Nowadays, when we listen to dubbing artists, the first thing we think of is those who make anime and movies available to film lovers around the world by translating the media into a native language. However, Once Upon a Star by Nonzee Nimibutr brings us a culture of Thailand where dubbing artists toured the country in buses and used projectors and microphones to show movies and dub with their voices. Often used as a tactic to sell items, this was a very popular culture in Thailand during the 50s and 60s. Starring quite a few popular actors from Thai cinema, here is a detailed review of the latest Thai release on Netflix, Once Upon a Star.
Manit, Kao and Uncle Man are a three-man team who work for a company that sells medicines, but they have a rather unique way of attracting customers. In Thailand in the late 1960s, traveling cinema was a huge success, where dubbing artists went from city to city and offered dubbing of famous Thai film screenings, projected on projectors.
Director: Nonzee Nimibutr
Writer: Ek Iemchuen
Stars: Darina Boonchu, Sukollawat Kanarot, Nuengthida Sophon
Manit, the leader of the theater group, saw himself capable of one day doing film dubbing properly in real theaters, while Kao dreamed of becoming a real actor. Old Uncle Man was a superstitious guy who spent his earnings drinking egg yolk and alcohol and buying lottery tickets. At other times, he drove around the battered company bus while Manit voiced male and female characters, and Kao operated the projector.
However, the competition came from the Kampanat group, led by a group of highly talented artists who owned top-of-the-line equipment and even female artists, while Manit couldn't stop coughing from using his voice so much. The group was desperate to find an alternative when, one day, they encountered an exceptionally pretty woman while driving.
The woman, Kae, aspired to become an expert with the typewriter and, in the meantime, she wanted to be a voice-over artist to raise enough money. She also claimed to have ended her marriage to her lousy husband, who gave her syphilis, but that was probably her response when she dealt with men so they wouldn't take advantage of her. We could see her painting her arm with red paint to make her look like sores, so it's okay to assume she was healthy. Her first outing with the team was a success and the audience loved hearing a real female voice. The group sold quite a few bottles of medicine, but the problem arose when the manager, Mr. Wichian, passed by and Kae had to be hidden.
The manager had strict rules about not allowing anyone other than employees on the tour bus, and no women were allowed. The three men's attempts hid Kae from the manager for a while, but she was still an imminent threat they had to be wary of. After a series of successes with additional help, Kae took the boys out drinking, became especially drunk, and passed out. Manit and Kao confided in each other that they both had feelings for Kae, but they promised to let Kae choose the one she liked the most and that they wouldn't let it affect her friendship. She began helping Kao become a good voice-over artist, and on other occasions, Kae helped Manit with voice-overs.
However, problems arose when the rival company Kampanat organized a show right next to where Manit's group was to perform and, thanks to her superior equipment and resources, Manit was defeated. Additionally, Kae was offended to discover that her ex was Kampanat's main dubbing artist, and the group faced complete humiliation. Kao noticed that Manit was getting strangely close to Kae and that he had given her a typewriter. Frustrated that her boss called Kae her wife to an army general to keep her safe, Kao gave an exceptionally bad performance during a dub and then confronted Kae.
Kae flatly rejected him and left, but later discovered that he and Manit were arguing because Kao's boss had disgraced her pact. Angry that the men used her as part of a pact and that no one tried to discover her feelings, Kae broke Manit's typewriter and left. Unfortunately, she was giving it back to him because she felt guilty for taking it from him. When Manit was forced to redo all the dubbing just because Kae was smoking and Kao decided to leave, her chronic illness broke out. Manit became ill, coughing profusely, and burning with fever when Kao, Man, and Kae rushed to help. Kao remembered how her boss had saved his life after he was bitten by a snake and apologized to Manit after she got better.
Three months later, the group was back together, with Manit, Kae and Kao dubbing together. They also met the most respected actor in 1960s Thai cinema, Mitr Chaibancha, and Manit couldn't believe she was shaking hands with the man whose voice she had dubbed. Mitr meant a lot to film lovers and dubbing had become a passion for Manit and the group.
This passion helped make better dubs, and customers flocked to buy medicine, and the group was doing very well until Mr. Wichian suddenly arrived and discovered that the group had hired a woman. Manit acknowledged his mistake in not informing bosses of his decision, but chastised Wichian for having conservative thoughts that were holding the company back.
The manager gave them an ultimatum that they would get only the last batch of medicines to sell before handing over the bus permanently. This would be his last trip. As if things couldn't get any worse, a radio announcement informed everyone that Mitr Chaibancha had fallen to his death while doing a stunt from a helicopter. Everyone was heartbroken in Thailand and that was the first time Kae saw Manit cry. She really admired the actor and knowing that he was no longer there made him break down as if she had lost a member of his own family. Did Mitr's death completely alter the lives of traveling artists? Did the manager take away the van they used for shows? Watch Nonzee Nimibutr's Once Upon a Star to find out.
In the age of Netflix and so many other streaming platforms, the concept of using voice-over artists to voice movies playing on projectors seems dated. However, Nimibutr's film is reminiscent of a culture that has been traditional in Thailand since after World War II, and is definitely something the rest of the world could learn from. It is hard work to produce special effects sounds with just your mouth in the absence of any of today's technological devices. Folding for hours at a time is definitely a difficult job. That is why Weir-Sukollawat Kanaros, in the role of Manit, is able to show the skills that artists of a forgotten art must have, and it is impressive.
The film, on its own, can seem quite slow at times and also seems a bit repetitive. The runtime seems exceptionally long and may feel like more of a drag than necessary. The saving grace is the acting skills of actors like Kanaros, Noona-Nuengthida Sophon, Samart Payakaroon and others, and how they can make their expressions come alive on screen. The film pays tribute to the tradition of film dubbing and dedicates its love to the late great Mitr Chaibancha, one of the greatest actors Thailand has ever seen. That said, unless you're a fan of world cinema and not particularly interested in Thai culture, the main premise of the film may not be of interest to you. Many observers may enter without knowing Mitr, which can humiliate the experience a bit. However, if you want a taste of dubbing culture that was all the rage in the South Asian country in the previous century and a bit of humorous fun, check out Nimibutr's Once Upon a Star this week.
Watch Once Upon a Star 2023 Movie Trailer
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