By far the best of the many Thai films I have seen, this will utterly astonish anyone expecting the melodrama and poor acting so often encountered in Thai cinema. As even by the standards of the latter, its budget was low, it shows in the tradition of which The Bicycle Thieves is perhaps the most spectacular example, that with fine acting and masterful direction, depiction of the emotions in a simple story can trump a budget of any size.A young man called Jeap is invited to the wedding of his long-lost childhood friend Noi-Naa. His initial decision to give precedence to a prior engagement is soon abandoned when in his car he listens to the musical hits of his childhood and memories flood back in the way old music is perhaps uniquely powerful in making them do. Most of the story then focuses on Jeap as a ten-year-old agonisingly torn between the super-girlish circle of his oldest friend and neighbour Noi-Naa and a gang of characterful boys led by an amiably-roguish fat bully called Jack. Extremely nostalgic and wittily recounted, it is definitely a story to make one both laugh and cry. The acting is superb.The title and cover are misleading. Touching as the deeply-felt friendship of Jeap and Noi-Naa is, Fan Chan is not a romance, but a story about friendships and their meaning in the emotional world of the nearly pubescent boy. The idea of its being romantic is actually deeply ironic, for what it does perhaps most convincingly and interestingly is to remind us of a truth that was obvious to everyone until a generation or two ago: that beyond his mother's love, a boy's needs until well into adolescence are for his own sex. Nowadays this tends to be obscured by contrived gender-blindness combined with a silly and uncomfortably half-hearted wish to see children prematurely aping their parents' romantic antics.Unfortunately, the full mind-blowing emotional impact will only be felt by those with nostalgic memories of the lost simplicity of rural Thailand in the 1980s, and especially those who were children then. These above all accounted for its being the extraordinary and unexpected local hit it was, but even with its impact diluted, it fully deserves a global audience.Edmund Marlowe, author of Alexander's Choice, a novel of boyhood, www.amazon.com/dp/1481222112.

Sometimes you listen to a particular old song, or you open a particular page of an old book, or you go and sit by the old playground you used to play, and thats it. The next few days, you won't sleep at night, sometimes you will laugh, and sometimes tears will flow along your cheek, silently, and ... alone... nobody else would know sweetness of that pain.This movie will make you feel exactly that.. and much more...The movie may not attract a lot of westerners. May be because they do not have these kinds of memories. But for the Asians, who in their childhood have struggled as well as enjoyed the meaning of childhood, this movie is the one. And if you don't want to interrupt your daily routine, this is not for you, because this will surely change you routines for the next few days.

I agree with the others that this movie deserves a bigger audience for the fact that its very simple and original. Its not like the typical love story where the guy chases her against all odds and at the end, be able to chase down the girl to tell her how sorry he is and how important she is to him and they lived happily ever after. This movie is more realistic. Life in reality is both bitter and sweet. It is true that the only permanent thing in this world is change. But we will always have a memory of a special someone who once made us cry, laugh and grow. In the ending of the movie, they never showed the face of the adult Noi-naa, but instead showed the young Noi-naa's face. Because in Jeab's heart, she will always be the same buddy he grew up with whom he loved and hated. But will always be "his girl".

Just saw this film at the Thai Takes 2 festival and it is absolutely wonderful! Very poignant story of best friends (girl/boy) in their formative years, one of which is conflicted and yearning to hang out with the rest of the girls/boys. (You have to guess which...)The movie reminded me of growing up spending hours and hours hanging out with friends, riding your bike everywhere, and just not having a care in the world except ice cream and playing. Hilarious and touching. The gang is a really funny group of characters, each with a personality all of her/his own.A must see if you can find. Don't know if there will be a wider U.S. release but it definitely deserves one. Foreign independent films such as this one are so refreshing and worthwhile. Go see it!