From the producers of last year’s Asian box-office hit Bad Genius comes another Thai comedy, “Brother of the Year”. Directed by Vithaya Thungyuyong, “Brother of the Year” stars Thai actor Sunny Suwanmethanont as Chut and Urassaya Sperbund as his sister Jane.
Ever since they were little, the two of them have always been in a cat-and-dog relationship as they end up fighting over almost everything due to their clashing personalities. Jane ends up being the perfect daughter while Chut becomes the burden to their family.
Whether it’s their studies, sports, looks or personality, Jane is always ahead of him. Because of this, Chut grew up having an inferiority complex to his sister, through which he retaliates by scaring away all her suitors.
The only time that Chut had complete freedom is when his sister went to Japan for four years to continue her studies. Chut is finally able to live as a happy and free bachelor. Chaos ensues as Jane returns after completing her studies, ending his bachelor days. That is until Chut discovers that she is dating her colleague Moji (Nickhun of Kpop band 2 PM). And he hatches a plan to take revenge at her sister by tearing them apart.
Though it’s far from the quality and wit of last year’s comedy heist film Bad Genius, “Brother of the Year” is still an effective comedy after all. The first half of the film gives us a background of Chut and Jane and how they ended up the way they are now. It shows us their fights and how they try to take down one another in hilarious and chaotic ways. The jokes and laughs come fast and furious, leaving no dull moments for the audience.
The humor is very effective, thanks to the performances of the two leads. This first half of the film is where all the comedy of the film lies. This is because by the time it reaches its other half, it switches gears and turns into a complicated family drama.
Though the second half isn’t as compelling as the first one, the conflicts between Chut and Jane were still very effective and solid. This conflict will drive both of them to take down one another that stretches their relationship as siblings.
I’m pretty sure that a lot of audiences will surely relate to the story, and they’ll be moved to tears by the film’s final moments. The only issue that I have is that the film could have used a bit of trimming as it felt like they tried so hard to stretch the story, leading to a long running time.
I have seen Sunny Suwanmethanont in a film entitled Seven Something, a Thai romantic-drama anthology. He was doing a bit of drama in his segment in the film, so this is the first time that I’ll be seeing him doing comedy.
I must say that he is very good in terms of comedic timing. He was really hilarious as he plays Chut, especially whenever he is having a catfight with his sister. Urassaya Sperbund was incredible as she plays his sister, Jane. She was very committed to the role and in turn, was very convincing in portraying the other sibling.
Nickhun who plays her boyfriend Moji was pretty charming and adorable on screen, especially during his moments with Urassaya. Manasaporn Chanchalerm also deserves some praise as she portrays Dear, Chut’s co-worker who ends up giving him some wisdom and serious advice. Though she isn’t really a love interest for Chut, the two of them show some great chemistry together.
Though heavily marketed as a straight-forward comedy, “Brother of the Year” will surely surprise audiences with its melodramatic half. Though the film could use a bit of trimming, this was compensated for by the fun script and committed performances of the actors.
In short, “Brother of the Year” is a highly entertaining comedy that not only siblings, but everybody else will surely appreciate.
RATING: 4/5
