Customers Give Beautiful Boxer 4 Stars
Beautiful Boxer is a controversial Thai film released in 2003 about the life of Nong Toom. The movie is based on the true storybiography of Toom who gained fame as a trans-gender kickboxer as well as anactress and model. Male kickboxer andactor Asanee Suwan took the role of Toom in the drama, focusing primarily onthe teenage years when Nong Toom traveled about Thailand and Japan as a monk,working hard in boxing camps and competing in the sport of Muay Thai. Suwan earned the Thai equivalent of an Oscarfor Best Actor in 2004 thanks to his poignant and action-packedperformance. While some controversy surrounded the release of the film due to a few scenes with full frontal male nudity, viewers and customers of the film on DVD have had an overwhelmingly positive response.
Tasteful Depiction of Transsexualism
Nong Toom’s dedication tokick boxing is fueled by the strong desire to earn enough money to pay for asex change surgery. In real life, Toomsucceeds in this goal after defeating Kyoko Inoue in the ring as part of ahigh-profile fight. Toom has the surgeryand his parents are punished for his actions. While Toom’s non-traditional actions landed his parents in prison, thesurgery allowed her to become the successful actress and model who lives inBangkok today. The ridicule and derisionthat Toom faced in her childhood was immense, and had to be handled verycarefully in the film. Toom beganwearing makeup while boxing and really embraced her feminine identity, despitebeing born male and succeeding in a male-dominated and dangerous sport. Viewers felt that the telling of Toom’s storywas done with taste and beauty. Theyidentified with her struggle and heart felt message.
While the nudity in a few scenes may not be appropriate for all audiences, there are no gratuitously violent or sexual scenes anywhere in the film. The director did a great job of telling a hard story in a poetic andappealing manner.
Buddhist Influences Can Be Seen in ‘Beautiful Boxer’
Nong Toom spent severalyears as a Buddhist monk, and viewers often commented on this aspect of thefilm. Toom was forced to leave themonastery due to his feminine identity and blossoming attraction towards males. The idea of karma is woven into the movie, asToon accepts his journey towards femininity. The goddess of compassion, Kuan Yin, and the god of compassion,Avalokitashvara, are mentioned as well because of the confusion among Buddistmissionaries as to his or her gender. This is a nice parallel for Toom’s life and personal struggles orconfusion. Customers admire Toom’scourage and strength, which adds a lot to the film quality and depth.
Would You Recommend ‘Beautiful Boxer’ to a Friend?
Most people who watch Beautiful Boxer say that they would recommend it to a friend or familymember. They point out that the filmtakes a tough and dangerous sport and makes it look graceful. This is largely in part to Asanee Suwan’s professional kickboxing background. Viewers find Toon’s story to be touching and relatable, which is why they feel comfortable recommending the movie to others. See the critic's review of Beautiful Boxer to see if they recommend it.
Other customers highlightthe fact that the movie is unique, well acted, and skillfully produced. The story line may not be for everyone, but those who are open-minded will come to love the film and count it among theirfavorites. The film was shot at nine separate locations in Thailand, lending the country’s beautiful landscapes and settings to the film itself. It doesn’t hurt that the cast is full of beautiful actors and actresses who are incredibly fun to watch!
