Plot summary (story synopsis): Xia Fei Fei (singer Joi Chua in her movie debut) is a 38-year-old meter maid who lives with her aged father (Michael Tan). Her father worked as a Rediffusion salesman and is now beginning to show signs of dementia. He regularly wanders off on his own, trying to sell subscriptions of the defunct wired radio system.
At work, Fei Fei doesn't get along with her team leader Jenny (Rahimah Rahim). But their rivalry is overshadowed by the arrival of an automatic car park payment system which threatens their jobs.
Fei Fei has loved to sing since she was in school, especially the songs of Taiwanese singer Fong Fei Fei. She stumbles across a local singing contest and decides to join.
***
3688 is an enjoyable, sentimental comedy. While the trailer plays up the singing competition in the movie, the competition only appears in the last third of the movie. It's actually the least effective part of the movie.
The two main threads are Fei Fei's mini adventures as a meter maid (saman auntie in local slang) and her father's gradual mental deterioration.
Both work because writer/director Royston Tan (881, 15: The Movie) and rookie writer Fong Wei Lim spend the time to develop these subplots. The situations and characters feel natural unlike with some other local filmmakers (coughjackneocough).
The meter maid shenanigans plays out with a kampong-style feel, where everyone in the neighbourhood knows everybody. It's an Amelie-style parochial fairy-tale that works.
Equally compelling is Fei Fei's father's descent into dementia. It is played out over multiple small scenes, each slowly worming its way into your sympathies. Jack Neo's heavy hand of a few over-the-top dramatic scenes couldn't be further away in terms of style.
The ending of the movie is also done in a tasteful low-key style (stay behind for the post-credits scene).
The use of old Rediffusion radio sets is beautifully nostalgic. It's an example of effective and unobtrusive product placement (the Rediffusion name lives on as an Internet broadcaster). Again unlike Jack Neo.
I'm sorry to keep on comparing with Jack Neo, but the differences are glaring. Another example? Liu Ling Ling as Seafood Auntie is charmingly brash without being annoying. Unlike Irene Ang in Jack Neo's Ah Boys to Men.
There is some singing, especially covers of Fong Fei Fei's classic hits. There's a lone song-and-dance number at the start with the meter maids but strangely enough, this is the only dance number in the movie. So the tone of the movie is a bit uneven.
Another uneven bit of filmmaking is the inclusion of Fei Fei's old school friend, recently returned from New York. He doesn't seem to serve any purpose.
There are a few local details such as a mention of Stomp - the local online citizen-journalism website. There's also a recreation of a real-life local publicity stunt involving two female sunbathers in a car park. Local rapper Shiga Shay makes an appearance and spouts off some delightfully fast raps.
3688 is a way better movie than most other local offerings. Let's see if the public gives it their support. To paraphrase a local opposition politician, The public gets the movies they deserve, so I don't want to hear any more complaints.
Showing posts with label musical. Show all posts
Showing posts with label musical. Show all posts
2015-09-18
2014-07-10
Walking on Sunshine (2014)
Plot summary (story synopsis): During a stay in an Italian beach resort, Englishwoman Maddie (Annabel Scholey) falls in love with local Italian hunk Raf (Giulio Berruti) and decides to marry him after a whirlwind 5 week romance.
Her sister Taylor (Hannah Arterton) flies in for the wedding, only to find out that Raf is the man that she dumped three years ago, leaving Italy to return to England in order to get a university education.
Raf and Taylor agree to keep their past a secret from Maddie, but their attraction for each other is still there. Meanwhile, Maddie's bad-boy ex, Doug (Greg Wise) makes a surprise visit to try and win her back.
***
Walking on Sunshine is a fun, light musical-romance-comedy with a rollicking 80s soundtrack. It lacks the star power of Mamma Mia! and Rock of Ages, but equals them in pop nostalgia and probably exceeds them in dance energy.
Directors Max Giwa and Dania Pasquini have previously directed two StreetDance movies. I have never heard of StreetDance before but I guess there's a lot of dancing in them.
There's certainly a lot of dancing in Sunshine, with an entire airport lobby breaking out into song (Madonna's Holiday) and dance within the first few minutes of the opening of the movie. If you're too young to remember, this is classic 1980s music video-style.
