Congrats My Ex! (2023)

Fun and Forgettable watch!!!

First things first... I'm an Indian and I should mention this because this review will be from that POV....Now , if you are someone who doesn't want to watch a movie without giving much thought to it then this is that perfect afternoon watch for you. Now coming to the,
1. Story Plot : As given it is not something with that much depth and along the movie none of the characters have any major development and you can almost ignore the side characters because they are present there for some reason which you can very well avoid. You can avoid them just like the writers avoided a lot of serious stuffs in a comedic manner which by the way is not something you need to brush off. It was something that Thai industry does ignoring some major societal issues.

2. Setting : Apart from the actors and the prime location nothing is Thai but is it Indian ?! NO They took the Indian wedding theme and did research a lot I guess because you will feel that you are viewing an Indian Wedding (a blah one ofcourse). Also then somehow you will also get a touch of K-dramas because of its all cute scenes and expressions.

3. Acting: Bright is someone who knows what he is required to do and does the job accordingly , there is very little that he adds on his own but as he has his own charm , it does the job and I like him on screen coming to Bella , she was literally forced to speak English (I know she is Thai but half British) and if she can't speak English that we'll writers could have done something to it rather than just going with the flow of that very bad accent. Now Mahir and Anahita are a known name in Indian Television and they were pretty much on the same page as the story and everything given that they are Indian and they know what's next.

4. Music : Here! I loved that scene and also Anahita talked so much about it that at one point I was waiting for this scene. It was well executed with a pretty good dance to go along and also Bright danced to an Indian song ... I'm happy!

5. Climax : The chase scene was hilarious. No doubt that made me feel like okay this is an Indian comedy movie and it gave a nostalgia of 90s comedy movies . It was a fun watch.

OVERALL:
This was movie with a cliche plot but fun to watch. It's just that there's a very little meat to the bone . It's a good watch in a lazy afternoon where you can have a good laugh even thinking about your ex!

This is my personal view on this Indo-Thai take, please note that I'm Indian and I looked at this entire thing from that POV. If you are someone who is new to this entire setting them it will obviously blow your mind it's cute. Happy Watching!

Leggi di Più

Thailand-indian vibes are surprisingly dazzling!!!!!!

This is the most lovable and funny movie I would have immagined it could happening in thailand!!!!!! the acting and cinematography so well done and performed full of vivid colors, I should say it is SO HIGHLY RECOMMENDED and I am in love with the mixture of thailand and indian acting, it will be unforgettable for me "against the first review mentioned being forgettable"!!!!

This movie is so different from all the traditional thailand lakorns as there is a rare and few carrying this funny and comedic side, thailand lakorns are all known about dramatically speaking with so much tragedy and violence but this movie will make another new conception of the funny thailand shows!!!!!!

It was a great idea to portray the break up and reunion of all exes in this light and funny way that most of thailand shows are missing in their actings, this show should be more appreciated and rated more highly, I wish it will be more renowned in future as it is just today released.

Risa carried all the show and she performed well in this movie with her amazing dance with all the people thailand and indian around her was so fascinating and her english talking was not bad and her feelings when thrown in her exs hands was greatly acted as it was the core of the subject of movie, she will not confess her weakness just hiring Tim her other second ex to have the pride as she is not in need of Arun "first ex of Risa" but deeply she needed Tim without knowing this fact.

Tim could have been better, he was little dull and boring but as paired with Risa was a great combination of acting and was her healing from her numerous break ups, he was so good in sword duel and saving Arun's father as said "jack of all trades" and "hero" so well said by Risa, he didn't have the audacity to confess to her but just making fun of her was too not bad to add more for this comedic show, he too carried all the show with risa in the dancing scene, I loved them being together to the end and how they pretended they came back together to save her being weak in front of Arun and how Risa threw Tim in water as pissed her of!!!!

Arun on the other side was so greatly choosen as the indian guy boyfriend of Risa and I liked when he backed up to not commit a mistake against Monica when approaching Risa in a wrong moment, Monica his bride to be as the other was too cute and well choosen as him, he is careless guy who left Risa and surprised to meet her again as his wedding organiser and treat her as an old friend but all the indian actors here was so suitable and well combined with the thailand one.

Risa's gang friends Jan and Offy was too funny and loving when portraying the story of Risa's break ups in their rap song amazingly done.

