The Motion Picture Teller

 

The Motion Picture Teller

Colin Cotterill

Publication date: Jan. 17, 2023 by SoHo Crime

Genre: Mystery

Rating: 3 🍷🍷🍷

Summary: An enchanting new standalone novel from CWA Dagger winner Colin Cotterill, set in Bangkok: a mystery without a crime, where the line between fact and fiction blurs, and nothing is as simple as it appears

Thailand, 1996: Supot, a postman with the Royal Thai Mail service, hates his job. The only bright spot in his life is watching classic movies with his best friend, Ali, the owner of a video store. These cinephiles adore the charisma of the old Western stars, particularly the actresses, and bemoan the state of modern Thai cinema—until a mysterious cassette, entitled Bangkok 2010, arrives at Ali’s store.

Bangkok 2010 is a dystopian film set in a near-future Thailand—and Supot and Ali, immediately obsessed, agree it’s the most brilliant Thai movie they’ve ever seen. But nobody else has ever heard of the movie, the director, the actors, or any of the crew. Who would make a movie like this and not release it, and why?

Feeling a powerful calling to solve the mystery of Bangkok 2010, Supot journeys deep into the Thai countryside and discovers that powerful people are dead set on keeping the film buried.

My thoughts: The uniqueness of the synopsis is what drew my eyes to this book. The location also peaked my interest. The unfolding of the story was split between being told through the eyes of Supot and via the script of the movie Bangkok 2010. There was a bit of awkwardness in the delivery but for the most part it worked. I found reading the script of the movie more difficult than reading the other parts of the book even though it was an easier plot to follow. Each point of view utilized by the author provided insight into life in Thailand. Supot and Ali were just two young adults trying to figure it out. The movie Bangkok 2010 hinted at the corrupted political climate. 

The intensity and focus that Supot and Ali were able to dedicate to film watching wasn't reflected in their daily decisions. The reader doesn't see any kind of drive from the characters until Supot undertakes the mission to discover the history behind the creation of the movie. As Supot gets closer to discovering the truth behind the movie others step in to dissuade him from pursuing his goal. 

A short read that was infused with dry wit made for a nice break from my usual reads.