Monsoon Lover (2023)

Right, let me be upfront: when I saw that Monsoon Lover was written, directed and produced by one person, my brain immediately went to Tommy Wiseau. That one-man-band energy, that singular, unfiltered vision pushed out into the world with total conviction. The Room comparisons were ready and waiting. And yet, somehow, the film disarmed me. Not completely, not without reservations, but enough that I came away thinking: fair play, actually.

This is my first review of a Cambodian film, part of my ongoing A-Z World Movie Tour, and I'll be honest, I didn't know what to expect from the country's cinema scene. What I got was something that, despite its obvious limitations, managed to tell a story that felt genuine and, for stretches, genuinely moving. The setting alone is worth something. Cambodia is a beautiful country with a rich history and a culture that deserves to be seen on screen, and the film does make use of that backdrop in ways that feel respectful rather than exploitative. That counts for something.

The story follows Thomas, a man who gets drawn into Cambodian nightlife before meeting a woman who changes his direction in life. He falls for her, takes her and her daughter away from that world, and the film becomes something warmer and more intimate than its opening suggests. The actress playing Teeda is a genuine standout, bringing a quiet dignity to the role that lifts the scenes she's in well above what the material might otherwise manage. The acting elsewhere is a little suspect, I won't pretend otherwise, but she holds her own convincingly.

Now, here's where I have to get into the problems, because they are real and they matter. Thomas's best friend is, without any ambiguity, a human trafficker. Not just a dodgy bloke, but someone involved in the trafficking of children. And the film never, not once, has Thomas confront him about it. They remain mates. When this character eventually gets what's coming to him, we're apparently supposed to feel something sympathetic. I didn't. I felt frustrated, because the film seems genuinely unaware of how badly this sits. It's not that it's trying to make a point about moral complicity, it just doesn't seem to notice.

Then there's Cliff, who travels to Cambodia specifically to indulge in the kind of nightlife the film is supposedly holding at arm's length. He's one of the most thoroughly unlikeable characters I've sat through in a long time, and the fact that nobody, including his own wife, really challenges him in any meaningful way is baffling. The film keeps circling these issues without ever deciding what it wants to say about them. That's a big ask for the audience.

Worth noting: the film was apparently originally released under the title Monsoon Wife before backlash led to the change. I can see why that title might have caused problems, and the rename is understandable, though it's a bit of a sticking plaster over a deeper issue with how the film handles some of its subject matter.

I've been thinking about how this compares to other films I've caught from Southeast Asia during this world movie tour. Tiger Stripes is a completely different beast, far more confident and stylistically assured, but both films are doing something interesting with their specific corners of the region. Monsoon Lover hasn't got that level of craft, but it's trying, and trying in good faith for the most part.

Three stars. A decent film, genuinely more impressive than my initial fears, and carried by a strong central performance from Teeda's actress. But there's real work to do on the moral framework before this could be called a success without qualification. If Marlin Darrah makes another one, I'd watch it. And I'd hope the screenplay gets a harder look this time round.

Rating: ★★★  | Year: 2023  | Watched: 2025-06-02

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