Solids by the Seashore

Walls shape and restrict us in Patiparn Boontarig’s contemplative drama

“When an object is stripped of its original purpose, it self-destructs.”

Shati (Ilada Pitsuwan) comes from a strict Muslim family, and is naturally pretty reserved in matters regarding love, and sex. She’s set to be engaged to a man she has no feelings for, as is the case with many arranged marriages. Fon (Rawipa Srisanguan) is an artist who wants to use a workspace Shati manages for her exhibition on the Thai shoreline. Shati shows Fon around town, and as she does begins to grow fond of the artist who is somehow both wildly different to her, while also similarly restrained by inner worries.

Solids by the Seashore, so named after Fon’s art exhibition, follows a fairly typical romantic drama formula, but with a few notable changes. I was impressed at the restraint shown by writer-director Patiparn Boontarig, who decided to avoid any explicit bad guys, third act break ups or many other genre clichés. Instead, it tells a more grounded, realistic story where the biggest villains are the mental barriers put up by the heroines. It’s a film that is less concerned about showy scenes of character turmoil and is instead laser focused on their inner struggles.

This is backed up by the movie’s other big focus: the natural world. In Solids by the Seashore, both go hand in hand. Boontarig’s love of the natural world, and the impact mankind has on it is in full display, but he uses it to tell two stories. Its main visual metaphor is its primary theme: that putting up artificial barriers to protect yourself will only cause erosion elsewhere. It’s a theme that touches on Boontarig’s views on personal growth as well as man’s relationship to nature. It’s not a subtle metaphor, far from it, but it’s effective in its parallels. The film uses nature, and the art that Fon makes from nature as an effective tool to guide us through their inner journeys.

The film is bolstered by excellent leads who have a quiet yet powerful chemistry. Fon is never treated as the manic pixie dream girl, but instead a flawed person in her own right who has just as much to learn from Shati as she from her.

The fact that it is so low-key might also be a point against it. It might be a nice, easygoing time when you’re watching it, but it doesn’t quite have a lot of lasting impact. Of course, if you’re someone in Shati or Fon’s shoes then that’s a different story – films resonate differently for everyone after all – but I can’t imagine the typical moviegoing audience will be thinking about the film a week later. Still, it says what it wants to effectively, and leaves a lot to our own imagination. Ultimately, it’s a sweet – sometimes slow – drama that reminds us that we can put up all the barriers we want, but sometimes the waves will win.

Verdict: Thanks to a well thought mix of romantic drama and environmental documentary, Solids by the Seashore remains grounded in realism, resulting in a meditative and quiet moviegoing experience.

SOLIDS BY THE SEASHORE is screening at BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival at BFI Southbank on Sunday 17 and Tuesday 19 of March.

38^th BFI FLARE: LONDON LGBTQIA+ FILM FESTIVAL 2024 Takes Place 13 – 24 March at BFI Southbank and on BFI Player

Overall entertainment: 8/10
Violence: 0/10
Sex: 2/10
Faisal: What a big nerd
Art exhibit: I like the art, but the plants in a coke bottle is pretty hacky.

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Solids by the Seashore (2023)
Thai

Director: Patiparn Boontarig
Writers: Patiparn Boontarig, Kalil Pitsuwan

CAST

Ilada Pitsuwan – Shati
Rawipa Srisanguan – Fon
Pakorn Rujiravilai – Aey
Nicharee Boonmuang – Naima
Tipagorn Chaiprasit – Farida
Supachai Girdsuwan – Ilham
Khalid Midam – Faisal
Apichai Tragoolpadetkrai – Chat