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Burnout Syndrome (Thai Series)

True to its title, this show tries to capture burnout not as some big dramatic collapse but as this slow, draining exhaustion that quietly eats away at relationships and how you see yourself, and honestly it makes the characters feel really real. The pace is slow on purpose, and everyone here is flawed and full of contradictions, nobody's simple. It uses this messed up boss and employee dynamic to sneak in some pretty smart commentary on society. The story digs into toxic work culture, mental health struggles, and how money ends up running our lives whether we like it or not. And yeah, there's a love triangle thrown in too, because of course there is. This one runs ten episodes, each around 45-55 minutes. Jira's twenty eight, broke, and struggling to make it as a painter. Nothing's going right for him, his art isn't selling, he's got no steady job, and he's basically on the edge of falling apart. His best friend Ing does what she can, finding him odd jobs an...

A Dice With Five Sides

A promising premise that disappointedly doesn’t live up to its expectations. After the first 20 minutes where I was hoping that something interesting would happen, the film eventually ended up being a very bland and an unerotic experience. We are introduced to the two protagonists wearing masks that take their time to remove, meanwhile they explore different versions of themselves, sometimes with unpredicted or annoying visitors. 

Two strangers meet in an apartment for a sex date, but a special feeling immediately arises between them. Too afraid to follow their hearts, Marcello and Herman decide to play a game, using an ancient dice made of stone. They establish six actions to perform, one for each side: telling an uncomfortable truth, doing something the other likes, inviting a third person, doing something blindfolded, leaving the apartment, having sex. And thus the game begins. When the first time the dice rolls leading to one of them leaving the apartment, they decide that one more roll would decide the amount of years between their next encounter. They meet three years later. Herman is now married and they continue to play game where have sex, invite a third and have a different experience than the previous guy and exchange their stories. As years go by, while they keep on playing, the conflict between the desire to be together and the fear of yet another failed relationship becomes increasingly problematic. Will they be able to find the strength to make choices and break the vicious cycle they have entered or will the game continue until fate decides for them?

Despite the good looks and charm of the actors, there is a lack of information on the inner nature and circumstances of the characters that doesn’t allow empathy with them, we get no idea of the lives they live nor the relationships they may have although being mentioned. The games initially sound exciting but eventually it just becomes repetitive and I was struggling to figure out where is the film eventually headed and what is the point it is trying to make. The confusion of the screenplay results in a concept-film that fails to successfully create a story, characters or even tension. There are a few sex scenes but there is nothing exciting or erotic or fun to watch. The actors do a decent job with the material thats provided to them but the film is so bland that even the duration of 90 minutes feels too long. A narration like this is better suite for theatre. I did enjoy the group choreography number is the end, but by then it was already too late. (3/10)

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