Alone (2007 film)
Alone | |
---|---|
Thai theatrical poster. | |
Directed by |
Banjong Pisanthanakun Parkpoom Wongpoom |
Produced by |
Yongyoot Thongkongtoon Yodphet Sudsawad Mingmongkol Sonakul |
Screenplay by |
Banjong Pisanthanakun Sophon Sakdaphisit Parkpoom Wongpoom Aummaraporn Phandintong |
Starring | Marsha Wattanapanich |
Cinematography | Niramon Ross |
Distributed by |
GTH 24 Frames[1] |
Release dates |
Thailand (wide release): March 29, 2007 |
Running time | 95 min. |
Country | Thailand |
Language | Thai |
Box office | $9,365,071[2] |
Alone (Thai: แฝด, or Fad, literally "twin") is a 2007 Thai horror film directed by Banjong Pisanthanakun and Parkpoom Wongpoom. Alone stars Thai-German pop singer Marsha Wattanapanich in her first film role in 15 years.[3]'
The film's plot is loosely based on Agatha Christie's book, Elephants Can Remember.[4]The adaption of alone in philippines is Guni-Guni.
Plot
Pim is born as a twin, conjoined at the stomach with her sister, Ploy. Pim is very sweet and protective of Ploy. However, Ploy's nature is harsh and jealous. Pim and Ploy promise each other to stay together till the end of their lives.
While they are staying in a hospital, Pim and Ploy meet a boy named Wee. Although both loved him, Wee only returns Pim's affections, which makes Ploy angry and jealous of Pim. Finally Wee recovers from his illness and is able to leave. As he is getting into the car, Wee decides he wants to see Pim one last time. Since the twins' room is on the second floor, he decides to call to her. As much as Pim wants to see Wee, Ploy won't get out of bed. Pim begs and cries but Ploy stays in her jealous rage. Wee is upset and leaves. Angry and in tears, Pim demands that she and Ploy be separated. The twins have an operation to separate them, but Ploy doesn't survive and dies. Pim burdens herself with guilt thinking that if she had not wanted an operation, Ploy would still be alive.
Several years later Pim, who is now living in South Korea and is dating Wee, receives a phone call from Thailand that her mother has had a stroke. When Pim and Wee return to Thailand, Ploy's ghost comes back to haunt her. At first Wee becomes very worried and starts seeking psychiatric help for Pim. But even after the psychiatrist came to visit Pim, she still sees Ploy's ghost everywhere. Pim hears soft breaths on the side of her as if Ploy is still with her while she sleeps. She sees Ploy on the mirror instead of herself. On the elevator, she sees Ploy resting her head in her shoulder. When she tries to relax in a bathtub, she is suddenly pulled down in the water by Ploy's ghost. When the lights go out, she sees a horrifying figure of Ploy. The hauntings keep stalking Pim and she feels even more guilty. But later, the spirit of Ploy also haunts Wee. One night, Wee goes to see Pim's mother. She tells Wee something;
It is revealed that Pim is actually Ploy. In a flashback, Ploy strangled Pim in a jealous rage after Pim demanded they be separated. But when Pim dies Ploy suddenly snaps out of her rage and feels shocked to what she did. She screams for her mother. Her mother becomes devastated and never speaks to Ploy again.
In order to save Ploy's life, doctors had to separate Pim's corpse from Ploy. Ploy assumed Pim's identity in order to be with Wee. It meant that all these years, Ploy was lying to Wee and it was actually Pim's ghost that was haunting her and Wee. Ploy's mother knew of her actions as well, but kept silent. Later it is shown that Ploy kills her mother by disconnecting her oxygen pipe so her mother couldn't tell Wee the truth. Ploy didn't know that her mother had already told Wee.
