Sexism sours the broth in Muslim-Thai rom-com ‘Love Na, Soup Soup’

In one telling moment, Minnie prepares an ethnic Malay, or Melayu, breakfast for the owner of the restaurant where she works. Right when he sits down, with neither whiff nor taste, he spits out his verdict: “This food is bad!”

That’s one of many scenes in Rak Na, Soup Soup (Love Na, Soup Soup), in theaters now, in which men punch down on the female lead. It happens a lot in a film with much riding on its tactful representation of the only Muslim leading lady in recent memory to hit theaters nationwide rather than be relegated to film festival obscurity.

That’s why I’d like to not be too hasty in slapping the “kick-me” sign of misogyny on the back of Soup Soup – at least not until after we talk about it.

For despite its shortcomings, the film succeeds in breaking a long-held and harmful mold of Muslim-Thai representation.

Director Kriangkrai…