Home | Movies By Year | Movies from 2007


Final Score (2007 film)

Buy Final Score (2007 film) now from Amazon

First, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the movie. And once you've experienced the movie, tell everyone what you thought about it.

Wikipedia article




'Final Score' ( or '365 Wan Tam Tid Cheewit Dek Ent') is a 2007 Thai documentary film directed by Soraya Nagasuwan and produced by Jira Maligool. The film follows four Mattayom 6Mattayom 6 in the Thai school system is the equivalent of the 12th grade in the US elementary school system. students for one year as they take their university entrance exams.

Synopsis



The film focuses on Suwikrom "Per" Amaranon, a middle class Thai student in his senior year at Suankularb Wittayalai School in Bangkok, and his three friends, Big Show, Lung and Boat. They are depicted as average students, not especially studious but are still obedient of their parents and are hopeful of their prospects for getting into a university in Thailand.

The film follows the boys through one year, from May 2005 to May 2006. Documentarian Soraya Nagasuwan is never heard asking the boys questions, simply letting her camera crew follow the boys through their days at school, at home with their families or enjoying time off school while on a visit to the beach and attending a rock music festival.

In order to qualify for admission to a university faculty, students must take standardized tests. In Thailand these tests are the O-Net/A-Net exams. Minimum scores are needed in order to be admitted to certain universities and university faculties.

Coincidentally, the February 2006 exams that the boys took were hit with a scandal after the results were incorrectly reported. Approximately 300,000 students were affected by error, with many puzzled over receiving test results when they had not even taken the tests.

The boys weather the pressure of taking the exams and the erroneous reporting of the scores, however, and ultimately win their choice of disciplines and universities.

Cast



* Suwikrom "Per" Amaranon ( )

* Sarawut "Boat" Panyatheera ( )

* Worapat "Lung" Chittkhaew ( )

* Kittipong "Big Show" Wichitcharussakul ( )

Production



Filming

Producer Jira Maligool and director Soraya Nagasuwan started casting for subjects at tutor schools in the Siam Square in February 2005. From 100 candidates, they narrowed the search to 10 finalists and followed each for one day.

"I didn't want a student with particularly good grades or a kid who was always skipping school," the director was quoted as saying in 'The Nation' newspaper.[http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/01/22/entertainment/entertainment_30024750.php "Schooled for success"], 'The Nation', January 22, 2007.

A five-person crew followed Per and his three friends for one year, using a high-definition digital video camera. The boys were not interviewed and no shots were posed, the director said.

"Filmmakers often use interviews to manipulate attitudes. Questions are asked from the filmmaker's point of view so the answers can't be unconditional. That's why I prefer not to use that technique," Soraya said.

Director

Director Soraya Nagasuwan had previously worked as an assistant director under producer-director Jira Maligool on 'The Tin Mine'. Before that, she had directed the documentary short film, 'Amazing Thailand', about prostitution in Thailand.[http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/01/22/entertainment/entertainment_30024751.php Lady behind the lens], 'The Nation', January 22, 2007. Jira said he chose Soraya for the 'Final Score' project because he was impressed with her work on 'The Tin Mine'. "She's very tough and has a special character. You feel you can trust her with your secrets," Jira was quoted as saying in an interview with 'The Nation' newspaper.

Reception



'Final Score' had a wide release in Thailand cinemas on February 1, 2007.

The film has been criticized for not taking the Thailand government's Ministry of Education to task for its misreporting of the A-Net/O-Net standardized test results, and instead making the documentary fit GTH Films' "feel-good" film formula.

"I believe 'Final Score', a well-meaning and fairly charming film, could push itself much further to give us a less polished reflection of the truth. In other words, what we see here on screen is interesting, but I'm curious if what we don't see the footage that didn't make it into the final cut would be even more so," said 'Bangkok Post' film critic Kong Rithdee.Rithdee, Kong. February 2, 2007. "Those were the days", 'Bangkok Post', Realtime section, Page R5 (print edition; links to Internet versions of 'Bangkok Post' stories are archived for subscribers only).

Thailand-based film critic Peter Nellhaus said he felt the test result error is "given rather short shrift considering the magnitude of the number of students affected."[http://www.coffeecoffeeandmorecoffee.com/archives/2007/02/final_score_1.html Final Score], review by Peter Nellhaus, February 3, 2007.

The director acknowledged the criticism, saying that the film's overall tone was made to fit the film production company's "marketing model."

"The studio didn't want the film to be too controversial," director Soraya Nakhasuwan was quoted as saying in 'The Nation'.

Soundtrack



Along with a score by Hualumpong Rhythm, the film features music by indie rock bands Modern Dog and Pru, including a live performance by Pru at the 2005 Fat Festival. A soundtrack album featuring music from the film and additional music tracks was released on February 14, 2007 on the Sony BMG Music Entertainment (Thailand) label.

Track listing

# "Passage" ( ) Pru (1:23)

# "Puen auey" ( ) Pru (4:22)

# "Gun lae gun" () Modern Dog (4:43)

# "See Scape" Scrubb (4:18)

# "Parn" () Slot Machine (4:02)

# "Nalika" () Buddhist Holiday (3:25)

# "Took sing" () Pru (5:43)

# "Tar sawang" () Modern Dog (5:25)

# "Kwarn lhung" () Flure (4:11)

# "Chewit tee luek eng" ( ) The Peach Band (4:22)

# "Sieng karng nai jit jai" () P.O.P. (3:32)

# "Ploi mun pai" () Run Forward (3:08)

# "Puen tae" () Crescendo (3:56)

# "Ruk kun" () Pru (4:01)

# "Kor kwarm" () Pause (4:22)

# "Korb kun" () Modern Dog (4:12)

References and notes




Buy Final Score (2007 film) now from Amazon

<-- Return to movies from 2007



This work is released under CC-BY-SA. Some or all of this content attributed to http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1044435273.