Slowly and steadily, Nek Nek (a.k.a Ken Kwek) has obviously been fine tuning his movie writing / making abilities - delivering this super smooth production of a dog day afternoon in Singapore as a Filipino restaurant owner driven to his wits end, contemplates his end game with a bunch of atypical (or not) Singaporean characters. Realisation hits Onassis that they are all trapped, in this fine city, and that something eventually has to give.
Fine performances from all quarters enhances everything and pushes Unlucky Plaza onto the forefront of Singaporean films.
Rating: * * *
After many months of waiting, finally watched Nek's first piece of contribution to the world of big budget films. Set in the beautiful Cheong Fatt Tze mansion, the film unravels as a family comes to terms with the death of the patriarch. Having been a heavy handed enforcer all his life, the death of the Old man understandably brings much relief all around. However, the visit of Inspector Suresh to the Wee household infuses an element of mystery to the death and the plot kicks foward with tension amongst the various family members boiling over. There is much humour/wit at every step of the way, and the presence of the ghost of the Old man proves to be an important cog in the plot.
The production quality of The Blue Mansion stands out considering that my previous experiences of Singapore cinema were such. Adrian Pang as the younger, angry Wee brother puts in a credible performance and pretty much carries the film. However it is Huzir Sulaiman as the inspector that steals the show for me. The rest of the acting does come across as rather theatrical - but from subsequent interviews of the director and the script writer, I understand that it was a conscious ploy. Maybe, but its not something that I could relate to in a film.
Rating: * * +
