Once Upon a Star (Mon Rak Nak Pak) is a Thai period comedy-drama film released on Netflix on October 11, 2023. It is directed by Nonzee Nimibutr and co-produced by Kanyanan Worasan. Teerawat Rujenatham serves as the director of photography for the film which has a runtime of about 2 hours and 18 minutes.
The cast of the film includes Sukollawat Kanaros as Manit, Nuengthida Sophon as Rueangkae, Jirayu La-ongmanee as Kao, Samart Payakaroon as Uncle Man, Nat Sakdatorn, Sornchai Chatwiriyachai, Pattamamontri Siriwet, Phennee Sasithanasophon, Yuthana Boonorm, Kongkiat Komesiri, Karinyut Jindawat, Komsan Kajornpaisansuk, Varatta Vajrathon, Darina Boonchu, Yothin Mapobphun, Bodin Moomuensri and Wittaya Singlompong.
Once Upon a Star Review
The film is set in the ’60s and follows the employees of the Osottheppayada Company – Manit, Kao and Man. The travelling Pharma-Cinema Unit hit the road to bring the joy of live-dubbed 16mm movies to villages and small towns across Thailand. And sell the medicines from their sponsors during intervals. However, things weren’t looking so great for them as their rival company geared up with new technological advancements while they had to make do with insufficient equipment and resources.
Usually, for live dubbing, Manit would be the only one giving sounds to all the characters, male or even female. Looking at their rival, Kampanit Company, they decided to include a female dubbing artist in the crew. Since it was against the company rules to make any changes, they kept it a secret and hired Rueangkae after witnessing her exceptional dubbing skills which attracted a lot of viewers.
As we get to know the leading four characters and their personal aspirations, we realise that there’s another character that influences the life of all the leads – Late actor Mitr Chaibancha. Although it’s not his real name, he became popular with this name and even the characters treat him as a friend (Mitr) in need and the motivation to keep going forward. While dubbing his films, they often come across scenes and dialogues that coincide with their ongoing situation & often find solace through his work on screen.
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Once Upon a Star beautifully presents Thailand’s golden era of cinema through the lens of its travelling cinema troupe. Also shedding light on the lost practice of live-dubbing, where the audience comes to know each character solely through the talent and performance of the dubbers. It makes you wonder how so many people would like or dislike a film, depending on how the dubbing artist performs. Many would never even know what their favourite stars sound like since the dubbing artist is the one representing their voice.
Essentially, each character has a different dream that they want to achieve, Kao wants to be an actor himself, Manit wants to be a successful voice actor and Rueangkae wants to make lots of money as a secretary. But the love and magic of cinema brings them together, be it for the sake of passion or to make a living to follow other dreams.
The untimely death of actor Mitr Chaibancha acts as a pivotal point in the story and in the lives of the characters. The line ‘he died doing what he loved the most’, as he met a tragic fate while performing an aerial stunt, leaves a deep mark in his ardent fans’ lives. Through them, we realise how cinema and the actors who fill up the screens often become a big part of our lives and influence us more than we can imagine.
Overall, it’s a heartwarming film that brings the story of achieving dreams, finding what you love, true friendships and the impact of cinema to us. Whether you are familiar with Thai cinema or not, the nostalgia and retro culture will be equally relatable and make you think about how far the art of entertainment has come along.
Rating: 4.5/5
Once Upon a Star is available for streaming on Netflix.
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