The possibilities for a film whose central characters are a middle-aged Thai architect-turned-nomad and an elephant named after an American cartoon character would seem endless. However, newbie director Kirsten Tan only realizes some of this film's potential as a comedic interspecies “buddy” film. Pop Aye opens with frumpy malcontent Thana (Thaneth Warakulnukroh) setting off on foot with his pet elephant, Pop Aye, with seemingly no prospects other than just getting away from his deteriorating work life and slowly disintegrating marriage. “From now on it's just you and me,” he tells his 10,000-pound walking companion while embarking on what will prove to be a very slow-going road trip to who-knows-where. The film does capture the discombobulating sense of infinite time characteristic of a long-haul drift, with occasional incidents occurring along the way, such as being hassled by the police for having a dubious permit for the elephant. And at one point Thana and Pop Aye end up stuck at a secluded tiki bar where Thana briefly befriends a smart-alecky transsexual karaoke singer. But while Tan clearly wants this to be more than just a quirky slice-of-life film about the difficulty of truly dropping out of society, Pop Aye never quite lives up to the premise's offbeat promise. Still, this should be considered a strong optional purchase. (M. Sandlin)
Pop Aye
Kino Lorber, 102 min., in Thai w/English subtitles, not rated, DVD: $29.99 Volume 33, Issue 1
Pop Aye
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