Noo Hin: The Movie
Encyclopedia
Noo Hin: The Movie is a 2006
comedy film
based on a popular Thai
comic book
and graphic novel
series about a plucky domestic worker
from Isan
who's working for an upper class
family in Bangkok
. It was directed by Komgrit Triwimol and co-produced by Nonzee Nimibutr
with a screenplay by Kongdej Jaturanarasamee.
in Northeast Thailand
, and as the story opens, she is hunting for something to eat, and she spots a lizard
(an animated character), which she chases throughout the countryside, causing a stampede of water buffalo and disrupting a village fair.
Noo Hin, it seems, is a constant troublemaker in the village, which as is typical for Isan
is poor, with few prospects for jobs or a productive rice crop
. Because Noo Hin is essentially useless, she must be sent to Bangkok
to earn money in a factory.
Her departure at the railway
station is a cause for celebration. Even the village band turns out to add to festivities.
As she rides on the train, Noo Hin imagines getting a job in a glamorous factory, making trendy bags, T-shirts and shoes. Her fantasy is acted out in a musical song-and-dance number. But at the employment agency, all that's left is a job in a rat
-trap factory, which is horrifying to Noo Hin.
But as luck has it, an attractive, tall and large-breasted young woman strides into the agency looking for a new maid
, and Noo Hin gets the job.
The young woman's name is Milk, which Noo Hin thinks is funny for some reason.
Noo Hin has troubles adapting to the city right from the start. She has never used a seatbelt in a car before. She is given some insect spray to get rid of bugs in her room. Its odor is pleasing, so she sprays so much that she faints from the fumes.
She also can't understand why Milk and her older sister, Som-O (Pomelo
), are so obsessed with their appearance. Som-O is especially concerned, and is constantly exercising, using a piece of equipment or a vibrating belt she hopes will melt away any fat that might be on her waistline. Noo Hin is further mystified by the behavior of urban women, who fight over items in sales bins at Siam Center
and use whitening cream to make their underarms sparkle.
The house is bigger than the provincial government building back home, but the resourceful Noo Hin settles in, wearing dust-mops on her feet, a head-dress of feather dusters and twirling a broom as she whips things into shape during another song-and-dance number.
Noo Hin also has time for romance, meeting Tong, who she sees at the house next door, working in the garden. She strikes up a friendship with him and makes him her special som tam
. She is disappointed to find out later, however, that he is actually the son of the home's owners, and not a gardener from Isan.
With the housework in order and the family happy, Noo Hin sets her sights on her next project – making Milk and Som-O famous. So Noo Hin secretly enters both the girls in a "super model" contest, an idea that Milk and Som-O are angry about at first, but their social-climbing mother soon warms up to it.
At the contest, the girls catch the eye of a French designer's assistant, much to the dismay of jealous supermodel
Sonia. But the event is marred when Noo Hin catches a young man snapping mobile phone
camera pictures of Milk in her dressing room. Noo Hin accuses the man, but he turns out to be the son of an influential member of society (a hi-so, in Thai slang), and the case is swept under the rug and Noo Hin forced to apologize.
Still, both Milk and Som-O are sought after by the French designer, and as the sisters are being driven to another modeling appointment, they are kidnapped
and held in a love hotel
. Noo Hin, meanwhile, is spirited away to a sweatshop
factory where Isan women are forced to sew stuffed animals under the supervision of men in black to the beat of a DJ playing techno
.
Eventually, Noo Hin is able to charm one of the guards (who turns out to be an Isan native) and mount a rescue of the enslaved factory workers, while neighbor Tong tracks down Milk's and Som-O's whereabouts. They make it to the modelling engagement in time, only to be confronted by supermodel Sonia, who it turns out was the mastermind of the kidnapping. She is further exposed in front of the fashion designer, when it is revealed that she wears silicone falsies
.
Milk and Som-O are then chosen to be the lead models for a new line of clothes by the French designer, which it turn out, have been inspired by Noo Hin's indigenous wardrobe. They are to be flown to France for further assignments, and Noo Hin will go along with them, likely stirring up trouble wherever she goes.
from Ubon Ratchathani
(where Padung Kraisri also hails from). The character first appeared in the Banlue Sarn company’s monthly comic book
Cartoon Maha Sanook. In 2004, Noo Hin was spun off into her own series of graphic novel
s (called "pocket book" in Thailand), Noo Hin Inter, a black-and-white publication that sells for 12 baht
and the full-color Noo Hin in the City, which sells for 50 baht. They are published by Vithita Animation.
