Many of us have probably grown up hearing the strains of getai (literally known as "song-stage") songs floating into our bedrooms. In this refreshing take on a familiar Chinese custom, Royston Tan shows Singaporeans why getai should be preserved, and treasured.
881 tells the tale of two best friends (played by Mindee Ong and Yeo Yann Yann) who desire to sing getai, with the help of veteran getai performer and actress Liu Ling Ling and their deaf-mute friend, played by Qi Yuwu.
Their rip-roaring success on stage incurs the wrath of another getai group (played with cringe-worthy American accents by MTV VJs May and Choy) and hence ensues a prolonged music-and-dance sequence, with plenty of feathers, shimmery costumes and snazzy songs.
The accompanying soundtrack is indeed a revelation, because it fuses familiar Hokkien tunes with fancy new arrangements, and manages to appeal to both the young and the old. In fact, most people would probably leave the cinema humming a tune or two (especially the old favourite "One Man One Half") because these songs tug at your heart, and remind you of the innocence of childhood.
In this film, Yeo Yann Yann and Mindee Ong put in sincere, heartwarming performances as two friends who met accidentally, discovered a common love for singing and ended up becoming as close as sisters. In fact, by the end of the film, it is almost impossible to separate the two of them - for they have fused into one as whole.
It is Qi Yuwu's character who comes into the middle of this whole, and sparks off a subplot that is both tender and heartwrenching.
He merely broods his way through the movie, but seeing how the two girls deal with their sworn love for each other, and their affections for this male friend whom they frequently come in close proximity with, provides this glitzy movie with a little more soul.
Royston Tan has often been labelled as an arthouse director, yet this movie proves that he can juggle arthouse and mass appeal effectively.
He caters to the masses by including many slick music numbers, costume changes and slapstick Hokkien jokes, yet also anchors this movie in a simple tale that resonates emotionally with you. In particular, his handling of the theme of fate and karma is suitably deft and understated.
All in all, this film is definitely one that lives up to its billing as "the local film of the year". It reaches out to everyone, and will leave you eagerly anticipating the next Royston Tan film. hooked
HOOKED's rating: 4/5
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