Written by Linda
November 29, 2009
The international scene of slackerdom has not been explored much in the movies, which is too bad. Anyone who has backpacked around Europe or Asia or Australia—or anywhere, really—has met these usually Western, usually young people that never seem to go home. They may bartend to make ends meet, they may wash dishes, or run a youth hostel, but they are usually transient, and can usually go home to mommy and/or daddy if they really have to.
Sheltered and emotionally stunted Oliver (Tate Ellington) lives with his parents (Ellen Burstyn and Josef Sommer). He washes dishes at a restaurant and barely tolerates blind dates set up by his mother. In his mid-20s, he is clearly fucked up, but it is unclear why at first. On the other hand, his older brother Jake (Jonno Roberts) is the prodigal son who has been slacking in Thailand and won't come home. The whole family will drop everything when the phone rings, hoping it is Jake on the other end of the line. Oliver adores Jake, as do their parents, but Jake is avoiding some very bad financial trouble that is dragging the entire family down if he doesn't come home soon and face his problems.
Taking Jake up on a surprise invitation to Thailand, Oliver decides to go—with his parents' stipulation that he'll drag Jake home with him when he returns. But little does anyone expect (except maybe Jake) that Oliver ends up falling in love with the intoxicating slacker lifestyle of his brother, and literally falls in love for the first time with Jake's beautiful Thai bartender friend Lek (Florence Faivre). Drugs, dancing, slacking and sex fill all of their lives until something is destined to make the paradise come crashing down.
The Elephant King is a solid indie with a talented cast and a story that is more complex than it seems on the surface. Thailand could simply have been shown as a hedonistic paradise for Westerners. But that image is contrasted by the character of Lek and her own background as a mixed-race Thai whose own mother had been abandoned by an American. Lek has a sympathy and affection towards the brothers (is there love? or is it just convenience and the chance for cash?) that belies her keeping them at arm's length. As much as the locals pander to the foreigners, there is also the underlying tension of disdain for these visitors that bring the cold, hard cash to their country. The Thai people aren't victims of the spoiled Western brats—they know how to play the game.
The Elephant King is a surprisingly affecting drama with complex characters. As disdainful as the actions are of some of the main characters, they are still not completely despicable due to the fine job of the cast and the admirable script. And even the presence of the obnoxious Westerners can't hide the magic of the country that lulls them to never leave Thailand in the first place.
