S̄̂m bængkh̒ mụ̄xh̄ım̀ h̄ạd k̄hāy / One Take Only (2001) - Authentic Gangster Drama for Those Interested in Thai Culture - 7/10 (20/12/21)

One Take Only, also knows as Som and Bank: Bangkok for Sale, is a gangster drama from Thailand. Directed by renowned Oxide Chun Pang who would later on direct movies such as action films The Storm Warriors and Out of Inferno, horror films like The Eye and The Messengers and even thrillers such as The Detective and Conspirators, features Pawarith Monkolpisit as quirky lead actor and Wanatchada Siwapornchai as authentic lead actress who sadly wouldn't be featured in any other movie until today.

The story revolves around lowly drug dealer Bank who lives in a small apartment with his distant mother who is more interested in her gambling issues than her son while the father has left the family many years ago. He meets young prostitue Som who shares her salary with her mother in the country and several friends who are facing rough challenges in life. The two youngsters realize that they live in the same decrepit apartment complex and share the dream of getting rich and starting a new life. One day comes an opportunity for them to get one step closer to changing their lives as Bank gets involved into a drug deal with a dangerous but rich criminal living in the country. The first deal works as planned but a second deal involving much more drugs and money goes horribly wrong and sends the young couple on a fateful downward spiral.

This gangster drama convinces on several levels. It honestly shows the negative sides of life in Bangkok by dealing with topics such as drugs, poverty and prostitution. One scene is particularly haunting in that regard when a friend of Som becomes a prostitute due to financial issues, only to break down crying in a tiny restroom of some filthy hotel. The locations blend in perfectly as they show little children attempting to sell items to drivers on busy and dirty streets, filthy hotel rooms where young prostitues meet bored businessmen and decrepit apartments in rundown complexes in a noisy downtown area. The movie has at times the vibes of a documentary or a slice-of-life that portrays the lives of disillusioned young adults in Bangkok. The two lead characters are quite interesting as well. Som actually cares for her mother who doesn't know about her job and tries to help her friends and even her boyfriend as much as she can. Bank on the other side is an arrogant, naive and perverted outsider who constantly drags his lover into dangerous situations while oddly criticizing her life choices. The acting performances are authentic and grounded as the two leads manage to carry the movie almost on their own.

The movie is however not without its flaws. Its pace is quite slow and for two thirds of the film, viewers might wonder where this is going as it simply follows the everyday life of a young couple. Only the final third quickens up the pace and evolves from a romance into a gangster drama. The story itself is quite predictable and plods on without much interest for prolonged periods of time. This film is missing some courageous, exciting and surprising turns that could make it more memorable.

At the end of the day, One Take Only, also knows as Som and Bank: Bangkok for Sale, is certainly interesting for anyone who is fascinated with Thai cinema and culture. Other than that, it's a decent to good gangster drama that convinces mostly with its authentic documentary style, fitting locations and interesting characters portrayed by two gifted leads. However, the film's pace is slow and the story is thin as the movie fails to leave a mark and doesn't offer much replay value.