Noo Hin’s name in her northeastern Thai
dialect suggests a bad smell. She is short with a square face and flat nose – in complete contrast to her employer, Milk, who is tall, with a round face, pointed nose, and light skin, with a name that suggests whiteness and purity.
The humorous situations are usually slapstick
in nature have mostly have to do with Noo Hin's ignorance of modern, urban life. But Noo Hin always prevails, thanks to her traditional, rural wisdom and resourcefulness. If she has a superpower, it's an ability to make a delicious som tam
and wield her pungent fish sauce
as a secret weapon.
In addition, both Milk and her older sister, Som-O (Pomelo
), have exaggerated breasts, which is similar to characters in Japanese manga
, but the Noo Hin comics are not pornographic nor do they contain violence or sexual innuendo.
Actresses Kochakorn Suppakarnkitjakul and Panisa Buacharoen, who portrayed Milk and Som-O, respectively, wore silicone falsies
to boost up their breast sizes, but some fans of the comic complained that the character's breasts weren't prominent enough, compared to the characters in the comic.
hoped to earn 80 million baht
. But after a strong opening weekend in which it earned 22 million baht, it left cinemas after earning just 51.8 million. The movie was budgeted at 40 million baht. This was despite the movie being based on a popular comic, having a director who had directed two hit films (Komgrit Triwimol who co-directed Fan Chan
and his solo debut Dear Dakanda) and a well-known screenwriter (Kongdej Jaturanrasamee
), and produced by an influential filmmaker, Nonzee Nimibutr
. A lack of cohesion in the storytelling and inexperienced actors were cited the main reasons for the disappointing results.
. It includes mor lam
and pop
songs sung by popular singer-actress Janet Kiew and composed for the film by Kongdej Jaturanrasamee, as well as tracks by the movie's leading actress Rungrawan Tonahongsa and Tata Young
.
2006 in film
- Highest-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 United States in 2006...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
based on a popular Thai
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...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
and graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
series about a plucky domestic worker
Domestic worker
A domestic worker is a man, woman or child who works within the employer's household. Domestic workers perform a variety of household services for an individual or a family, from providing care for children and elderly dependents to cleaning and household maintenance, known as housekeeping...
from Isan
Isan
Isan is the northeastern region of Thailand. It is located on the Khorat Plateau, bordered by the Mekong River to the north and east, by Cambodia to the southeast and the Prachinburi mountains south of Nakhon Ratchasima...
who's working for an upper class
Upper class
In social science, the "upper class" is the group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. Members of an upper class may have great power over the allocation of resources and governmental policy in their area.- Historical meaning :...
family 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...
. It was directed by Komgrit Triwimol and co-produced by Nonzee Nimibutr
Nonzee Nimibutr
Nonzee Nimibutr is a Thai film director, film producer and screenwriter. Best known for his ghost thriller, Nang Nak, he is generally credited as the leader among a "New Wave" of Thai filmmakers that also includes Pen-Ek Ratanaruang, Wisit Sasanatieng and Apichatpong...
with a screenplay by Kongdej Jaturanarasamee.
Plot
Noo Hin is a young woman living in Ubon RatchathaniUbon Ratchathani Province
-History:The area was part of the Khmer Empire. Before the late eighteenth century, this area evidently was outside Siamese or Thai Ayutthaya Kingdom....
in Northeast Thailand
Isan
Isan is the northeastern region of Thailand. It is located on the Khorat Plateau, bordered by the Mekong River to the north and east, by Cambodia to the southeast and the Prachinburi mountains south of Nakhon Ratchasima...
, and as the story opens, she is hunting for something to eat, and she spots a lizard
Lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
(an animated character), which she chases throughout the countryside, causing a stampede of water buffalo and disrupting a village fair.
