Beautiful Boxer (2003, Thailand)

Beautiful Boxer tells the real-life story of Nong Toom (played by Asanee Suwan), who gained public attention in Thailand as a transsexual kickboxer (although the film tends to use the term "transvestite".

The beginning is rather lame, with a journalist wanting to interview Nong Toom. But he is trapped by a gang of toughs, and his interviewee, a glamorous woman in high heels, comes to his rescue and kicks the hell out of them. Then there is a flashback to Nong Toom's early childhood.

As a teenager, s/he was strangely drawn to kickboxing. Thrown into a ring on a dare, s/he wins a bout quite by accident, and goes on from there. However the feminine self creates terrible inner conflicts, and s/he only partially conceals his sexual identity from fellow boxers.

Suwan accomplishes the difficult feat of suggesting the male and female sides to this character while performing the boxing manoeuvres with superb dexterity. Here is a person fighting larger and more frightening demons outside of the ring than in.

HF November 2004

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