You have to be in a certain frame of mind to appreciate "Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives," (released in Japan as "Boonmee Ojisan no Mori"). The kind of frame that comes at a point in life when you're ready to discard material wealth and social position, to rid yourself of stressful relationships and de-clutter your closets — in short, when you find yourself reading blogs about zen and minimalism and longing to get away to some exotic, Buddhism-tinged location. If you're the type who enjoys clubbing at night and coffee bistros the rest of the time, then it's probably the best thing for everyone concerned — you, me and Uncle Boonmee — to stop reading this and go out for a mocha latte. Go ahead, we don't mind.
"Uncle Boonmee . . . " is writtendirected by Thailand's Apichatpong Weerasethakul, and is fiercely atypical of that country's movie scene (as it is represented on the international festival circuit). In Southeast Asia, Weerasethakul is synonymous with respected, rebellious art-house theater (several of his films have been banned in Thailand on religious grounds). But his winning the Palme d'Or at last year's Cannes Film Festival came out of left field — and pushed Thai indie films to the forefront of European media attention (albeit temporarily).
Such things seem to happen at Cannes — and, in fact, "Uncle Boonmee . . . " recalls "Moe no Suzaku" by Japan's indie auteur Naomi Kawase (1997). That picture also came out of nowhere, won the Camera d'Or and alerted the world to a particular poetic view on life, decay and death.