SPOILER WARNING!
Disclosure: I am a Singaporean, wannabe film critic.
Forever Fever is a very fun film on the outside (except for one highly charged scene). However, it has many subtexts that are only apparent if you are familiar with Singaporean culture. It is actually quite a serious film, and manages to address many highly charged issues that are difficult to discuss in Singapore (like abortion in the US). I'll give just two examples:
East vs West, Old vs New - Singapore is too young a country to have any real culture of its own - everything is imported. We basically don't know who we are, yet. All the characters are torn to some extent between the venerable Eastern culture they *should* respect, and the exciting new Western world they actually *want* to embrace. Each character eventually makes his own choice, for good or ill. There are clear incompatibilities between these cultures. Is Leslie's father a homophobic bigot or a staunch defender of our ancient traditions? Whose side are you on, anyway? Why?
The Elite - It is sometimes said, very quietly, that Singapore is dominated by a class of educational and economic "elites". While the system is officially egalitarian and meritocratic, some charge that it is really elitist. The medical student Leslie, the rich spoiled boy and his well-educated girlfriend represent this class in effigy in the movie. This movie manages to deftly air most of the grievances against them, including their influence, isolation and "immoral" Western influence. Some righteous butt-kicking and some overdue peace-making eventually occurs.
The film suffers a little in terms of production values, which is understandable given the budget. However, the actors put in spirited, convincing performances, the script satisfies on many levels, and it's just great fun to watch. The characters have unexpected depth, are easy to relate to (at least to a Singaporean), and manage to quickly draw you into their lives on screen. Glen Goei's direction is straightforward but solid, and his vision shines through.
This is the kind of movie Hollywood has forgotten how to make. It is strongly built on the fundamentals and succeeds the old-fashioned way. And that's the way *I* like it!
9/10
Disclosure: I am a Singaporean, wannabe film critic.
Forever Fever is a very fun film on the outside (except for one highly charged scene). However, it has many subtexts that are only apparent if you are familiar with Singaporean culture. It is actually quite a serious film, and manages to address many highly charged issues that are difficult to discuss in Singapore (like abortion in the US). I'll give just two examples:
East vs West, Old vs New - Singapore is too young a country to have any real culture of its own - everything is imported. We basically don't know who we are, yet. All the characters are torn to some extent between the venerable Eastern culture they *should* respect, and the exciting new Western world they actually *want* to embrace. Each character eventually makes his own choice, for good or ill. There are clear incompatibilities between these cultures. Is Leslie's father a homophobic bigot or a staunch defender of our ancient traditions? Whose side are you on, anyway? Why?
The Elite - It is sometimes said, very quietly, that Singapore is dominated by a class of educational and economic "elites". While the system is officially egalitarian and meritocratic, some charge that it is really elitist. The medical student Leslie, the rich spoiled boy and his well-educated girlfriend represent this class in effigy in the movie. This movie manages to deftly air most of the grievances against them, including their influence, isolation and "immoral" Western influence. Some righteous butt-kicking and some overdue peace-making eventually occurs.
The film suffers a little in terms of production values, which is understandable given the budget. However, the actors put in spirited, convincing performances, the script satisfies on many levels, and it's just great fun to watch. The characters have unexpected depth, are easy to relate to (at least to a Singaporean), and manage to quickly draw you into their lives on screen. Glen Goei's direction is straightforward but solid, and his vision shines through.
This is the kind of movie Hollywood has forgotten how to make. It is strongly built on the fundamentals and succeeds the old-fashioned way. And that's the way *I* like it!
9/10