Sundance Review: ‘One for the Road’
Nattawut Poonpiriya’s One for the Roadis a wholly original and splendidly enjoyable road-trip movie that will charm the pants off many in the audience.
Nattawut Poonpiriya’s One for the Road, which had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on 28th January, 2021 is a splendidly enjoyable road-trip movie just like the title suggests. It’s an oddball comedy, it’s dark, it’s funny, it’s touching, and it will charm the pants off many in the audience. Nowadays it is very rare to see a movie that can enter the masterpiece territory without the use of special effects, worn-out clichés and bombastic action set pieces. One for the Road puts all of those overused filming techniques aside, takes a simple premise and creates a wonderful story out of it. It deals smartly with its themes of friendship, the value of chasing your dreams and being one of life’s ‘winners’ versus valuing what you already have.
The story follows Boss (Thanapob Leeratanakajorn) who is a bar owner in New York City, originally from Thailand. One day he gets a call from his estranged friend Aood (Ice Natara) who claims to be sick and has a list of things he wants to do with Boss before his demise. Boss returns to Thailand and ventures on a life-changing journey with Aood, driving from the north of Thailand to the south, looking to bring closure with people from his past. As they rekindle their friendship through the trip, Aood’s final gift to Boss threatens to tear their relationship apart. Secrets from their past are revealed, and they are ultimately offered an opportunity for redemption.
One for the Road has expert editing and superb comedic performances from all the principals involved. The set pieces will have audiences howling with laughter as we see the lead characters trying to overcome some pretty irreverent obstacles. But what make this movie truly enjoyable is the sincerity in part from all the cast, especially the strong bond of friendship between Boss and Aood. These characters are flawed, complex, and fully fleshed with idiosyncrasies and quirks that we can relate to, characters we have probably met or perhaps are ourselves, part of the charm of this movie. It doesn’t explain why each character is as quirky as can be because that is not needed to make the film work. Both Leeratanakajorn and Natara deliver exceptional performances that truly elevate the film and make you feel something. The music choices perfectly match the film’s theme and give it a flavor that is truly remarkable.
All in all, One for the Road is an wholly original film that relies on a script which understands the differences between two flawed yet cheerful individuals. On the technical front, the cinematography is also brilliant but it is the characters and their relationship that make One for the Road a treat. The fact that Wong Kar-wai served as a producer here gives audiences an even greater excuse to enjoy the film. It ends off on a gloomy note but the experience is very positive, like a ray of sunlight entering the lives of these characters. Truly one of the best movies of this year’s festival. – Nabeel Zaman
One for the Road premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival on January 28, 2021.