Ah Boys To Men

Ratings: 7.2/10
Film Class: B+
Genre: Comedy Drama

Yup, this is my 2nd post of a local movie (it's rare, but I'm going to make it a more regular affair from now on, provided I'm "gian" enough to watch them). By now you should know I'm not a fan of local productions, but I still bought this DVD at full price ($19.90) because it's movie on a topic all Singaporean guys can/will relate to, NS (national service). And cos my friend did also say that it has a relatively true portrayal of life in the army. 

Ah Boys to Man is like an open book. The title says it all. It's brings viewers on the journey of Singapore guys, or "boys" which everyone assumes we are before we enter NS [not true ;p], and transforming them into Men. Follow Ken Chow, an immature average Singaporean guy, actually he's higher than average in terms of looks, who thinks entering NS is a total waste of his time and youth, where he could be better off going abroad to study with his girlfriend. He tries to "Chow Geng" (interesting puns in the names) [for my non-singaporean readers, it means to skive] to avoid being enlisted, but when he failed, tries to do so yet again because of his disinterest in the service. 

This is part 1, of a possible 3 part series. And is possibly the first movie I've watched which so blatantly announces this with the words [To be continued] at the end. It's as if the director was too afraid viewers wouldn't know the story is "incomplete", or that it's just his way of building anticipation. But the way I look at it, it's just a lazy way of finishing something off without a proper cliffhanger scene. The words came on so abruptly, and there was a short trailer about the sequel. I'm not sure if this was exactly what viewers saw in the movies as well, but it cheapened the movie experience, into a drama series, a pretty expensive one. 

But if I were not to fault that, Ah Boys To Men was actually pretty good. I didn't like the acting, there's something about Singapore's acting that makes it unnatural. I think it's the speed of the dialogue, that every word has to be clearly articulated, and that definite pauses have to be made so that viewers will have no problem understanding the emphasis and are able to decipher the words... or at least that's what the director assumes. While it's unnatural most of the time, veteran actor Richard Low (Ken's father) and surprising performances of Ken's commanders (esp the Platoon Sergeant) made it slightly more realistic. As for Irene Ang (Ken's Mother) and Ken's grandmother, they were good too, but to me, they were... okay.

*spoilers ahead* 

As for his section mates, I think overall the guys did good in terms of acting, and for Ken himself, his character was a little overdone. He's a good actor, but because of the nature of his character, it felt a little off because it was as though he suffered from a split personality. Whenever he's arguing with his girlfriend, he gets overly worked up like some pyschotic, possessive, agressive boyfriend, but when he's in camp, or at home, he's just an impulsive, mild-manner, disrepectful boy - no signs of any aggression there. 

I liked the opening sequence, not because of the morbidity but because I was impressed by the above average effects and the interesting & daring take on what Singapore would become if we were ever to go to war or if our country was to be under siege.

Before I end off, I had better answer the question I'm assuming you guys are wondering... does the movie accurately portray life in NS? Yes it does, around 80% true portrayal. The filming took place in Tekong itself, which was rather nostalgic, and how the specialists speak to the recruits and "tekan" [means to punish] them were portrayed quite realistically. 

Surprisingly, Ah Boys to Men can be considered one of my favourite local movies. Despite its shortcomings, when the movie ended, I was left wanting for more. So I guess no matter hard I try to decieve myself, even with the slight prejudice, I'm sure that's a sign that a movie is good. 

Parental Guidance

Ratings: 6.4/10
Film Class: C
Genre: Family Comedy

This ain't exactly a PG film, but more of a G film. It's about the upbringing of kids, and that it's not just the parents, but the grandparents which matter. Artie Decker (Billy Crystal) has just lost his job as an extremely talented yet old school baseball commentator and is tasked to look after his 3 grandkids for 5 days. Being sheltered and pampered kids, they must come to terms with their obnoxious grandparents, resulting in a life changing experience not just for the kids, but for everyone in the family. 

Parental Guidance is a slapstick, overly exaggerated family comedy which should be more aptly titled Grandparental Guidance. Though I haven't seen many of Billy Crystal's movies in which he was the main lead, I was highly impressed with his acting. He added a new dimension to the seemingly flat storyline, especially with his sarcastic humor and was such a joy to see him on screen.  

Every character has their own issues, and their personalities were all very strong... a little overdone if you ask me, resulting in unrealistically exaggerated acting. Though the plot was predictable, there were a couple of really funny moments, I almost cried laughing during 1 scene! As a teaser, I'll hint those 2 scenes with 2 words, toilet and burial. 

It didn't turn out as bad as I thought, and while it makes a good destressing movie, you'll also have to consider it's a no-brainer one. So unless you're bored to no tears, you'll be better off watching brainier light-hearted animations like ParaNorman or Madagascar 3.

Intouchables

Ratings: 8.0/10
Film Class: B
Genre: Drama (French)

This light-hearted and moving drama about a rich man who suffers from quadriplegia (paralysis of all four limbs/entire body below the neck) and his caretaker is sure to put a smile on your face. Actually, just by looking at the movie poster and watching the trailer, even though the topic of discussion is depressing, it's not a film that will leave you weeping and feeling emo after watching it.

Nominated for the 70th Annual Golden Globe Award (which haven't took place) under the category of Best Foreign Language Film this year (2013), I'm hopeful Intouchables will clinch the award. Even though I haven't caught the rest of the nominated films, such as Armour, Rust and Bone, Kon-Tiki and A Royal Affair (which all looks good too), judging from the reviews on imdb alone, there's no reason to think otherwise. 

And even though Omar Sy (the caretaker) was nominated and won a couple of other awards such as the Best Actor/Best Male Newcomer, I didn't think his acting was particularly great. In fact, I thought the other lead who was quadriplegia was the one who delivered a performance to remember. 

The quadriplegic, has had many caretakers in his life, but decided to choose a very different candidate this time round. Instead of the usual qualified candidates, he employed someone from a very different background, who's living a crisis of his own (with his family) and who's more of a street punk. Not wanting to garner pity from his caretakers, he made a risky and unconventional choice that will change his life forever. 

The chemistry between the 2 leads was exceptionally moving, and allows the audience to dive into the situation they were in and to feel for the characters. It has a simple, yet powerful plot, and there were lotsa funny scripting which lightened up the mood. 

Oh, and did I forget to mention this is based on a true story? 

Even though there's no such word as "intouchables", I believe it just refers to "untouchables", with a finesse. The opening scene illustrates this, and the friendship which builds despite a wall of disability makes this more than a feel good movie, it shows how a leap of faith may bring out the best in you, and those around you.