Taking us back to 1970s Thailand, Tee Yai follows the plot of Thailand’s most infamous outlaw and his ally Rerk. Now, if you watch the movie, Tee Yai comes across as a daring yet charismatic thief. Accompanying him is his partner, aka Rerk. Together, they indulge in some big robbery and become a duo that is admired by the underworld.
However, things change when Rerk falls madly in love with Dao and wishes to leave the world of crime for her sake. Tee Yai, on the other hand, isn’t interested in such a thing. He has built a life out of crime and wishes to pursue it further. This causes a huge rift between the two partners, and they decide to part ways. As a result, Tee Yai becomes a reckless gangster, which brings him to the attention of Inspector Jakarat. Now that is what you call inviting trouble for yourself. Inspector Jakarat is hell bent on catching him and bringing him down. The question is, who will win this tussle? And will Rerk ever come back?
So while the plot begins for brotherhood, it slowly changes later into many other themes, such as romance and revenge. That is what makes it interesting to watch and engage. However, the plot shows Tee Yai from a very tragic point of view. We feel bad for him as someone who has lost everything, but most importantly, a friend who was more than a friend to him.
Other than that, this being a crime drama, involves a lot of crime and physical assaults, which, if you aren’t someone who enjoys or is okay with it, you will not like it. Another issue is the pacing of the film. It makes it a bit boring to watch, which can be a bummer for a plot that is pretty well made.
The background in which the plot is set is perfect, as the makers manage to take us to 1970s Thailand. For a moment, we will feel that we are transported to that era, and that makes it perfect to watch.
Other than that, the character development is worth looking at. Although Tee Yai is the protagonist, I liked how the makers got us the character of Rerk. As a man who was a gangster, we see a soft side of him - the one who wishes to get away from this world of crime. That slow drift has been well explored. Having said that, even Tee Yai’s plot is developed well. He is shown to be a man who has lost a brother but has made the decision to stay in the underworld. Even as someone who is an outlaw, we do feel bad and pity for him. So that way, the story writer has done a great job in creating and writing about these two and brings us a refined version of the characters.
But for those of you who aren’t into this genre, you may not enjoy it much. And for those who love this genre, this story is worth a watch and will make you put on your thinking caps and think about the ending and Tee Yai’s life.
Final Score- [7/10]
Reviewed by - Neerja Choudhuri
Follow @NeerjaCH on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times