I would recommend SO STRONGLY this amazing movie, the way Risa moved from Arun after the mostly laughable truck scene, when Monica caught Arun will fall in mistake with Risa when reminiscing their old memories, they convert the dramatic moment to a funny one this is when I FALL IN LOVE THE MOST WITH THIS UNPRECENTED MOVIE, it was too when enjoying the dancing and happy colorfully moments of traditional indian wedding!!!! Everyone is lovable and really so worthy to watch it for a great time to choose this magnificent movie.

JUST GIVE IT A TRY and you will not regret it at all, I wish it will get more high marks and pleasure from all watchers, it was a great option to watch after being in a drama slump, you will be transferred to another happy world, forgetting your surrounding the moment you will click play!!!!!

Leggi di Più

Extreme Amount of Slapstick and Dumbness Go Hand in Hand

Congrats My Ex! is a Thai comedy film starring Bella Ranee, Bright Vachirawit, Mahir Pandhi and Anahita Bhooshan in lead roles. It is about Risa, a wedding planner who has to plan an extravagant wedding of Arun, her Indian ex-boyfriend, to his fiancée Monica and accommodate their extremely large respective families, all for the money. To make things worse, she has to hire her jack-of-all-trades younger ex Tim to be their wedding photographer under certain circumstances, leading to chaotic and comical events.

The start of it was a chaotic mess, but in a good way. I enjoyed the first half of it a lot, especially when Risa’s friends embarrass her with the story of her and Arun’s past, which they did it in a musical, that was enjoyable since I am a music person, and when Risa went to meet Tim, while he was doing a magic show and the chase sequence followed by them arguing was hilarious. The other things I liked about it was that the depiction of Indian wedding was a lot on point, and Coolforthesummer already mentioned it so I’d suggest you read their review first for better insight, but I also liked the Sangeet the mot, because I loved how “Bollywood” it was and that all of the four actors mentioned danced to a Hindi song. I also liked the chemistry between Bright and Bella, much more than that of Bella and Mahir. I liked it when they were in conflict because it was the most fun out of the movie (plus when Tim couldn’t swim in shallow water, it had me in splits). I somehow find it refreshing that they incorporate a lot of Bollywoodness in another movie though I’m not the biggest fan of Bollywood musicals. In short, the depiction of Indo-Thai culture was nice, because a lot of it didn’t feel real, and I’ll get to that. The settings and location was very pretty, as well as the costumes (I can’t stop gushing over how good Bright and Bella look in Indian cloths in the Sangeet part).

This is my first-time seeing Bella Ranee’s work, and she did well in her job. She and Bright made me laugh. Mahir Pandhi was decent, though I didn’t like his character at all, and his line delivery seemed forced. Anahita Bhooshan was actually good.

Now to what I disliked about this movie. The second half of it got on my nerves, and I only endured it for Bright, not only because I like him, but also his character is the most tolerable out of all the characters on this movie. I hated how the part that Monica knew that Risa was Arun’s ex and that Arun is still in love with her was dealt with, and when Arun was about to have a moment with Risa in the climax, and I really felt sorry for Monica at that time. They could’ve kept the basic plot with Arun being open about Risa being his ex and having conflicts about it prior going to Thailand to get married. Or if this was dealt with better.

Risa also annoyed me to an extent. This character lacks maturity as a full-grown woman. However, out of all the characters, Arun annoyed me the most. God, whenever I see him confused/still in love with Risa, I was like, “Indian men, Indian men”, yeah!! Like please make a clear decision, and also what’s there to hide about the fact that Risa was his ex to his fiancée? Why did you even choose to marry her and at the same time have a moment with Risa, a day before the wedding? This is beyond my comprehension, and I actually felt sorry for Monica in the end. But it was dealt with poorly, when Monica chose to marry him anyways! They wouldn’t even last a month of divorce was seen on a more positive light and if anyone stopped caring about “log kya kahenge?” (What will people say?). Another thing I want to point out is that when Arun’s dad had a heart attack, why did Tim do the CPR himself instead of calling the ambulance?

The English dialogues made me cringe. It was written in a really cheesy way that no one would be convinced by that kind of speech, especially Arun’s monologues and all! And also, it makes sense for young generation urban Indians to speak English to each other but I didn’t understand why the older generation Indian characters in this movie spoke English? As an Indian myself, I observed that older-generation Indians would speak to each other in Hindi, unless if they’re from different states or so. But in this movie, all of them are families, and even Arun’s parents are speaking to each other in English in private. That robs the authenticity of the portrayal of a different culture. Although the Hindu/Indian culture was depicted well, I wish a native Hindi-speaking scriptwriter wrote the dialogues spoken by the Indian characters, because the characters seem to come from North India if I’m not mistaken.

