Thongkam and Sek are a gay couple who invested their life savings into starting a durian orchard. Thongkam even sold his house to help fund the business. They also get married even though law doesn't recognize. One night while working on the farm, See has a tragic accident and passes away since the doctors cannot get a signature of a "family" member; his husband is not recognized as a legal family. Because of the law the assets of the house and family now get passed on to Sek's mother, who has been living with an adopted daughter Mo to take care of her. Both mother and daughter also have ulterior motive. Swallowing his pride, Thong decides to stay back hoping to get back property which is rightfully his, but a cat and mouse game starts between Mo and him. Mo hopes that after the mother's death, everything would be hers and so she invites her brother also to the farm to help. Unbehest, the brother and Thong fall in love while Mo continues to plan a way to get the orchard in her name, even to the extent of blackmailing the mother to write everything in her name before she does and Mo then mercilessly almost kills the mother. And then she marries a man, just to legalize everything. Thong, by now is tired of this and he and his boyfriend decide to sell some dorians but Mo catches them and they stat beating each other up. Mo's husband wakes up and accidentally kills Mo's brother. Both Mo and Thing realize that all this fight was for nothing when they keep losing their loved ones and finally Thing leaves the orchard, having lost his love twice.
The intense emotions, nonstop melodrama, and shocking plot twists create an exhilarating story. Neither of the characters are straight forward. They are complex and they all have their reasoning to do what they are doing. The story thrives on intense drama, mixing secrets and scandals with deceit and treachery. The kind of schemes that Thing comes up with to get back what's rightfully his are enjoyable to watch, especially since we know that the law is not on his side. At some point the film almost becomes dark (comedy?). And Mo is no less. Even if you disagree with their tactics, their desperation feels understandable. Everyone has nuances that add depth to this fascinating story. However, some events can escalate beyond reason since the movie is often prone to over-the-top dramatization. The gay arc is also used well and emotional, especially in the scene when Thing is not allowed to sign the papers in the hospital while Sek is lying on the death bed. As far as the couples go, even though Thing and See are married, we do not get much of their back story but we wanna believe in their love. In contrast, the way Mo's brother and Thong fall in love feel sudden and shallow. You may not agree with the ending, but in cases like this , you cannot expect happy endings. People are inherently greedy and at some point someone has to give in. Actors, all of them, do a great job and I also enjoyed the orchard scenes showing us a glimpse of how durians come to life and the work that goes in. I have a new found appreciation for people working on farms. Overall, the film was a fun enjoyable watch, that makes you think. (7.5/10)
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