The National Federation of Motion Pictures and Contents Associations has chosen Nattawut “Baz” Poonpiriya’s third feature film, One for the Road, to compete at the 95th Academy Awards.
Nattawut, who directed 2017’s critical and commercial hit Bad Genius, made the film with legendary Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar-wai. One for the Road follows two buddies on their road to redemption from their ex-girlfriends, not knowing their reunions will open wounds for everyone they meet.
Following its premier at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, One for the Road garnered several awards, including the Special Jury Award for Creative Vision at the World Cinema Dramatic Competition and Best Asian Feature (Bronze Audience Award) at the Fantasia International Film Festival 2022.
Despite the awards, the film did not win great reviews at home, where it has been faulted for its meandering plot and the fragile masculinity central to its narrative. Its grand cinematic aesthetics are unquestionable, given that the film was co-produced by the illustrious Wong Kar-wai.
One for the Road has been available on Netflix since May 2022. Following the film’s release in Thailand, Nattawut and others involved in the film opened OFTR, a Bangkok bar taken out of the film with cocktails to match.
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