Perth

Perth is the dream of a simple man, named Harry Lee (played by actor Lim Kay Tong), a fifty-one year old security guard and Taxi Driver. Harry's only dream is to leave Singapore and immigrate to Perth, where he plans on living the simple life. According to Harry, everything is cheaper in Perth, which is why he works two jobs, in order to save up for his retirement plan.

The company where Harry works security is run by a local gangster nicknamed "Angry Boy Lee" (played expertly by actor Sunny Pang.) Harry also has an estranged wife and son, as well as a best friend named Selva, played by actor Victory Selvam. After a few scenes depicting Harry's everyday life, we learn that the company he works security is down-sizing, thus Harry is out of the job.

In order to stay to stay on schedule for his trip to Perth, Harry and his best friend Selva take jobs escorting prostitutes for Angry Boy Lee's Boss. Once on the job, Harry becomes infatuated with a young prostitute named Mai, played by Ivy Cheng.

If the plot sounds reminiscent of Martin Scorcese's Taxi Driver, it's because it is. Thematically, the film also explores the same feelings of rage, loneliness, and isolation, that Taxi Driver does. Although, the motivations behind Harry and Taxi Driver's Travis Bickle are hardly the same. But largely, both films are gritty character studies, which degenerate into extremely violent and disturbing climaxes. While Taxi Driver is certainly the better film, Perth is much more violent and just as memorable.

Just like Taxi Driver, Perth is paced slowly, but never becomes boring. Much of the film involves detailed character development of Harry and Salva. Most of the conversations, in the film involve the need to "live the simple life", thoughts on faithfulness (mostly inspired by Harry's Ex-Wife), and of course, Perth.

One of the things that surprised me most about Perth, was that the majority of dialog in the film was in English. That, or a medley of English an several other dialects, such as Mandarin and Vietnamese. If you ever want to learn swear words in multiple languages, Perth is definitely your movie. Indeed this film features so much cursing that at times it seems a bit overdone, but it also adds to the underlying dark humor in Perth (Even as dark and menacing as Perth is, it still manages to make you laugh now and then).

The performances themselves are quite good, but sometimes become a little too melodramatic (Specifically, the scene during Harry's son's wedding). But on the whole, Lim Kay Tong is heart wrenching as the abusive, alcoholic, wife beating Harry Lee. The other performances are all above par, especially Sunny Pang's Angry Boy Lee. The prostitute Harry falls for (Ivy Cheng) is beautiful, but her character is sadly underdeveloped. Also, the dialog being in English, (although most of the characters speak English quite well) sometimes it takes away from the acting. Don't get me wrong, the dialog is easily understandable, it's just that it doesn't always flow as smoothly as it does in the native language.

The direction in the film is especially well done, and Perth features some of the best cinematography I've seen in awhile. Coming from the director of the horrible Return to Pontianak, Director Djinn proves he has talent and then some. Perth is shot in such a way, that the film has a very grainy, very raw feel to it. Perth features many beautiful shots of cityscapes in Singapore. The film also features many abstract shots, including a recurring ticking clock, which might create the impression that time may be running out for our characters.

All in all, Perth is one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. While it might be a retread of territory staked out by Martin Scorcese, it is still an exceptionally well done film. The performances are good, the dialog is good, the direction and cinematography are great, and the ending is amongst the most memorable endings I've ever seen! My Rating (9.5 out of 10) Perth is a slightly flawed masterpiece.

I just caught this last week at some Asian American festival at the Director's guild here in LA.

Having spent some years out in Singapore working and being familiar with the seedier side of the city, I was shocked and surprised that such a film could ever come of such a straight jacket society! The characters in the film were very real and raw. The masturbation sequence was a haiku to loneliness.

I heard rumors that the film is yet to be release in Singapore by the distributor's because of the violence and its setting in the 'non-existent' sex industry! Somethings don't seem to have changed after all!

I saw this at Rotterdam Film Festival. I didn't know what to expect after hearing the storyline and Taxi Driver links. I have to say that while there are links to Taxi Driver, this film is something original of which I did not know were being created in conservative Singapore. The photography is great, and Lim Kay Tong give an outstanding performance of a troubled man nearing retirement who's idealistic goal of a simple life is something we can all relate too. I found the ending quite violent, which might upset some viewers, but it has one of the strongest character developments I've seen. It was one of my favorite films at the festival. I truly hope this gets distributed here in the US both in theaters and DVD.

