He's not part of the vanguard of Thai BL drama writers and directors, but Boonyawat Thongtong knows how to film and how to tell. He was able to demonstrate it in the specials 'Views of Love: Love from the Sea Level', 'Views of Love: Heart Land' and 'Auto-Focused Love', all from 2016.
That's why some mistakes, terrible, bitter, hurt in the framework of the script, the way the story is woven together and in tying up its loose ends, as well as the staging of 'Grey Raibow', a BL drama filmed that same year, about all when he seemed to have conquered the task, which would reach, no doubt, quotas of excellence. In fact, he has not been behind the cameras since then.
Despite the performances, the work in the editing room and the photographic work, already in the final stages, a series that from the first scene runs like honey on a flake, powerfully drawing the attention of the viewer who screams euphorically with passion and delight, The script throws into the ring some ideas that do not have a development and justification, which I will comment on later.
'Grey Rainbow' tell us a classic love romance between two boys, best friends. However, what sets it apart is the fact that it explores themes that other Thai BL dramas ignore or do not address in such depth, such as the process of self-discovery, coming out, the problems faced by the LGBT community in that country due to not having laws that protect them, homophobia, family dynamics and parents' acceptance of their children's sexual orientation, especially if we take into account that it was released in 2016 when these issues were considered much more taboo than they still are today.
The series introduces us to Nuea (Rattanamongkol Nutchapon), an energetic and outgoing university student, and Porsche (Hongladaromp Kasidej), a sensitive and introverted young man, who for two years has secretly developed feelings for his dorm and study partner.
After the first two episodes we have a well-established couple in love. Nuea has also discovered his sexuality after being exposed to Jane, his girlfriend, who has been suspecting for some time that Nuea's feelings for his friend are more than those of a simple friend, and after leaving the period that he himself calls of "confusion", in a beautiful, tender and moving scene of a Thai boxing match, in a ring, culminates with a kiss and Nuea's confession of love to Porsche. By then, the sexual tension between the two had already reached unimaginable levels.
From the third episode onwards, the series gains in nuances: here we see Nuea living and working in the family resort, in the mountains of Chiang Mai, in a picturesque and paradisiacal setting with an elephant sanctuary as a background. Porsche arrives there after leaving his home in Bangkok after arguing with his father about his desire not to practice law.
The elephant sanctuary is the perfect place for Nuer and Porsche to rekindle their romance after graduating from university. The scene of correspondence between the two boys is beautiful through small love notes written on a paper plane that, at night, were sent to both sides of a terrace where they both slept to be as close as possible, given the impossibility to occupy the same bedroom so as not to raise suspicions about their secret relationship.
This will also be the moment when Nuea's parents learn about the relationship between the two young people. Once the initial surprise of rejection of their child's sexual orientation has been assimilated, parents show love for their child and accept him as he is, always keeping his happiness and that of the new member of the family as a priority. His emotions seem genuine, realistic.
Now, there are several points that fail to convince me and I would like to present:
1- Jane's arrival at the elephant sanctuary: it is true that her presence seeks to provide drama and tension by putting a new test to the couple who have just begun to even talk about marriage, when same-sex weddings are still illegal in Thailand even today. The important thing is that the objective of its late incorporation is to fulfill one of the struggles of the members of the LGBT+ community and present in the series: the possibility that two people of the same gender can adopt children. Jane dies, and this makes it possible for Nuea and Porsche to adopt their daughter. But how could they legalize adoption? Today she is a girl, but tomorrow, when she grows up and tries to look for a job, or a position at a university, or tries to get a driver's license or a marriage license, how can she proceed if she does not have legal documents to do so?
2- At one point, Nuea asks Jane: "Is the girl yours and...' daughter?". Why are you asking this question? Do you suspect it could be his? Is she trying to determine if it is from Watt, the young man with whom Jane begins an affair after separating from Nuea, or from another man? What good would it do for him to know if Jane had other relationships besides the one she knew with Watt? Do you want to tell us that he had sexual relations with Jane? It may well be: they are both young, they are in a dating relationship, they share many hours a day together, but nothing indicates that their bond includes sex: they live in separate residences, their meetings are in the middle of the university or public spaces... Anyway, the scope and reasons for this question are not understandable.
3- The series touches on another complex and tricky topic: corruption and how rich businessmen violate the laws. In this sense, Sam, a businessman who has a business near the Nuea properties, tries to obstruct a public river for his benefit, which also flows through the properties of Nuea's parents and where the elephants bathe and are exhibited to tourists. And although Porsche, as legal advisor of the hotel complex, directs the steps seeking justice, which leads him to suffer a homophobic attack, there is no conclusive closure on this issue.
4- Interesting to see how Nuea cross-dressers as a woman, to imitate Jane and thus ensure that the girl does not cry in the absence of her mother. Cross-dressing is a topic rarely covered in Thai BL series, and the actor is also convincing when representing this facet of his character.
5- Nuea's refusal to continue her relationship with Porsche to avoid suffering for his mother. Although he seems to soon forget about the issue, Nuea is not consistent with the struggle of the majority of homosexuals when it comes to facing this problem. Days before, he himself was in this dilemma, because initially his parents, when they found out about his sexuality, did not accept it. What would have happened if Porsche told you the same thing?
6- Porsche's father was reluctant to accept his son's homosexuality. It is true, he remained firm and the mother collaborated by telling her husband that if she maintained her position she would stay with Porsche, implying that she was willing to leave the marital home, but soon we see the father accepting his son, without living that arduous and difficult process of acceptance, especially for a homophobic person who hides behind shame in the face of "what will they say." Of course, he will tell Porsche that it is still too early to take Nuea to Bangkok.
7- I would have liked a happy ending, let's say, a happy and timely closing in the moments when the two boys took their wedding photos, recounting emotional moments that reflect the romance of the protagonists. However, the director and screenwriter choose to kill Nuea. If his death is physical, as everything seems to indicate, I would have liked it to have been much more dramatic, moving and profound, and not through a snap of his fingers on Posrche's part, as if he knew in advance that he was going to die, to freeze the image while Nuea collapsed and died in the middle of her wedding; and another snap of the finger to restart filming while family members and those present throw themselves at the young man's lifeless body.
8- But Nuea's death can be symbolic, and in this way it connects with the supreme objective of the series: to denounce the lack of a law that protects Thai LGBT+ people. In this sense, Nuea's death would represent the death of the members of this human group as they do not have real protection against the harassment and discrimination of a heteronormative, patriarchal and homophobic society.
9- I am not fluent in the Thai language, but while the final credits are rolling, a text may mention that Nuea suffers from a health problem, which caused her death; but for the purposes of the script, this element is not taken into account or incorporated. Therefore, the sequence is not dramatically valid. We will always have in contrast to a young man of about 25 years old, healthy, strong, vigorous, who never had a toothache, who meets his death on the happiest day of his life. I would only explain it to myself, with difficulty, if, I repeat, his death were symbolic: "death" as a synonym for misfortune, misfortune, is the end of LGBT+ people as long as they do not find support in society through laws that protect and grant them the same rights as non-LGBT+ people.
Therefore, the main problem with 'Grey Rainbow' is that we never understand Nuea's death. It is not organic how they tell us. This is due, in large part, to the notable deficiencies in the composition at the writing level.
Despite all these mistakes, the series is recommended.