Overall, it was a fun watch, with a lot comedy and all, but the story was really dumb in the end, though I’m glad Risa and Tim actually got together in the end because Bella and Bright indeed have chemistry. But it got straight-up dumb in the end combined with slapstick comedy. It isn’t completely unwatchable, but the only way to watch and tolerate this movie is 1. Turn off your brain and enjoy the ride and 2. Only focus on Bright.

Leggi di Più

Who needs a Prince Charming when the dame in stunning dress comes riding a white horse in high heels

Well! Bella & Bright in Thai-Indian collab is something I didn’t know I needed. This is such a refreshing and fun watch. Was so thrilling watching the familiar Thai artists dancing to a Hindi number in Indian attires.
This got beautiful cinematography and some exquisite scenes. Also this has many laugh-out-loud moments.

The story is much better than many of the mindless Indian movies. I know how it goes next since I grew up watching them but still few moments were surprising. But for the ones who never tasted the Indian stuff this might be super entertaining or weird. Anyway don’t expect a groundbreaking story since it’s a rom-com.

Bella! Bella! Bella! She’s extremely beautiful, talented and needless to say single-handedly carried the entire movie. Bright on the other hand is not so bright in few scenes. He does a decent job but he’s kinda lacking at times. Coming to the Indian couple I’m an avid Indian TV viewer but never heard of them. Anyway they were okayish. All the others did an okay job too.

I don’t understand the negative comments regarding the accents. Like the ones commented got the perfect accent or whatever. Perfection is scam. Anyway given this is a Thai movie and they are Thai artists imo they spoke EXTREMELY well. Anyway British colonized India for nearly 200 years and it’s not surprising if we talk to one another in English even at our homes. There’s no such thing as the usage of our pure mother tongues anymore. English just rolls in. So as an Indian it isn’t weird to see the Indian families in this speaking to each other in English.

Music is not good but not bad either. Liked the first rap(!) tho.

The wedding scene in this became my favorite after Crazy Rich Asians’s. So beautiful. Loved the fire juggling too.
Overall this is hella vibrant, entertaining with beautiful costumes and comedy.
Hope Bella & Bright will be paired again in a lakorn. Can’t get enough of them. :)

Leggi di Più

indian dish taste with smile

There were all Indian spices and ingredients which were cooked in Indian style. It felt more like an Indian movie than a Thai one.

Some things that bothered me were that firstly when two people of different languages were talking then the use of English was fine but when two people of the same language were talking then the use of English did not seem right to me especially when you are making a movie where two cultures and language is being shown. Secondly, it seemed as if the artists had hold themselves. Their acting and expressions were not coming out naturally. especially the two moments i like to mention 1st Risa and tim's dance and 2nd Monica's running in the climax.

Overall it is a good romcom. Believe me, this movie will make you smile.

Leggi di Più

Enjoyed the musical moments and the bright colours & costumes, disappointed by the romantic aspect

This movie has a very interesting premise with an Indian wedding being organized in Thailand with the wedding planner being the ex of the groom...This is a good set up for a lot of shenanigans and could have made a nice rom-com movie with a cultural twist, mixing both Thailand and Indian casting.

Unfortunately, I was quite disappointed by the romance aspect of the movie. I had trouble to fell empathy for the female lead and was not that convinced by the storylines with the two males protagonists. It lacked emotions and was super focused on the comical / almost satirical aspect of things that I never managed to really care about any of the relationship of the main cast. The secondary characters were a bit better in terms of likeability despite being for some very caricatural.

What I preferred from the film relates to the filmmaking of the various cultural steps of the Indian marriage as well as the musical numbers which were really nice. The soundtrack left me with a very good impression. In terms of production, I enjoyed the costumes and decors, but I remains a bit more ambivalent regarding the directing choices, especially in the more "action" driven sequences where everything felt very cheap.

I would not recommend this movie as I was disappointed by the plot and the romantic aspect of the scenario. The premise is good and there are good musical moments...but the overacting and almost parodic directing choices as well as the lack of nuance in the storytelling prevent me to recommend this.

Leggi di Più

A treat for the eyes. Not for the soul - A nice attempt to blend Indian and Thai culture

Hoooooo boy! Where do I start?

From the moment I saw the trailer I knew what to expect. I knew what kind of film it is going to be and even though I wanted to be wrong, I am not. It's a rom-com and as cringe as I thought it would be. But I am not disappointed. In fact, the minus points of this film is also the plus points.

