30+ Sode on Sale is the first in a series of movies about 30-something women looking for true love scheduled to be released this and next year. But being the first doesn’t mean it’s the best. And not even Ploy Cherman’s good looks and recent celluloid cachet are enough to rescue this unoriginal and not particularly funny movie where the stakes just aren’t compelling enough to keep us interested.
30-something freelance photographer Ing (Ploy Cherman) has been in a seven-year, long-distance relationship with her boyfriend (is that ever possible in real life?) when he suddenly dumps her to marry another girl. Crestfallen, she goes to see a fortune teller, Jued (Pae Arak), whose specialty is reading grilled pork skewers. The adorable whimsy ends here and the rest of the film continues like most unoriginal romantic comedies: after an hour worth of man-hunting efforts, Ing realizes that she loves Jued and they end up happily ever after.
Unlike his 2010 blockbuster First Love (Sing Lek Lek Tii Riak Wa Rak), where we just fell in love with the lovable characters and the cute story, director Puttipong Promsaka na Sakonnakorn’s second film fails to charm. Clearly, it’s possible to have a fun film without an original storyline—Friends with Benefits is ample proof. But Ing’s background is shallow and she’s not particularly likeable. And the fact that she has to choose between a perfect luxurious-yet-ill-matched life with her dream guy (Dernpan Yoovidhya) and a more casual life with Jued is just a terrible cliché, shamelessly exemplifying Bangkokian materialism. As for Ing’s friends (Jeab Pichitra and Tooky) and Jued’s sister, they are useless characters that do not lend any weight to story, just cheap laughs.
Watching this movie is a waste of money and time—even if you’re downloading it from a bit torrent website. We certainly hope Ploy Cherman chooses more wisely next time, and that the soon-to-come 30+ chick flicks are much better.