There was a group of schoolgirls sitting behind me in the theater and they were giggling and squealing throughout the whole movie. So you don't have to be an old codger to enjoy the movie, but you might miss a few 1980s references.
The cast of unknowns acquit themselves well. Hannah Arterton has a Piper Perabo charm about her, while Giulio Berruti looks like a male model. It sounds like the actors sing their own songs, but I can't be sure. They aren't spectacular singers, but they are good enough. There is some professional support from Leona Lewis (who sang I See You in Avatar) who plays Elena, one of Taylor's friends. The best part? Pierce Brosnan doesn't sing in this movie.
Good use is made of the Italian setting, with the ancient stone buildings leaving the greatest impression. There's a spectacular mass tomato fight in a cobblestone alley, like the Running of the Bulls or Holi, only with tomatoes.
There's something special about the songs of the 1980s. Every generation thinks that about their music. I was a teenager during the 1980s so I'm probably biased, but unlike the music of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, 1980s music hasn't aged. Play one today and you could fool a teenager into thinking that it was a current hit.
However I can't help thinking that there are so many movies with 1980s pop/rock soundtracks now because the people who grew up in the 1980s are now movie directors, writers and producers. Or maybe they are just a middle-aged demographic ripe for milking money from. In 10 years, we'll be seeing a whole bunch of 1990s music movies. Hello Guns N' Roses.
The runtime of Walking on Sunshine is maybe 30% to 50% songs, so it's as much music as it is story. Which is great. If you're an eighties child, bring your kids to see it. If you're not, go see it and realize that once, your parents too were young.
Her sister Taylor (Hannah Arterton) flies in for the wedding, only to find out that Raf is the man that she dumped three years ago, leaving Italy to return to England in order to get a university education.
Raf and Taylor agree to keep their past a secret from Maddie, but their attraction for each other is still there. Meanwhile, Maddie's bad-boy ex, Doug (Greg Wise) makes a surprise visit to try and win her back.
***
Walking on Sunshine is a fun, light musical-romance-comedy with a rollicking 80s soundtrack. It lacks the star power of Mamma Mia! and Rock of Ages, but equals them in pop nostalgia and probably exceeds them in dance energy.
Directors Max Giwa and Dania Pasquini have previously directed two StreetDance movies. I have never heard of StreetDance before but I guess there's a lot of dancing in them.
There's certainly a lot of dancing in Sunshine, with an entire airport lobby breaking out into song (Madonna's Holiday) and dance within the first few minutes of the opening of the movie. If you're too young to remember, this is classic 1980s music video-style.
There was a group of schoolgirls sitting behind me in the theater and they were giggling and squealing throughout the whole movie. So you don't have to be an old codger to enjoy the movie, but you might miss a few 1980s references.
The cast of unknowns acquit themselves well. Hannah Arterton has a Piper Perabo charm about her, while Giulio Berruti looks like a male model. It sounds like the actors sing their own songs, but I can't be sure. They aren't spectacular singers, but they are good enough. There is some professional support from Leona Lewis (who sang I See You in Avatar) who plays Elena, one of Taylor's friends. The best part? Pierce Brosnan doesn't sing in this movie.
Good use is made of the Italian setting, with the ancient stone buildings leaving the greatest impression. There's a spectacular mass tomato fight in a cobblestone alley, like the Running of the Bulls or Holi, only with tomatoes.
There's something special about the songs of the 1980s. Every generation thinks that about their music. I was a teenager during the 1980s so I'm probably biased, but unlike the music of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, 1980s music hasn't aged. Play one today and you could fool a teenager into thinking that it was a current hit.
However I can't help thinking that there are so many movies with 1980s pop/rock soundtracks now because the people who grew up in the 1980s are now movie directors, writers and producers. Or maybe they are just a middle-aged demographic ripe for milking money from. In 10 years, we'll be seeing a whole bunch of 1990s music movies. Hello Guns N' Roses.
The runtime of Walking on Sunshine is maybe 30% to 50% songs, so it's as much music as it is story. Which is great. If you're an eighties child, bring your kids to see it. If you're not, go see it and realize that once, your parents too were young.
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