The loco-motion!
22 August 2008 @ 06:33 ; 0 CommentsAttention shoppers.
I have never been in faith with local productions, be it on the telly or in the movies. There's just something distinctively missing with all of them. Not saying that all are bad per se, it's just that, for the most part, the works are just unimaginative, degrading pieces of work with a lousy script and bad acting.
Of course there are a few gems to speak of. Remember The Leap Years? I was really surprised and impressed with it overall. The cinematography was just breathtaking, depicting Singapore in an almost unnaturally romantic and suburban environment that it is normally not known for (everyone knows that our humble little country is more a hodge podge of cultures with an overbearing business district icon). The script wasn't half bad and the actors were really competent in their roles. It's just slightly unfortunate I have a problem with the overall editing of the film. (If I'm not wrong the DVD's out. Will probably get it once I'm raking in tha moolah!)
Last Sunday Arts Central aired Gone Shopping, a 2007 film starring Kym Ng with a "special appearance" by Adrian Pang (although I would hardly deem his appearance as special; it's more like a proper role to be exact). The movie depicts the locals' love of one of the most highlighted hobbies- shopping. Filmed in various iconic and well-known shopping centers of Singapore, it depicts the intersected lives of three characters as they go about with their usual routines.
Writer-director Wee Li Lin should be applauded for masterfully marrying two opposite slants into a composite that played out, albeit, in a fluctuating manner. The movie suffered from Ng's narrative; instead of bringing the three separate stories together as one entity, for the most part it wholly lifts her own dilemmas head and shoulders above the other two. At times moving, and other times just not making enough sense, the movie generally plods along in a pace befitting for the film.
Kym Ng was, without a doubt, the highlight of the entire film. Her nuanced performance of lonely Clara Wong, who satisfies her emptiness with shopping trips and paper bags easily alleviated her status as an all-rounder in Singapore's entertainment scene. Kudos should also be given to child actress Sonya Nair. Her portrayal of the sassy yet sensitive child lost in the aisles of Mustafa Centre clearly showcases her probably hidden talents in acting. This is someone to watch out for should she make her way into the industry.
Out of the three stories that were played out in the film, the one that didn't strike a cord was definitely the one involving the guy who would rather trawl Marina Square than to go to work. Obviously the weakest of the three, coupled with less than stellar acting by the lead, it clearly brought the value of the film down a notch. However, Magdalene Tan was a gem here, which should be understood since she is somewhat of a veteran.
One of the best scenes was the one whereby Ng's Clara had a fantasy involving her teenage love Valentine Tan (Pang) in Tangs, with pillow feathers flying everywhere. That was the most beautifully shot scene. The cinematography was just magnificent there. Speaking of Adrian Pang, it is best said that he should stick to English-speaking roles. He looked somewhat miserable having to spout Mandarin lines here.
Overall, not a bad effort, though with a few tightening of the screws - proper pacing, better narration, total rewrite of third story - it would have helped Gone Shopping significantly.
Watching the movie, it made me wonder- does shopping really help alleviate a person's feelings? Most of the time we hear people stating shopping helps them to forget their problems, to help them feel better, that spending money is an art in itself. But, in the long run, is it a healthy activity to engage in? Sure, it helps our economy, but, adversely, it's damaging our wallets and accounts. Well of course it does right. I mean, it's shopping. Spending money on stuff that we may or may not need in the long run. So what is the significance in shopping, exactly? I will never know. No one will ever know. Shopping is just like eating and sleeping and shitting. It's deemed like an important activity for humans, previously an outlet, but nowadays the connotation brings about more than just a superfluous activity.
It's too bad I could not have gone shopping nowadays. I would love to contribute to the economy too. Right now I am a Clara Wong without the credit cards. Sighhhh.