So, Risa (Bella Ranee) finds out that she is the wedding planner of her ex boyfriend (Arun/Mahir Pandhi). Ouch! And then as if it is not hurtful enough, the emergency photographer she had to hire is actually another ex (Tim/Bright). Wowzers!

When asked how stereotypical melodramatic rom-com you want it to be ? They really said HELL YES!

From the Indian soap opera like sequences, to overly dramatic horse riding to overacting sidekicks to garbage dialogues, try-hard-to-make-people-laugh slapstick comedic moments it had everything!!!

But still I enjoyed everything. Why? It was fun to watch a nice amalgamation of the two cultures. Bright in Sherwani. I have a little crush on Anahita Bhooshan ngl. The Bollywood style dance number. And the depiction of Indian wedding ritual, well more like typical North Indian (mostly Punjabi style, although Sangeet is now almost a part of all kind of Indian weddings) upper class traditional wedding. This is Karan Johar style but minus the extreme emotional parts.

I was this close to tear my hair in the scene where Arun is riding (get your minds out of the gutter, he is literally lying akimbo on the car trying to stop it - talk about Bollywood...) the bonnet of the car but I was also snorting with laughter.

The dream sequence where Risa is getting married to Arun and Monica is slapping her repeatedly is my flashback to overtly melodramatic soap operas. As much as I was cringing hard, I was also having fun as the film is sarcastically making fun of it. I was both laughing and crying.

Honestly, there is not much story here. The only thing you see is the grandeur. Don't come here expecting much acting and plotline. And no expectations. It's a one time watch film. But I would applaud the makers of it for even bringing it to existence.
I hope we get more good stories that reflects more of the two countries and the cultures.

Leggi di Più

Average Thai Rom-Com set in an Indian wedding

This is my first non-horror Thai content I watched as I was intrigued by the Indian wedding setup shown in the trailer. Being an Indian, I wanted to see what are they going to show in the rom-com.

OVERALL REVIEW:-
It's an average nothing special rom-com which fails to hit the mark in both the romance and comedy departments. It does not mean it is unwatchable or cringe and considering the short runtime of 1.5 hrs, I didn't expect much from it in the first place. Comedy seldom lands and chemistry between the leads is just Meh! There is no place where we can breathe and absorb what happened as it is very fast-paced, moving from one comedic scene to another emotional scene within seconds.

LANGUAGE ISSUES:-
There is a hotchpotch of different languages being spoken with not-so-on-point accents which I can understand as people are not speaking their dialogues in their primary language. Nevertheless, both the Indian characters as well as Thai characters look unnatural and uncomfortable when speaking English which breaks the flow and kills the vibe of the movie. I would have preferred the Indian characters to have at least converse in Punjabi or Hindi when they were talking to each other.

THE LEADS:-
Let's not talk about the Indian supporting cast as they were neither the focus nor did they act naturally as a bunch of Punjabis speaking English sounds very cringe to me.
Vachirawit Chivaaree the ML looked very bright and handsome straight out of a K-Pop band and his acting was decent.
Ranee Campen the FL looked so gorgeous and beautiful throughout the movie which I can not deny. But her character was written very clumsily and her acting was very over the top in a few scenes which I didn't like.

PORTRAYAL OF INDIAN CULTURE:-
This is the aspect in which the movie gets full marks in making sure they showed Indian culture appropriately and with respect. All the ceremonies (Mehendi, Sangeet & Phere) which are essential parts of Indian wedding were at least shown correctly and briefly explained.. The song featured in the movie gave good Bollywood vibes with all the background dancers and our couple looked really good doing the dance movies in traditional Indian clothes. Definitely the highlight of the movie for me.

NOTE: I want to clear the misconception for anyone watching this movie and they must know that only a minority of Indians consume alcohol during weddings and in general alcohol is not allowed.

Leggi di Più

Just enjoy the movie, don't have any expectations

This movie is truly one-of-a-kind, and I found it quite enjoyable. The storyline follows the typical pattern of cheesy and light romantic comedies from the early 2000s, offering a delightful escape without delving into intense conflicts

While my understanding of Indian culture might not be extensive, I think the movie does a commendable job presenting it. The cultural elements portrayed in the film seem authentic enough to provide a glimpse into the richness of Indian traditions

If you're in the mood for a film that's easygoing and entertaining, this one is worth a watch. Moreover, the added bonus of witnessing Bright's dance sequences in the vibrant Indian setting adds an extra layer of enjoyment to the overall viewing experience

Leggi di Più