Opening Day: 2 August 2007

Synopsis:

The story revolves around the coming of age of Tan Boon Huat (Alvin Neo), the middle child of a prawn farmer whose family resides on an island town. Nicknamed ‘Hei Bee’ (shrimp in Hokkien, a Chinese dialect) Boon Huat’s time as a child to adolescence was one that was filled with oppression, often receiving harsh treatment from his own father. Boon Huat eventually leaves the island with the help of his friend and confidant, the island boatman (Tay Kay Chin). On the mainland, he meets a girl (Oon Shu An) while working in a video shop. Boon Huat starts to discover his dream of becoming a filmmaker with the help of his new found ‘love’.?

Movie Review:

Being a fan of the dynamic duo comprising of Randy Ang and Nicholas Chee (Originasian Pictures) and having caught some of the webisodes leading up to this full-length feature, I won’t deny having a certain amount of anticipation waiting for this particular picture to come out. Luckily for us, it has been picked up by Cathay-Keris Organisation and will be hitting the big screen soon. Does it live up to its expectations? Well, for local standards this is pretty solid stuff. However, having watched and loved the team’s award-winning 5 minute short film I’ll Live A Day For You, a wacky sequence incorporating Stephen Chow’s axe gang dance with the ingenious use of umbrellas which won big at the 2005 Fly By Night competition, I can’t say I didn’t expect more.

Starting off simply enough, the story tells of Boon Huat, whom we realise quickly enough is dealing with more than his fair share of growing pains while living out his childhood in some rural kampong area. While idling away one of his evenings with his boatman confidante, he becomes awestruck by local filmmaker Royston Tan (playing himself in a cameo) talking about his inspirations and profession on a TV show. Life takes a turn for the different when Boon Huat runs away to the mainland after a tiff with his aggressive father, egged on by the boatman’s support and his gift of an 8mm, which he proceeds to capture random images bordering on the slightly obsessive in hope that one day he, too, can realise his dream of becoming a famous filmmaker. Along the way, he discovers love, or rather, just the initial heady joys of sex – while this is not without its repercussions, the film deals with it in such a lighthanded manner bordering on the slightly ridiculous. The twist in the film, while unexpected, felt completely unnecessary and almost prompted a snigger in what would have been a wistful coming-of-age tale of someone who dares to achieve his dreams.

Not to say that the film isn’t without its moments. The supporting characters come across as colorful and expressive, sometimes if not always stealing the show from the insipid lead who virtually sleepwalks his way through the entire film. Too bad they were reduced to stock characters in the movie who disappear halfway, but the good news is that we’re told a sequel is in the process with more attention being paid this time to the sideliners. Barring that, it’s hard to identify with the one-dimensional roles they have been relegated to in the present movie as they aren’t exactly given enough screen time to flesh out any semblance of much-needed emotional depth.

For a screen debut, I must say the film does have some gorgeous cinematography. Shot entirely tape-less in High Definition, which is only a fancier way of “It was really, really tough!”, any shot captured from the movie would have made an impressive still. Interesting camera angles as well as various camera techniques are employed with great dexterity, with a firm nod to Chris Doyle’s voyeuristically lush landscapes. However, certain scenes just fall short of that certain je ne sais quoi which makes Doyle’s technique so highly coveted. For example, where lazily billowing cigarette smoke all but sets the tone for some of his movies, when used here, the sensual swirls morph into little more than haphazard puffs of smoke, where coupled with the film’s inability to engage the appropriate response from the audience, culminates in an eventual emotional void.

Still, the art of film-making is relatively new to our shores as yet. Given the fledgling stages of the industry, the accolades this local film has garnered is certainly impressive. With a little more experience, maturity and hopefully a bigger budget next time round, these guys will certainly be a force to be reckoned with.

Movie Rating:

(A mixed triumph for the local film industry)

Review by Ninart Lui