CHOCOLATE (E1, 2008) D: Prachya Pinkaew, w/ JeeJa Yanin, Hiroshi Abe. Rating: NNN DVD package: NNN Rating: NNN
When her mother falls ill, a young woman sets out to collect on some old debts. Massive martial arts mayhem ensues, with a heavy emphasis on Muay Thai.
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The gimmick is that she’s autistic. It’s treated with sympathy and never milked for sentiment. Star JeeJa Yanin handles both action and character very well, and veteran director Prachya Pinkaew makes it work by emphasizing the focus common to both autism and martial arts.
The making-of doc makes sure we know how rough the spectacular stunt work is. It’s the first time I’ve heard a high injury count used as a selling point.
EXTRAS Making-of doc. Widescreen. English, Thai audio. English, Spanish subtitles.
