Ghost of Valentine

Ghost Of Valentine is one of the most awaited film by local audiences this year. But when it was released in February, it turned out to be Yuthlert Sippapak’s most box-office failure, despite its fine script, delicate storytelling, and superb acting. In fact, Ghost Of Valentine is his masterpiece.
Sao, a heartbroken nurse moves to work in a small, old, rotten hospital on Valentine day. While Sao makes friends to everybody, even a crooked-mouth, crippled janitor Num, she meets a string of incidents to her life. A red rose is handed to her by an anonymous girl, saying it is a present from the janitor. At the same time, her old unexplained behaviour keeps repeating - every morning she throws out the same leftovers of fetus placenta and does not know why and where she eats it.
Her repeated morning sickness is clarified later when Sao discovers that she is a krasue, a Thai ghost which looked human during the day but at night detaches its head and entrails and flies around looking for discarded fetus placenta to eat. Worse of all, she finds out an old mysterious picture, taken sixty years ago, showing her deep relationship with Num.
Ghost Of Valentine proves Yuthlert’s potential ability in directing arthouse films if he wants to or if he is allowed to go beyond the commercial flicks. His latest film shows his delicate direction. Production was artistically set with meanings and beauty. Script is rounded with rows of details to be logically supported to one another. They all signified the Buddhist cycle of karma. If you do one thing, you will pay for it, even for your previous lives.  
What is interesting is Yuthlert’s development in mixing romance and horror to reflect the Buddhist cycle of karma. When it comes into horror, one almost leaps from his seat, seeing an old male ghost appearing in a mirror and standing next to the protagonist. Ghosts appear since the first scene, and silently show up throughout the movies, alongside with general actions made by human characters. If you do not closely watch it, you will never see it. But once you notice it, in a mirror, in a corner of a room, your are terrified from head to toe. But when it comes to a romantic part, one can’t keep his/her tears, seeing the despair of love between the two lovers.