Wee confronts Ploy, and in a moment of guilt, she tells Wee the truth. Wee is disgusted and shocked at Ploy's actions and decides to leave her. But Ploy knocks him unconscious and takes Wee hostage. However, Wee escapes, and the ensuing fight with Ploy causes the house to catch fire. In order to escape, Wee throws a shelf on Ploy and escapes. Trapped underneath, Pim's ghost confronts and holds Ploy down, and as the burning debris rains down around them, Pim smiles and Ploy dies.
In the end, Wee visits the twins' grave, and takes out Pim's necklace that Wee had gifted her when they were in the hospital. He places the necklace on their tombstone.
Cast
- Marsha Wattanapanich as Pim and Ploy
- Vittaya Wasukraipaisan as Wee
- Ruchanu Boonchooduang as Pim's and Ploy's mother
- Hatairat Egereff as Pim, age 15
- Rutairat Egereff as Ploy, age 15
- Chutikan Vimuktananda as Pim, age 7
- Chayakan Vimuktananda as Ploy, age 7
- Namo Tongkumnerd as Wee, age 15
Box office
Like Pisanthanakun and Wongpoom's previous film Shutter, Alone opened at #1 at the Thai Box Office grossing $960,000 before falling to #2 grossing $411,043. In total the film grossed $2,040,003 in Thailand becoming the 21st highest grossing film of the year. The film fared even better internationally grossing $9,365,071 worldwide out grossing the directors' previous film Shutter.[2]
Festivals and awards
Since its general release in Thailand cinemas, Alone has made the rounds at film festivals, playing at the 2007 Bangkok International Film Festival. At Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, the film won awards for best director and best actress.[5][6] It swept the awards at the 2007 Screamfest Horror Film Festival in Los Angeles, winning Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Editing.[6] The film also won the top Audience Award for Best Feature Film at the 2007 Toronto After Dark festival.[7]
Soundtrack
The closing credits feature a song by Marsha Wattanapanich, "Suan Neung Khong Chan (A Part of Me)".
DVD release
Alone has been released on Region 3 DVD in Hong Kong by Asia Video, with the original soundtrack and English and Traditional Chinese subtitles.
Remakes
The 2012 Indian film Chaarulatha is loosely based on Alone, with Priyamani playing the conjoined twins.[8] In June 2014, Bipasha Basu was signed to play the twins in the Hindi adaptation of Alone, which has been released with the same name.[9][10][11][12][13] The 2013 Malayalam-language Indian film Geethaanjali was inspired from Alone.[14]
See also
References
- ↑ Thai horror hit Alone finds a US home, Twitchfilm.net, retrieved 2007-06-20.
- 1 2 "Alone". Boxofficemojo. Retrieved 2011-12-18.
- ↑ Is Marsha sure she wants to get back into movies?, The Nation, retrieved 2007-03-22.
- ↑ Laetitia Wong (11 October 2014). "Thai horror directors dish out something Spooktacular". Today. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
- ↑ Alone at Fantastic Fest, retrieved 2007-09-28
- 1 2 Alone sweeps LA Screamfest awards, Twitchfilm.net; retrieved 2007-10-24
- ↑ 2007 festival award winners, Toronto After Dark, retrieved 2007-11-03
- ↑ http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/kannada/movies/news-interviews/Bipashas-not-first-to-play-conjoined-twins-Suriya-and-Priya-Mani-beat-her-to-it/articleshow/36468541.cms
- ↑ http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/bipasha-basu-conjoined-twins-bollywood/1/366546.html
- ↑ http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news-interviews/Bipasha-Basu-at-the-mahurat-of-upcoming-horror-film-tentatively-titled-Alone/articleshow/36255367.cms
- ↑ http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/hindi/article/108788.html
- ↑ http://www.mid-day.com/articles/bipasha-basu-on-a-horror-trail/15364170
- ↑ http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/interview-with-bipasha-basu/article6703820.ece
- ↑ Paresh C. Palicha (15 November 2013). "Review: Geethanjali disappoints". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2015.
External links
- Official site (Thai)
- Official site
- Alone at the Internet Movie Database