Harry Lee would like to be known as a simple man. In reality, there are few people as complex. A Veteran and taxi driver in Singapore, Harry spends his days and nights amidst crooks, drunks and prostitutes. Bloodshed and brutality are commonplace, and the depravity of the city is taking its toll on Harry's psyche. Were it not for his dream of migrating to Perth, he would have nothing to live for. After he becomes obsessed with a Vietnamese working girl, however, his chances of ever reaching Australia diminish rapidly. Plagued by his violent past, and desperate to save the girl; will Harry escape to his imagined Eden, or rot in Singapore forevermore?

Written and directed by Djinn, 'Perth' is a dark drama that holds entertainment value, though is not executed as well as it could have been. Djinn's screenplay eschews subtlety in favor of a more 'in-your-face' approach, and borrows heavily from other, better films. Harry Lee's journey is initially compelling, though ultimately far too predictable and reliant on well-worn cinematic tropes to have much impact. The dialogue is consistently stilted and- on occasion- laughable. Secondary characters are little more than caricatures, with the female ones being particularly ill-treated by Djinn's cursory characterization.

Having said that, 'Perth' is not a total travesty. Djinn has made attempts to make Harry Lee a well-rounded character, and these partially pay off. We understand him, even if we don't approve of his actions, and can appreciate that he is a victim of circumstance, as well as his own violent impulses. Additionally, Harry's friendship with an Indian expatriate named Selvam seems genuine, and their scenes feature batches of strong dialogue. Despite the fact that anyone even half-interested in film should know exactly how 'Perth' will end; it does contain elements deserving of praise.

The cinematography from Meng Hing Goh, for instance, which is stylish and inventive. Making use of interesting angles and filters, he ensures the film has an assured, gritty visual aesthetic. Never before has Singapore looked quite so sleazy, and- at its best- Goh's efforts put one in mind of the work of Michael Chapman. Also of note is Marcello De Francisci's score, which is mournful and delicate, adding undeniable emotional depth to the proceedings. Furthermore, Bin Li's editing is unobtrusive and efficient, helping establish the film's unfaltering pace.

'Perth' finds Kay Tong Lim starring as Harry Lee, delivering a wild performance one would be hard pressed to forget. Clearly subscribing to the same doctrine as Djinn, Lim goes incredibly over-the-top; leaving subtlety at the proverbial door. This is not to say it's a bad performance, because it isn't; he carries the film squarely on his shoulders. As is the case with much of Nicolas Cage's work, Lim's overacting is a constant source of entertainment. At the same time, he demonstrates an impressive range and emotional perspicuity. It's a shame Djinn didn't ask him to underplay the role; as there is no doubt that Lim could have done it flawlessly.

From the supporting cast, Sunny Pang and A. Panneeirchelvam do stand out work, starring as a thug called Angry Boy Lee and Selvam, respectively. Pang is particularly good, bringing more depth to the role than what was written. However, all the performances- including Lim's- are hindered by the film's being shot in English. While most of the cast speak the language fairly well, it is obviously a foreign tongue, and everyone involved has difficulty enunciating properly. This does impact the performances negatively, and also makes 'Perth' a little hard to follow from time to time.

At the end of the day, 'Perth' is a bit of a mixed-bag. While star Kay Tong Lim delivers a delightfully over-the-top performance, the film around him is less enjoyable. The screenplay relies on overly obvious tropes and cliches, which Djinn's paper-thin characterization only compounds. 'Perth' is a film about a man striving to reach an impossible dream. The irony is, 'Perth' itself is an impossible dream; and one that Djinn didn't put enough thought into.

I saw this while I was studying in Singapore. One of my friends just told me its playing here in LA at a festival so I am going to check it out. I thought the film itself was put together really well and it puts you in the mind of Harry Lee. I think we can all relate of having a 'Perth' we can run too and escape all our problems. My only gripe is I wished they would have shown more of Perth itself. However, this is probably the closest you'll see of Geylang and the seedy area's of Singapore on film. I felt that some of the dialogue was hard follow if you haven't been to Singapore, but it is mostly in English and I didn't have a problem understanding. I liked it.