two little actors did great. They really depicted their short-lived friendship so dramatically without too much exaggeration. I especially liked the kid who starred as Vicien, he did an exceptional job portraying the solitude and benignancy yet he still managed to send chills down the spine at some parts.