Noo Hin, it seems, is a constant troublemaker in the village, which as is typical for Isan
Isan
Isan is the northeastern region of Thailand. It is located on the Khorat Plateau, bordered by the Mekong River to the north and east, by Cambodia to the southeast and the Prachinburi mountains south of Nakhon Ratchasima...
is poor, with few prospects for jobs or a productive rice crop
Paddy field
A paddy field is a flooded parcel of arable land used for growing rice and other semiaquatic crops. Paddy fields are a typical feature of rice farming in east, south and southeast Asia. Paddies can be built into steep hillsides as terraces and adjacent to depressed or steeply sloped features such...
. Because Noo Hin is essentially useless, she must be sent to 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...
to earn money in a factory.
Her departure at the railway
State Railway of Thailand
The State Railway of Thailand is the state-owned rail operator in Thailand. The network sees around 50 million passengers per annum.-History:SRT was founded as the Royal State Railways of Siam in 1890...
station is a cause for celebration. Even the village band turns out to add to festivities.
As she rides on the train, Noo Hin imagines getting a job in a glamorous factory, making trendy bags, T-shirts and shoes. Her fantasy is acted out in a musical song-and-dance number. But at the employment agency, all that's left is a job in a rat
Rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
-trap factory, which is horrifying to Noo Hin.
But as luck has it, an attractive, tall and large-breasted young woman strides into the agency looking for a new maid
Domestic worker
A domestic worker is a man, woman or child who works within the employer's household. Domestic workers perform a variety of household services for an individual or a family, from providing care for children and elderly dependents to cleaning and household maintenance, known as housekeeping...
, and Noo Hin gets the job.
The young woman's name is Milk, which Noo Hin thinks is funny for some reason.
Noo Hin has troubles adapting to the city right from the start. She has never used a seatbelt in a car before. She is given some insect spray to get rid of bugs in her room. Its odor is pleasing, so she sprays so much that she faints from the fumes.
She also can't understand why Milk and her older sister, Som-O (Pomelo
Pomelo
The pomelo is a citrus fruit native to Southeast Asia. It is usually pale green to yellow when ripe, with sweet white flesh and very thick albedo . It is the largest citrus fruit, 15–25 cm in diameter, and usually weighing 1–2 kg...
), are so obsessed with their appearance. Som-O is especially concerned, and is constantly exercising, using a piece of equipment or a vibrating belt she hopes will melt away any fat that might be on her waistline. Noo Hin is further mystified by the behavior of urban women, who fight over items in sales bins at Siam Center
Siam Center
Siam Center and Siam Discovery Center are twin shopping malls in Pathum Wan district, Bangkok, Thailand. Located at the BTS Skytrain's Siam Station, the malls are part of a large shopping district being opposite Siam Square, next to Siam Paragon and adjacent to MBK Center. Both are owned by Siam...
and use whitening cream to make their underarms sparkle.
The house is bigger than the provincial government building back home, but the resourceful Noo Hin settles in, wearing dust-mops on her feet, a head-dress of feather dusters and twirling a broom as she whips things into shape during another song-and-dance number.
Noo Hin also has time for romance, meeting Tong, who she sees at the house next door, working in the garden. She strikes up a friendship with him and makes him her special som tam
Som tam
Som tam or som tum also known as tam bak hung is a spicy salad, the standard form of which is made from shredded unripened papaya. Som tam is similar to the Laotian dish tam mak hung and the Cambodian dish bok l'hong...
. She is disappointed to find out later, however, that he is actually the son of the home's owners, and not a gardener from Isan.
With the housework in order and the family happy, Noo Hin sets her sights on her next project – making Milk and Som-O famous. So Noo Hin secretly enters both the girls in a "super model" contest, an idea that Milk and Som-O are angry about at first, but their social-climbing mother soon warms up to it.
At the contest, the girls catch the eye of a French designer's assistant, much to the dismay of jealous supermodel
Supermodel
The term supermodel refers to a highly-paid fashion model who usually has a worldwide reputation and often a background in haute couture and commercial modeling. The term became prominent in the popular culture of the 1980s. Supermodels usually work for top fashion designers and labels...
Sonia. But the event is marred when Noo Hin catches a young man snapping mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
camera pictures of Milk in her dressing room. Noo Hin accuses the man, but he turns out to be the son of an influential member of society (a hi-so, in Thai slang), and the case is swept under the rug and Noo Hin forced to apologize.
