In the fluorescent-happy Bangkok Dangerous, Oxide and Danny Pang transform Bangkok into ready-made speed for the raver sect. This hit-man epic (think Fallen Angels as helmed by the junkie who’s just left the club) emphasizes its hero’s deaf-muteness via pumping techno and fidgety film stock. Showgirls bump and grind against sweaty poles as Aom (Patharawarin Timkul) arranges death via gun-for-hire Kong (Pawalit Mongkolpisit). A sentimental flashback establishes Kong’s childhood angst; once stoned by the local boys, he mends past wounds via his cold, trigger-happy gaze. Aom is raped Perfect Blue-style, sending boyfriend Joe (Pisek Intrakanchit) into a bloody rage that Kong must later negotiate. The Orange Music score is marvelously libidinal, covering the full spectrum from acid house to trip-hop; a shot rings out, blood pools and a tinkly piano version of “Jingle Bells” gets the ominous techno rewrite. Decha Srimantra’s lascivious cinematography does wonders with bathroom tile cracks, slow-mo raindrops, bullet sprays and everything in between. The film’s heart lies in Kong’s failed love affair with a sheepish pharmacist though their romance only manages to slow down the film’s otherwise fierce pace. As far as hard-boiled yakuzas go, Bangkok Dangerous is derivative. As a techno phenomenon, though, none come better than this speedy anthem to crippled antiheroes.
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