anin "Jeeja" Vismistananda is a terminally cute Thai taekwondoist who makes her acting debut in Chocolate, a martial arts flick directed by Prachya Pinkaew and choreographed by Panna Rittikrai, the duo that directed Tony Jaa in Ong-Bak and Tom Yum Goong.
Thai actress Jeeja Yanin demonstrates some hurtful moves during a Hong Kong news conference for Chocolate Friday, April 4, 2008.
(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Chocolate's premise is no lamer than most in the genre. Yanin plays Zen, the daughter of a former loan shark now married to a Yakuza boss (played by Hiroshi Abe). Mom comes down with cancer but doesn't have the money. So Zen starts collecting on Mom's list of old debtors which happens to include Mom's ex-boyfriend, a vicious baddie named No. 8 (Pongpat Wachirabunjong). Physical conflict ensues. Fortunately Zen learned some nifty moves by watching a lot of Bruce Lee reruns on TV and living next door to a martial arts academy.
Yanin was already an expert in taekwondo when she was discovered by Prachya. He was so impressed with her that he wrote Chocolate with her in mind. Yanin took up more rigorous fight training with Panna Rittikrai's stunt team before the film went into production between late 2006 and 2007.
anin "Jeeja" Vismistananda is a terminally cute Thai taekwondoist who makes her acting debut in Chocolate, a martial arts flick directed by Prachya Pinkaew and choreographed by Panna Rittikrai, the duo that directed Tony Jaa in Ong-Bak and Tom Yum Goong.
