The Buzz: Chocolate 2008

Chocolate 2008 is my latest "Buzz"-worthy film pick. This film combines the martial art film norms; vengeance, the gang, the girl and the deadly showdown with a solid storyline that is, at times, touching.

Zen- played by my new, next life wife, Yanin Vismitananda is the autistic daughter of Zin; Thai gangster, "No. 8's" love interest (read: possession) and her forbidden Japanese lover, Masasahi (Hiroshi Abe ) He's pretty hot too.

The story follows Zen and Zin, taking refuge in a Thai ghetto and living above a Muay Thai school. The mother, Zin spends most of her days bedridden with cancer, Zen spends hers toggling between obsessively watching the young Muay Thai students from the window and various martial arts films. It is from these fervent observations Zen's talent to mimic martial arts masters is discovered and honed by her cousin and sole companion Moom.

Together Moom and Zen take to the streets to earn money for Zin's chemotherapy treatments by collecting from a ledger Moom discovered in Zin's belongings. The ledger however, belongs to "No. 8" and, in the process the word of Zin's whereabouts gets back to her jilted ex-lover. Eeep!

Get all of your guilty snacks in order before you hit start, this film is action-packed from beginning to end and, the choreography is phenomenal. The fight sequence between Yanin Vismitananda and "Epileptic Boxer" Kittitat Kowahagul is equal parts martial arts and B-Boy moves, I actually screamed! This film was thoroughly enjoyable, I'm looking forward to more work from director, Prachya Pinkaew, my Thai Quentin Tarantino. Chocolate 2008 is in Thai with English subtitles, it is available on Netflix.

Peace and a good film