Soi Cowboy

In British director Thomas Clay's film, a fat Danish screenwriter and a slender Thai girl live together in near-silence in Bangkok. He's with her for the sex, she with him for the security, and because it keeps her away from Soi Cowboy, the city's red light district. Elsewhere, a teenage gangster is hired to kill his own brother.

David Jenkins, Time Out: Filmed in brittle monochrome, but segueing into colour for its dreamlike, Lynchian coda, it's a film that addresses the destructive nature of libido, the potential for moral corruption, while also presenting a sensitive, micro-scale study of the ills of globalisation. (Verdict: four stars out of five)

Wendy Ide, the Times: Towards the end of their segment, the couple take a trip to the temples of Ayutthaya and there, when both take on the status of tourists, there seems to be a glimpse of a proper relationship rather than just a business deal. But Clay takes a long time to say very little in this part of the film... Clay doesn't let us forget his self-appointed auteur status... but there is little sign of his supposed genius in this pretentious, fraudulent film. (Verdict: two stars out of five) ·