directed by:
Joshua Trigg written by: Joshua Trigg genre: Drama |
I wasn’t sure quite what I was in for at first. With the opening scenes of “Satu – Year Of The Rabbit” being so gut-wrenching and practically painful to watch, I was fairly convinced that this movie - written/directed by Joshua Trigg wasn’t going to lighten up at all - and that I was about to be in for one seriously heavy Drama. It takes some real stomach to get through the beginning of this film, which will show you a mother forced to abandon her child in one part and the domestic abuse of another shortly after. These are not easy subjects to broach by any means, but Trigg handles these themes with a raw honesty that watchers will certainly appreciate. I’m all for heavy emotional content like this as long as it feels real - and believe me when I tell ya, as Trigg goes on to establish what this story is all about, he shows you pain that’s so vivid and real, you’ll practically feel it just as much as the main characters do.
While “Satu – Year Of The Rabbit” will certainly remain about as serious as a movie tends to get, it does begin to brighten its demeanour as we’re introduced to a second chapter in the lives of Satu & Bo - as their stories become entwined and they form an unbreakable bond. Satu is the young child we witnessed being dropped off on the steps of a monastery as a baby & Bo is a budding photojournalist who ran away from home to escape the drunken wrath of her father – they might seem like they make for a strange pairing in life, but they find solace in each other despite the years of difference between their age. Bo’s still young enough to remember where a child like Satu is coming from with his all-too-wise perspective, and yet not old enough to have us feeling like she’d be a qualified leader with such little experience…yet. She’s freakin’ crafty, though, and a born survivor – so whether it’s food to eat or a place to sleep, she becomes the natural provider for both herself and the young kid as they leave the village they met each other in and try to find Satu’s mom. Being the only two that are actually aware of the plan, though, their journey is misunderstood in the eyes of the world, and it seems like the suspicion that Satu has been kidnapped runs deep. With heavy rains exposing a series of unexploded bombs within the village they came from, they can’t go back to such unsafe conditions, but the road ahead of them seems like it’s also filled with trouble that is well out of their control. As they learn to trust each other, it becomes clear that they’re all each other really have. Bo and Satu have disagreements in a brother/sister type of way, but they truly need one another if they’re going to make it without any adult guidance. As for the adults that they do meet along the way, or the ones that have played a role in their life so far…let’s just say that collectively, en masse, they definitely haven’t given these two youngsters any reason to have faith in the good of people. That’s a large part of what makes “Satu – Year Of The Rabbit” such a beautiful, endearing, and meaningful film – Bo and Satu are so wise beyond their years in so many key ways, that all they really need is each other. It gets to the point where we basically forget that they’re both still kids. Sure, Bo is older and has at least some experience in life – but let’s be real here, she’s still extremely young. There’s tremendous pressure in a situation like they’re in, but there’s a fantastic degree of honesty shared between them that shows all of us adults that think we’d know better, a functionality & relationship dynamic that finds a way to be happy despite all the odds stacked against them. This story ends up being quite the journey for Bo and Satu – it’s a life-changing adventure that will bond them forever, and it’s like it’s what they both really needed. There is no shortage of reasons as to why this film works as well as it does. Trigg’s writing, for instance, leaves no stone unturned as far as the details we need are concerned – “Satu – Year Of The Rabbit” is believable, and it’s unique as well. It’s a mix of bittersweet melancholy and an insightfully inspired storyline that ends up revealing an impeccable balance that displays a whole lot of heart. For the majority of us, I’d imagine that a tale like this is not one that we’d see every day, so credit where credit is due, the writing and direction of Trigg makes this story seem more relatable than you might think it would be on paper.
That being said, I think we also witness something seriously extraordinary in this film as well, which is the extremely high level of professionalism from such young actors. Itthiphone Sonepho is absolutely incredible – he would need to actually BE a kid that is well beyond his years on earth to PLAY a kid that has that same mentality, but to see the results is something totally different than merely talking about it. For real, it’ll blow you away how focused and consistent his performance is. As a result of that alone, you can expect each scene with Satu to be remarkably expressive and at the same high calibre as that of an actor with years & years of experience. Ultimately, I feel like much of the same can totally be said of Vanthiva Saysana as Bo as well – the confidence and fearlessness she brings to her character shows us exactly how potent and powerful her acting is. Together, with the majority of this film resting firmly on their shoulders, they triumph in scene after scene by really understanding the heart and mindset of their characters. Trigg should be immensely proud of them both for the efforts they made…you can spend a whole lot of time writing the depth into a character, and to see Bo and Satu come to life onscreen in the way that they have in “Satu – Year Of The Rabbit” would be incredibly rewarding to experience as the person that wrote them I’m sure. The supporting cast, while minimal in size and screen time, still deserves their share of the credit as well – “Satu – Year Of The Rabbit” remains a focused film from start to finish. The direction and the way that it’s shot, the use of narration to help tell Satu’s story from Bo’s point of view…that was smart as well. We get to see his story through the lens of her sharp perspective. I’m going with a strong four out of five stars here. I suppose it’s probably fair to say that “Satu – Year Of The Rabbit” might not necessarily be for everyone out there in terms of its heavy dramatic storyline and subtitles always being a tough sell to the masses, but I felt like this was a really solid and well-balanced movie all-around. It’s compelling, thought-provoking, and a perfect mix between the sad & the sweet – “Satu – Year Of The Rabbit” appeals to your heart & soul while moving your mind as you watch as well. |
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