''Nymph'' ( th, นางไม้, translit. Nang mai) is a 2009 Thai

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by Pen-Ek Ratanaruang. It competed in the

Un Certain Regard (, meaning 'a certain glance') is a section of the Cannes Film Festival's official selection. It is run at the Debussy, parallel to the competition for the . This section was introduced in 1978 by Gilles Jacob. The section presents 20 films w ...

section at the

2009 Cannes Film Festival The 62nd Cannes Film Festival was held from 13 May to 24 May 2009. French actress Isabelle Huppert was the President of the Jury. Twenty films from thirteen countries were selected to compete for the Palme d'Or. The awards were announced on 23 M ...

. The 'nymph' in the story is based on the Thai legendary ''

Nang Mai Nang or nangs may refer to: * Nang County, Nyingchi, Tibet, China * Nang yai, a form of shadow play * ''Nang!'', a general interest magazine * Nang, a slang term for nitrous oxide (N2O, laughing gas) when used as a recreational drug; or for whippe ...

tree deity A tree deity or tree spirit is a nature deity related to a tree. Such deities are present in many cultures. They are usually represented as a young woman, often connected to ancient fertility and tree worship lore.Heinrich Zimmer, ''Myths and Sy ...

Plot

May is a city woman who has everything she could ask for. Her long-time husband, Nop, showers love and attention on her. But fate or desire play tricks on the couple who watches their lives drift by without much thought or reflection, and May starts an affair with Korn, himself a married man. One day Nop, a professional photographer, is assigned to take a trip into the forest to film its wildlife. He decides to bring his wife along. But the journey slowly reveals how the invisible weight of their urban lifestyle haunt them like a spectre. When her husband fails to return to the tent, May sets out to look for him and then Nop returns but the forest has changed him into someone else.

Cast

* Jayanama Nopachai as Nop *

Porntip Papanai Porntip Papanai (; th, พรทิพย์ ปาปะนัย, nickname "Cartoon"; born 1982 in Krabi) is a Thai actress and model. Among her film roles are supporting parts in Pen-Ek Ratanaruang's ''Monrak Transistor'' (2001), in which s ...

as Nymph * Wanida Termthanaporn as May * Chamanun Wanwinwatsara as Korn

Analysis

The film is Ratanaruang's seventh feature. A review in

Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...

described the filming techniques as follows: "A large proportion of the film is shot with a handheld camera that skillfully simulates the viewpoint and sensory reactions of someone fumbling through the jungle, occasionally varied by some sweeping shots that take in the enormity of the area from above." Both this review and a review at Critikat, although positive, find the film would have gained by seeing its length reduced. Another commentator finds that the film "makes use of the forest spirits to portray how bad relationships can get"

References

External links

* 2009 films Thai-language films 2009 drama films Films directed by Pen-Ek Ratanaruang Thai drama films {{2000s-drama-film-stub