Sadut Ruk (2006)

A true gem

This is my first review. This drama was so good, I just had to write one.

STORY
For the first time in a long time, I watched a drama that didn't feel like a work of fiction. Everything just felt so real. The characters, their interactions, the choices they made, and their consequences. The plot was really well done. The pace was just right, allowing each character to be fleshed out. The portrayal of con artists and, well, just artists was really believable.

There were two couples. First, there was Krit, the reluctant con artist with the extremely sweet art teacher Pienglada. It was a romance that started off as a friendship and evolved beautifully. This is one of those shows where the male lead is smart and always seems to come out on top of every situation but, as Krit fell in love with Pienglada, he became increasingly sloppy as a criminal because he just couldn't stay away from her. The change was done so smoothly and the tension was slowly building as he kept leaving clues that could be traced back to him.
Then there was Krit's mum, Pimjun, with Pienglada's dad. This was a case of a con artist falling for her own victim. Pimjun was less open to love than her son and often came across as a heartless woman so her love story was interesting to watch. The romance was beautiful and believable for both couples, but the mother-son relationship was a lot more captivating for me.

CAST
As I said, the mother-son duo really stood out the most for me.
Andrew Gregson as Krit was just great. He really nailed the role of a smart (somewhat vindictive) con artist with the heart and soul of an artist. At first, his long hair looked awkward but it really grew on me, haha. Especially when he was painting, it really complimented his look. I really loved his character. Krit's chemistry with Pienglada was so sweet. You could tell she was his refuge. I especially liked his emotional confrontations with his mum, so poignant!
Nok Sinjai as Pimjun was a total winner. She was a true professional. The way she set up and carried her plans made me admire her as a con artist. She was a total boss, even when held hostage, she was still the one pulling the strings! Sometimes she seemed cold-hearted and selfish, especially to her own son, and she seemed addicted to the criminal lifestyle, but the more her story was explained, the more her behaviour made sense.
Another character worth mentioning is the crazy ex-girlfriend. Well, technically, she wasn't that crazy or even Krit's girlfriend. She was such a hoot, I absolutely loved her. She was so charismatic, no matter what she did to annoy Krit and Pienglada, I couldn't hate her.
The rest of the cast did really well, with no over-the-top acting, except for Piendlada's ex-fiance and his angry ogre-face.

MUSIC
The music was nice and mellow, but nothing too memorable.

REWATCH VALUE
I would definitely rewatch this.

Overall, I recommend this if you're a fan of Andrew Gregson, slow-burn romances, or realistic and unique stories with a tight-knit plot, good character development, and no crazy unbelievable characters.

Lees verder