Mekong Hotel (2012) - Apichatpong Weerasethakul

Apichatpong Weersasethakul's films are not the most accessible experiences to the casual viewer and Mekong Hotel isn't any different.  Similar to most of his work, Mekon Hotel is a film of great ambiguity, dealing with Weerasethakul's usual ruminations on Thai folklore, spiritualism, and the current sociopolitical conditions of Thailand.  Almost the entire film takes place on the balconies of the hotel, overlooking the vast Mekong River with characters engaged in both profound and commonplace discussions.  When it comes to Apichatpong Weerasethakul's films I tend to struggle grasping everything he wants to say, but in Mekong River, the zen-like expose on spiritualism and reincarnation stood out.  The characters of Mekong Hotel talk about various political issues like the governments poor handling of the flood in Bangkook, as well as spiritual discussions like reincarnation but the way Apichatpong Weerasethakul juxtaposes the imagery of jet-skiers and floating trees on the grand river as a way to symbolize a human's journey through life and death is fascinating and slightly off-putting.  The off-shoot of a failed feature, Mekong Hotel is more a smattering of Weerasethakul's typical ideas than a feature film that will most likely only be appreciated by the most astute art-house patrons.

---