Here we have Jean (portrayed by Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying, known for starring in Bad Genius) who has just returned to her hometown after spending three years in Sweden. She’s captivated by Marie Kondo’s way of getting rid of unnecessary mess and tries to transform her house into one of those trendy minimalist places. This means she has to dump lots of items from the house, and it gets her in a clash with her mother who seems to be unwilling to part ways with a piano that has remained untouched since Jean’s father left the family.

Jean’s heartless, sporadic method in determining what item needs to go comes to a halt once she gets a taste of her own medicine. When she recovers an analog camera owned by her ex-boyfriend Aim (Sunny Suwanmethanon), she’s reminded of her own bad deed years ago: dumping her ex without an explanation right after she went to Sweden. She knows she has to return the camera in person and apologizes to Aim in order to escape from the surfacing sense of guilt, but she doesn’t know if she has the guts for it.

While Happy Old Year might appear as a rejection of Kondo’s method of organizing properties, that’s not exactly an on-point description for the film. Nawapol soundly provides his reasons for why it’s not good to hoard expendable items in your closet but he adds more depth to his message. Decluttering could be a painful phase for someone as things can also contain powerful memories. In such cases, it’s impossible to go full Marie Kondo and hurl things away without the slightest sign of hesitation.

This point is brilliantly delivered through Nawapol’s carefully structured approach to developing Jean’s on-screen presence. It can feel like he asks the audience to accompany Jean throughout her journey of self-realization. At one point, you despise her for having no empathy and being selfish. At another, you cherish the moment when she finally undertakes what needs to be done. In the end, we learn about Jean as much as she learns about the pros and cons of clinging onto memories. It is a complete cycle of character-driven cinematic experience.

In this film, Chutimon showcases her most compelling performance to date. She understands how to put herself inside Jean’s state of mind, demonstrating every inch of her character progression with picture-perfect emotions. The final shot where Chutimon encapsulates the entirety of the film using her superb facial gestures is a testament to her tremendous growth in acting, cementing her name as one of Asia’s young actresses to keep an eye on.

Nawapol's filmography is full of minimalist-looking dramas. The director and the movie seem like a match made in heaven. as this is the kind of story with which Nawapol excels with his storytelling methods. The movie has a similar vibe to one of Nawapol’s films, 36, as both titles have the same nuance; the calm color tones, gentle musical scoring and slow-moving shots. Though narrative-wise, Happy Old Year is not as experimental a work as 36.

Happy Old Year can teach us a lesson or two about how memory is a double-edged sword. It is a significant part of our life, yet we have to know when to ditch some memories to get on with our lives. It's also normal if you find yourself having a hard time in doing so. Happy Old Year is highly relatable and personal, though the slow-paced story over two hours might not be everyone's cup of tea. (wng)

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Dysan is the owner and film screening programmer of an independent film community in Jakarta who also happens to be an avid lover of Asian and European cinema. Writing movie reviews is something he does a lot during his free time. You can find him ranting on a daily basis on his social media platforms: @misbardotid (IG & Twitter) or @distokinema (IG)