Ruang talok 69 doesn't have the pace of current Hollywood movies and it doesn't need to: Pen-ek has got a story to tell. There is no need to for special effects to distract the viewer from a barely existing plot. Rather, a woman's (Tum) struggle in the aftermath of the 1997 economic crisis is depicted with tremendous cinematographic talent. We are shown how she manages, despite finding a bunch-load of cash, to stay true to herself and to resist the temptation of easy money; unlike many during the Tom Yam Gong Disease crisis. Apart from that, '69' entertains with plenty nice shots and love for details, as well as characters which, unlike in many other Thai films, are balanced and like taken from everyday live in Bangkok. In my opinion, this is Pan-ek's best and deepest, yet most amusing movie.
