Man gambles on a feature film
Did you know
Some of 4 Kings was filmed in a casino in Cambodia.
By Tatat Bunnag
Photographs by Varuth Hirunyatheb and
courtesy of Sahamongkol Film International
Inspired by Hong Kong mafia movies from the 1980s like the God of Gamblers series, actor and director Suppakit Tangthatswasd (Man) came up with the idea for his directorial debut, Si Riang Sian Tot (4 Kings).
Hitting local cinemas on January 30, 4 Kings is an action-packed comedy starring well-known actor Shahkrit Yamnarm as a third-rate magician who is forced to help a group of con artists with the biggest casino scam of all time.
Student Weekly recently went along to the 4 Kings press conference at Siam Center to chat with Man and Shahkrit about the making of the movie.
Student Weekly: Can you tell us the plot of 4 Kings?
Man: 4 Kings is a dark comedy about a group of people who are desperate for money to pay back a debt to the mafia.
Shahkrit: They’re forced to recruit a team to con gamblers in casinos and people doing the lottery.
Student Weekly: Man, this is the first film that you’ve directed. Why did you decide to make a movie about gambling?
Man: I’ve seen so many Thai films in the past few years, and most of them were silly comedies or horror movies. I got sick of those types of films, and I wanted to make a movie that was different. I thought that gambling was a good topic for a film.
Student Weekly: Is it true that the film was inspired by old Hong Kong gambling movies?
Man: Yes. At one time there was a genre of Hong Kong cinema that focused on gamblers and gangsters, and I was a big fan of those movies. But 4 Kings is quite different because it’s not limited to casino gambling. Casinos aren’t legal in Thailand like they are in Macau, so we included other types of gambling like the lottery, poker games and boxing.
Student Weekly: Chahkrit, how did you become involved in this project?
Shahkrit: A few years ago, Man told me that he had idea for a movie that he wanted to direct. He invited me to join because we’d always wanted to work together. Originally the project was going to be a low-budget short film. But after a while Man was encouraged by various people to develop it into a feature film.
Student Weekly: Was it fun playing a character who is meant to be the king of gambling?
Shahkrit: Yes, it was fun playing a role that was so far away from my real life! [Laughs.] I had to learn some magic tricks and how to shuffle cards. I also had to learn how to act like the mafia in a casino, wearing suave suits and stuff like that.
Student Weekly: Lots of guest actors make cameo appearances in 4 Kings, including Pang Onjira, Sakaewan Pingpong Yongjaiyuth and Joobjib Chernyim. Can you tell us about that?
Man: Each of them has very minor role in the movie. I’ve made so many good friends in show business through the years, and they wanted to be in the film for fun when they heard that I was finally making a movie.
Student Weekly: Who is the main target audience for 4 Kings?
Shahkrit: I think the movie is fine for teenagers. Although it’s about gambling, it has a message that being greedy doesn’t make your life better. Gambling doesn’t look so cool by the end of the film.
Vocabulary
- mafia (n): a secret organisation of criminals
third-rate (adj): of very poor quality
con artist (n): a person who tricks others into giving them money, etc.
scam (n): a clever and dishonest plan for making money
plot (n): the series of events which form the story of a novel, play, film, etc.
recruit (v): to persuade somebody to do something, especially to help you
shuffle (v): to mix cards up in a pack of playing cards before playing a game
suave (adj): elegant and of good quality
greedy (adj): wanting more money, power, food, etc. that you really need
