The criminally underrated Peter Bogdanovich casts Ben Gazzara as a man who opens a brothel in Singapore, drawing the ire of a crime syndicate. "Saint Jack", based on Paul Theroux's novel, portrays Lion City as the opposite of the immaculate place that we hear about. Not only do the streets look dirty, but the entire place comes across as a bastion of corruption.
A couple of things make "Saint Jack" a good movie. Aside from the great acting, directing and cinematography, I like movies that show us cultures that we rarely see (other examples include "The Mighty Quinn" and "Black Cat, White Cat"). Despite Singapore's economic status, it's one of the least represented of the Four Asian Tigers* in cinema. All in all, Bogdanovich (who plays a supporting role) made a good one. Also starring Denholm Elliott (Marcus Brody in the Indiana Jones movies).
*A geopolitical term used to describe Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea, referring to their status as small countries that are economic powerhouses.
A couple of things make "Saint Jack" a good movie. Aside from the great acting, directing and cinematography, I like movies that show us cultures that we rarely see (other examples include "The Mighty Quinn" and "Black Cat, White Cat"). Despite Singapore's economic status, it's one of the least represented of the Four Asian Tigers* in cinema. All in all, Bogdanovich (who plays a supporting role) made a good one. Also starring Denholm Elliott (Marcus Brody in the Indiana Jones movies).
*A geopolitical term used to describe Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea, referring to their status as small countries that are economic powerhouses.