Still, both Milk and Som-O are sought after by the French designer, and as the sisters are being driven to another modeling appointment, they are kidnapped
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
and held in a love hotel
Love hotel
A love hotel is a type of short-stay hotel found around the world operated primarily for the purpose of allowing couples privacy for sexual activities...
. Noo Hin, meanwhile, is spirited away to a sweatshop
Sweatshop
Sweatshop is a negatively connoted term for any working environment considered to be unacceptably difficult or dangerous. Sweatshop workers often work long hours for very low pay, regardless of laws mandating overtime pay or a minimum wage. Child labour laws may be violated. Sweatshops may have...
factory where Isan women are forced to sew stuffed animals under the supervision of men in black to the beat of a DJ playing techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
.
Eventually, Noo Hin is able to charm one of the guards (who turns out to be an Isan native) and mount a rescue of the enslaved factory workers, while neighbor Tong tracks down Milk's and Som-O's whereabouts. They make it to the modelling engagement in time, only to be confronted by supermodel Sonia, who it turns out was the mastermind of the kidnapping. She is further exposed in front of the fashion designer, when it is revealed that she wears silicone falsies
Falsies
In fashion, falsies is a term used in American English to denote padding for use in a brassiere to create the appearance of larger breasts. The term is also, more rarely, used for pads which create the appearance of larger buttocks. In both cases, there is a note of amusement conveyed by the term...
.
Milk and Som-O are then chosen to be the lead models for a new line of clothes by the French designer, which it turn out, have been inspired by Noo Hin's indigenous wardrobe. They are to be flown to France for further assignments, and Noo Hin will go along with them, likely stirring up trouble wherever she goes.
Cast
- Rungrawan Tonahongsa as Noo Hin
- Kochakorn Suppakarnkitjakul as Milk
- Panisa Buacharoen as Som-O
- Adisorn Insee as Tong
- Nahatai Lekbumrung as Sonia
Origins
Created around 1994 by cartoonist Padung Kraisri, Noo Hin is a loyal, hard-working domestic workerDomestic worker
A domestic worker is a man, woman or child who works within the employer's household. Domestic workers perform a variety of household services for an individual or a family, from providing care for children and elderly dependents to cleaning and household maintenance, known as housekeeping...
from Ubon Ratchathani
Ubon Ratchathani Province
-History:The area was part of the Khmer Empire. Before the late eighteenth century, this area evidently was outside Siamese or Thai Ayutthaya Kingdom....
(where Padung Kraisri also hails from). The character first appeared in the Banlue Sarn company’s monthly comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
Cartoon Maha Sanook. In 2004, Noo Hin was spun off into her own series of graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
s (called "pocket book" in Thailand), Noo Hin Inter, a black-and-white publication that sells for 12 baht
Thai baht
The baht is the currency of Thailand. It is subdivided into 100 satang . The issuance of currency is the responsibility of the Bank of Thailand.-History:The baht, like the pound, originated from a traditional unit of mass...
and the full-color Noo Hin in the City, which sells for 50 baht. They are published by Vithita Animation.
Noo Hin’s name in her northeastern Thai
Isan
Isan is the northeastern region of Thailand. It is located on the Khorat Plateau, bordered by the Mekong River to the north and east, by Cambodia to the southeast and the Prachinburi mountains south of Nakhon Ratchasima...
dialect suggests a bad smell. She is short with a square face and flat nose – in complete contrast to her employer, Milk, who is tall, with a round face, pointed nose, and light skin, with a name that suggests whiteness and purity.
The humorous situations are usually slapstick
Slapstick
Slapstick is a type of comedy involving exaggerated violence and activities which may exceed the boundaries of common sense.- Origins :The phrase comes from the batacchio or bataccio — called the 'slap stick' in English — a club-like object composed of two wooden slats used in Commedia dell'arte...
in nature have mostly have to do with Noo Hin's ignorance of modern, urban life. But Noo Hin always prevails, thanks to her traditional, rural wisdom and resourcefulness. If she has a superpower, it's an ability to make a delicious som tam
Som tam
Som tam or som tum also known as tam bak hung is a spicy salad, the standard form of which is made from shredded unripened papaya. Som tam is similar to the Laotian dish tam mak hung and the Cambodian dish bok l'hong...
and wield her pungent fish sauce
Fish sauce
Fish sauce is a condiment that is derived from fish that have been allowed to ferment. It is an essential ingredient in many curries and sauces. Fish sauce is a staple ingredient in numerous cultures in Southeast Asia and the coastal regions of East Asia, and features heavily in Thai and Vietnamese...
as a secret weapon.
