Ruang Talok 69
| Ruang Talok 69 (6ixtynin9) | |
|---|---|
 The Thai movie poster. | |
| Directed by | Pen-Ek Ratanaruang |
| Written by | Pen-Ek Ratanaruang |
| Produced by | Pen-Ek Ratanaruang |
| Starring | Lalita Panyopas |
| Cinematography | Chankit Chamnivikaipong |
| Edited by | Patamanadda Yukol |
| Distributed by | Five Star Production |
Release date | November 19, 1999 |
Running time | 118 min. |
| Country | Thailand |
| Language | Thai |
Ruang Talok 69 (Thai: เรื่องตลก 69, English: 6ixtynin9 or A Funny Story About 6 and 9), is a 1999 Thai crime film written and directed by Pen-Ek Ratanaruang. It is the second feature film by the Thai writer-director. It stars Lalita Panyopas, a popular star of Thai soap operas.
Plot
Tum is a secretary working for a bank when the company is forced to shed staff. As the boss could not bear to select which staff to fire, he uses the Kau Cim to determine who must leave. Tum draws one of the unlucky numbers and is laid off. Back at her apartment building, she finds the elevator is out of order, and is somewhat bothered by a young man who is a little too helpful. She is nonetheless accommodating and friendly. Once alone, though, she envisions all kinds of suicidal scenarios, including drinking household cleaning chemicals or blowing her head off with a handgun.
Her luck changes for the weirder the next morning when she discovers an instant noodle box in front of her door. It is filled with 500 baht bills. Apparently it's been left there because the number on her apartment door, 6, is missing a nail, so flips upside down, making it appear she lives in apartment 9, which is actually down the hall. Soon after, a couple of thugs from a Muay Thai camp ask her if she has seen the box. They force their way into her flat, only to be killed, accidentally.
Tum decides to get rid of their bodies, get a plane ticket, obtain a fake passport and visa, take the noodle box with her and go spend the rest of her life somewhere else. But the gangster, Kanjit, who makes fake passports happens to be the very guy she must stay away from. More men sent by a Muay Thai promoter appears at Tum's apartment, where one quickly hid in her wardrobe when she returned home. A young policeman, who is the lover of her nosy neighbor, Pen, suddenly calls on her and discovers the bodies. The hidden man attracts the policeman's attention when he cocks his gun, and the subsequent firefight kills them both.
As Tum tries to hide the two bodies, Pen comes to visit, believing the policeman was still in her home. Another man arrives at the apartment later to seek out the missing men, and mistakenly thought he has killed the policeman after firing into the cop's body which was hidden behind a door. As Tum tried to clean up the mess and hide the cop's body later, Pen and other neighbours spies on her through the keyhole and mistakenly believe she was having an affair with the policeman. Pen contemplates on ways to figure out what Tum is doing, and ends up speculating the worst about her.
Also, there's Tum's friend, Jim, who's distraught over her boyfriend cheating on her. Tum takes Jim with her to get her passport, and Jim accidentally gets caught in the crossfire. Jim, now dead, has been compromised and Tum makes off with the money. Tum remembers the reference of Pen when Pen was telling her about how the bodies were dumped down the lake and whatever goes down there disappears, and therefore dumps the money, escaping with just guilt.
Cast
- Lalita Panyopas as Tum
- Black Phomtong as Kanjit
- Tasanawalai Ongarittichai as Jim
- Sirisin Siripornsmathikul as Pen
References
- Morris, Ron. 2000. "Bangkok Dispatch", Future Frame (retrieved October 17, 2006).
