samtrak1204 Beautiful movie. Beautiful actor. A testament to the power of the human spirit. I'm viewing it for the 2nd or 3rd time...and it still makes me cry! This movie should inspire struggling gay, lesbian, and transgender people all over the world. Thai boys (and girls!) are exceptionally beautiful, especially the young male beauty who entices Toom to throw the fight. I can see why American tourists flock to Bangkok...and why the HIV rate is so high in Thailand! I wish there had been at least one nude shot of Asanee. When I was fighting in Vietnam in 1969, most African-American soldiers I knew went to Bangkok for R & R, but I didn't because I did not know how a black "gay" soldier would be received...anywhere. So much for "Don't Ask, Don't Tell". I guess it would not have mattered because I, like all the other gay men in my Battalion, hid in the closet. Everyone knew. You just didn't talk about it in mixed company. (It would be many years later before I learned about the gay sex trade in Thailand.) BlackMates were always bragging about how Thai people treated them like kings...unlike super-racist Australia and Hawaii. (I guess American dollars helped, cause you know money talks!)Donde esta Asanee Suwan? I want to see more of this gifted young actor.

bkoganbing Beautiful Boxer is the story of transgender kickboxer Noom Tong, born in a male body and feeling female in her soul, using the God given martial arts skills, to change her gender and become at one with herself. The Thai cast in this production is nearly perfect in presenting her story.Among the many issues facing transgender individuals is the staggering cost of reassignment surgeries and that even in the face of overwhelming medical and psychological evidence to the contrary, insurance companies still regard a sex change as elective cosmetic surgery. The same classification as they would give a rhinoplasty, nose job to most of you.As it turns out Thailand is one of a few countries where transgender people go for surgeries. It's expensive and therein lies the tale of Beautiful Boxer. Noom Tang uses the prize monies won in kickboxing to pay for her surgery. While transitioning, she faces a whole lot of evil, but she literally kicks her way out.Watching this film I was struck with the similarity of this film and Flawless. In Flawless Philip Seymour Hoffman plays a drag entertainer who by chance finds a drug dealer's stash after a shooting and keeps it to pay for her reassignment surgery. It would probably have taken her twenty years of drag shows in order to pay for what she needed. A marketable skill, but not quite marketable enough as kickboxing.I hope that those who watch the film think of the many who can't earn it, win it, steal it, or stumble on the funds needed. If Beautiful Boxer can make people think about that, it's a public service film.Or you can just enjoy it and be downright inspired.

cpdeek The movie gives a sad outlook on that of the Thai culture. It shows how difficult it is for a lower class family to escape from poverty. Very few means are introduced but the one that pays off is kick boxing. Toom, the main character, is initially disturbed by how violent the sport is but is forced into it in trying to save his family, as well as fulfill his wish of becoming a woman. Also, the movie shows a stark difference between that of the Thai countryside and the rapid life of Bangkok. He eventually helps his family and helps shed light to the country about transvestites. The film takes on a lot and tries to put it all in there, but would have been better in leaving some of the corny laughs out of it and sticking to the pace. Also, it tries to introduce to many subplots. All in all, it was a good story, but poorly done.

laack I had never heard of the movie before I watched it, but I thought it was very well done. This film shows the intense internal story of Toom, a transsexual as he grows up in a mostly unaccepting society. One of the more interesting things about the movie is that it unfolds against the beautiful but unfamiliar Thai setting. The movie does a great job of revealing the culture and the art of Thai boxing as Toom carefully tip toes his way through society, and merely tries to live the only life that he feels comfortable with. The directing, acting, and story telling were all spot on. The story is told well and the insight into the life of someone that extraordinary is well done. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this unique picture that not all producers would consider worth their time.