In addition, both Milk and her older sister, Som-O (Pomelo
Pomelo
The pomelo is a citrus fruit native to Southeast Asia. It is usually pale green to yellow when ripe, with sweet white flesh and very thick albedo . It is the largest citrus fruit, 15–25 cm in diameter, and usually weighing 1–2 kg...
), have exaggerated breasts, which is similar to characters in Japanese manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
, but the Noo Hin comics are not pornographic nor do they contain violence or sexual innuendo.
Actresses Kochakorn Suppakarnkitjakul and Panisa Buacharoen, who portrayed Milk and Som-O, respectively, wore silicone falsies
Falsies
In fashion, falsies is a term used in American English to denote padding for use in a brassiere to create the appearance of larger breasts. The term is also, more rarely, used for pads which create the appearance of larger buttocks. In both cases, there is a note of amusement conveyed by the term...
to boost up their breast sizes, but some fans of the comic complained that the character's breasts weren't prominent enough, compared to the characters in the comic.
Reception
The movie was received poorly by audiences and critics in Thailand. Distributor Sahamongkol Film InternationalSahamongkol Film International
Sahamongkol Film International Co. Ltd. is a Thai motion picture production and distribution company. It is the leading movie company in Thailand, ahead of GMM Grammy's GMM Tai Hub, Five Star Production and...
hoped to earn 80 million baht
Thai baht
The baht is the currency of Thailand. It is subdivided into 100 satang . The issuance of currency is the responsibility of the Bank of Thailand.-History:The baht, like the pound, originated from a traditional unit of mass...
. But after a strong opening weekend in which it earned 22 million baht, it left cinemas after earning just 51.8 million. The movie was budgeted at 40 million baht. This was despite the movie being based on a popular comic, having a director who had directed two hit films (Komgrit Triwimol who co-directed Fan Chan
Fan Chan
Fan Chan is a 2003 Thai romantic film offering a nostalgic look back at the childhood friendship of a boy and girl growing up in a small town in Thailand in the 1980s. It was the debut film by six young screenwriter-directors, Vitcha Gojiew, Songyos Sugmakanan, Nithiwat Tharathorn, Witthaya...
and his solo debut Dear Dakanda) and a well-known screenwriter (Kongdej Jaturanrasamee
Kongdej Jaturanrasamee
Kongdej Jaturanrasamee is a Thai screenwriter and film director. His screenplays include The Letter, Tom-Yum-Goong, Noo Hin: The Movie and Me ... Myself. His own films include Sayew and Midnight My Love.-Education, early career:...
), and produced by an influential filmmaker, Nonzee Nimibutr
Nonzee Nimibutr
Nonzee Nimibutr is a Thai film director, film producer and screenwriter. Best known for his ghost thriller, Nang Nak, he is generally credited as the leader among a "New Wave" of Thai filmmakers that also includes Pen-Ek Ratanaruang, Wisit Sasanatieng and Apichatpong...
. A lack of cohesion in the storytelling and inexperienced actors were cited the main reasons for the disappointing results.
Soundtrack
A soundtrack album of music from film was released by Sony BMG Music Entertainment (Thailand)BEC-TERO
BEC-TERO Entertainment Public Co. Ltd. is an entertainment conglomerate in Thailand that organizes and promotes concerts, owns record labels and produces films and television shows. It is a subsidiary of BEC World Public Co. Ltd., which also owns Bangkok Entertainment Co. Ltd., operator of Thai TV...
. It includes mor lam
Mor lam
Mor lam is a traditional Lao form of song in Laos and Isan.Mor lam means expert song, or expert singer, referring to the music or artist respectively. Other romanisations used include mo lam, maw lam, maw lum, moh lam and mhor lum...
and pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
songs sung by popular singer-actress Janet Kiew and composed for the film by Kongdej Jaturanrasamee, as well as tracks by the movie's leading actress Rungrawan Tonahongsa and Tata Young
Tata Young
Amita Marie Young , better known under her stage name Tata Young, is a Thai singer, model actress and dancer....
.
External links
- Noo Hin: The Comic - at Vithita Animation