Final Score (film)
Encyclopedia
Final Score is a 2007
Thai
documentary film
directed by Soraya Nagasuwan and produced by Jira Maligool
. The film follows four Mattayom 6 students for one year as they take their university entrance exams.
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 test
s. 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.
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.
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.
on The Tin Mine
. Before that, she had directed the documentary
short film, Amazing Thailand, about prostitution in Thailand
. 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.
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.
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."
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
.
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.
2007 in film
This is a list of major films released in 2007.-Top grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2007...
Thai
Cinema of Thailand
The cinema of Thailand dates back to the early days of filmmaking, when King Chulalongkorn's 1897 visit to Bern, Switzerland was recorded by Francois-Henri Lavancy-Clarke. The film was then brought to Bangkok, where it was exhibited...
documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
directed by Soraya Nagasuwan and produced by Jira Maligool
Jira Maligool
Jira Maligool is a Thai film director, screenwriter and producer. He's directed two films, Mekhong Full Moon Party and The Tin Mine, and was the screenwriter behind the international hit, The Iron Ladies....
. The film follows four Mattayom 6 students for one year as they take their university entrance exams.
Synopsis
The film focuses on Suwikrom "Per" Amaranon, a middle classMiddle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
Thai
Thai people
The Thai people, or Siamese, are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries in Southeast Asia as well as southern China. Their language is the Thai language, which is classified as part of the Kradai family of...
student in his senior year at Suankularb Wittayalai School
Suankularb Wittayalai School
Suankularb Wittayalai School is an all-boys secondary school for grades 7th through 12th in Thailand. Founded by King Chulalongkorn in 1882, Suankularb is the oldest public secondary school in the country...
in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, 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
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
festival.
In order to qualify for admission to a university faculty, students must take standardized test
Standardized test
A standardized test is a test that is administered and scored in a consistent, or "standard", manner. Standardized tests are designed in such a way that the questions, conditions for administering, scoring procedures, and interpretations are consistent and are administered and scored in a...
s. In Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
these tests are the O-Net/A-Net exams. Minimum scores are needed in order to be admitted to certain universities
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
and university faculties
Faculty (university)
A faculty is a division within a university comprising one subject area, or a number of related subject areas...
.
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 (สุวิกรม อัมระนันทน์)
- Sarawut "Boat" Panyatheera (สราวุฒิ ปัญญาธีระ )
- Worapat "Lung" Chittkhaew (วรภัทร จิตต์แก้ว )
- Kittipong "Big Show" Wichitcharussakul (กิตติพงศ์ วิจิตรจรัสสกุล)
Filming
Producer Jira MaligoolJira Maligool
Jira Maligool is a Thai film director, screenwriter and producer. He's directed two films, Mekhong Full Moon Party and The Tin Mine, and was the screenwriter behind the international hit, The Iron Ladies....
and director Soraya Nagasuwan started casting for subjects at tutor schools in the Siam Square
Siam Square
Siam Square is a shopping and entertainment area in the Siam District of Bangkok, Thailand. The area connects to other shopping centres and links to the other shopping districts by sky bridge, such as Siam Center/Siam Discovery Center, MBK Center, Siam Paragon, Ratchaprasong shopping district and...
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.
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 MaligoolJira Maligool
Jira Maligool is a Thai film director, screenwriter and producer. He's directed two films, Mekhong Full Moon Party and The Tin Mine, and was the screenwriter behind the international hit, The Iron Ladies....
on The Tin Mine
The Tin Mine
The Tin Mine is a 2005 Thai biographical drama film directed by Jira Maligool. It is adapted from short stories by Ajin Panjapan and his semi-autobiographical account of growing up in a mining camp in southern Thailand during the post-World War II years...
. Before that, she had directed the documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
short film, Amazing Thailand, about prostitution in Thailand
Prostitution in Thailand
Prostitution in Thailand is illegal, although in practice it is tolerated and partly regulated. Prostitution is practised openly throughout the country. Local officials with commercial interests in prostitution often protect the practice. The precise number of prostitutes is difficult to assess;...
. 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
The Nation (Thailand)
The Nation is a broadsheet, English-language daily newspaper founded in 1971 and published in Bangkok, Thailand, and is owned by the Nation Multimedia Group.The Nation is a member of the Asia News Network...
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
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
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
GMM Grammy
GMM Grammy Public Company Limited is the largest media conglomerate entertainment company in Thailand. It claims a 70% share of the Thai entertainment industry. Artists on Grammy include Bird McIntyre and Loso...
' "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.
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."
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
The Nation (Thailand)
The Nation is a broadsheet, English-language daily newspaper founded in 1971 and published in Bangkok, Thailand, and is owned by the Nation Multimedia Group.The Nation is a member of the Asia News Network...
.
Soundtrack
Along with a score by Hualumpong Rhythm, the film features music by indie rockRock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
bands Modern Dog
Modern Dog
Modern Dog is a Thai rock band, formed in 1992. They issued their first album in 1994, selling 500,000 copies. The band has issued five studio albums, selling a total of 2 million copies....
and Pru
Pru (Thai band)
Pru is a Thai pop band that formed in 2001 in Bangkok. It was the winner of the favorite artist for Thailand at the 2002 MTV Asia Awards.-Members:* Krissada Sukosol Clapp - Vocals...
, 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" (ชีวิตไม่เคยเปลี่ยน ) – PruPru (Thai band)Pru is a Thai pop band that formed in 2001 in Bangkok. It was the winner of the favorite artist for Thailand at the 2002 MTV Asia Awards.-Members:* Krissada Sukosol Clapp - Vocals...
(1:23) - "Puen auey" (เพื่อนเอ๋ย ) – Pru (4:22)
- "Gun lae gun" (กันและกัน) – Modern DogModern DogModern Dog is a Thai rock band, formed in 1992. They issued their first album in 1994, selling 500,000 copies. The band has issued five studio albums, selling a total of 2 million copies....
(4:43) - "See Scape" – Scrubb (4:18)
- "Parn" (ผ่าน) – Slot MachineSlot Machine (band)Slot Machine is a rock band from Bangkok, Thailand. They record on the Sony BMG label. They were awarded Song of the Year for "ผ่าน" at the Seed Awards held in January 2007, having also been nominated for Rock Album of the Year, Rock Artist of the Year and Music Video of the Year.-External...
(4:02) - "Nalika" (นาฬิกา) – Buddhist Holiday (3:25)
- "Took sing" (ทุกสิ่ง) – Pru (5:43)
- "Tar sawang" (ตาสว่าง) – Modern DogModern DogModern Dog is a Thai rock band, formed in 1992. They issued their first album in 1994, selling 500,000 copies. The band has issued five studio albums, selling a total of 2 million copies....
(5:25) - "Kwarn lhung" (ความหลัง) – Flure (4:11)
- "Chewit tee luek eng" (ชีวิตที่เลือกเอง ) – The Peach Band (4:22)
- "Sieng karng nai jit jai" (เสียงข้างในจิตใจ) – P.O.P. (3:32)
- "Ploi mun pai" (ปล่อยมันไป) – Run Forward (3:08)
- "Puen tae" (เพื่อนแท้) – CrescendoCrescendo (band)Crescendo are a Liverpool based Electronic Pop band. The band are made up of duo Dan Akerman and Jonson Walker,...
(3:56) - "Ruk kun" (รักคุณ) – Pru (4:01)
- "Kor kwarm" (ข้อความ) – Pause (4:22)
- "Korb kun" (ขอบคุณ) – Modern Dog (4:12)