Cash cow at ATM | Bangkok Post: Arts & Culture

Only three weeks into 2012 and we've already had the first Thai blockbuster movie: The romantic comedy ATM: Err Rak Error raked in nearly 60 million baht after six days since it opened last week, and studio GTH was so pleased and so confident at the film's box-office power that it threw a party to celebrate the 100-million revenue mark yesterday.

The film stars Chantavich "Ter" Thanasevi and Preechaya "Ice" Pongthananikorn as lovers who both work in a bank that forbids employees to become lovers (it's a Japanese bank, though we doubt this is based on any sphere of reality). However, the two want to come out and get married, meaning one of them will have to resign. So when the bank's ATM malfunctions and someone has walked off with a lot of cash, the couple sets out on a race: Who ever catches the culprit first won't have to quit his or her job, the other will.

Relying on quick jokes and cool gags rather than a real plot, ATM: Err Rak Error is doing really well with Thai audiences. This is another box-office success for GTH, a studio that has been on a high with a string of hits. Last year, the studio scored a jackpot with Laddaland, a ghost flick with a social message that won over both the viewers and most critics.