BLISFULLY YOURS

Apichatpong Weerasethakul
About Blissfully Yours, it is tempting to argue that the film starts in some G.P.’s practice, where a doctor examines a young man who came along with a young girl and an older woman. But are we really so sure this is already Blissfully Yours? For the truth is that the title will appear on screen, along with the opening credits, only a full 45 minutes later, when the characters -and more precisely the young couple – leave the town to share a picnic in a sunny forest. Arguably, the eponymous phrase “Blissfully Yours” could be addressed not so much to the loving partner rather than, with a joyous irony, to this nameless first part, to this time before the “real” film unfolds, to these scenes at the doctor’s, in the street, at the factory….to these fragments of social time that Apichatpong Weerasethakul withdraws his characters from in an effort to invent a new time. The boy’s name is Min. He is known to be mute, but the reason why he will not speak is that he wants not to be unmasked. Indeed, as an undocumented Burmese immigrant, he may be removed out of Thailand. Young Roong is his friend. As for Orn, she looks after him, but it is a matter of conjecture how she is connected with the two others, really. Information is delivered, but very slowly. The truth of the matter may be guessed at eventually, but some shrouds of mystery remain. This is almost like in medias res: we try not to be too far behind by observing the character’s doings: their bargaining (with the female doctor, in order to get a medical certificate for the undocumented man), their travels (by foot, motorcycle, car), their getting together again. But sure enough, this will soon be cast aside with the sudden, momentous bifurcation, reaching towards and into the forest.
Erwan Higuinen, Cahiers du cinéma, October 2002