#LookAtMe

How often do we get a Singaporean film that dares to take on religion, gay rights, privilege, prison conditions? No need to answer me. The censorship board already has. (Thanks, guys! Love you too.)

#LookAtMe is a necessary film for this age of crazy. I love how it tackles so many uncomfortable things about Singapore and Singaporeans, how it growls at all the rampant hypocrisy, how it weeps for it. Made me laugh and cry and hiss and want to throw rocks at people and people at rocks. Excellent cast wrung emotions from me I wasn't aware I still had.

I wish more people could see it! Yes, that deserved an exclamation point.

This film is far more important than a piece of entertainment.

Set in and coming out of Singapore, a place where as of the time of this review, the LGBTQIA+ community still does not enjoy anywhere close to the same amount of rights as "straight/cis" people, this film joins the ranks of pieces of art that is brave enough to do the important work of amplifying stories and issues that DO exist in clean & green Singapore, but are always shoved under the rug.

The film is thoroughly engaging from start to end, and as a great and important note, lots of the cast members are part of SG's LGBTQIA+ community of members and allies and thus an integral part of this piece of work.

My only criticism is that, for a film marketed towards that community, it still places the "straight/cis" character front and center as the hero of the story.

That being said, I am grateful to every person involved for being some of the many daring artists willing to put their careers and names on the line to produce content like this that is still largely unwelcome in Singapore and has a very real potential to affect their working options in some way.

I hope one day we will all look back on this and other similar works of art as signs of an outdated era, rather than a continuing situation in Singapore.

Apart from the LGBT theme, #lookatme reveals the danger and power of words in the internet age whereby words can as much elevate a person as it can destroy one. An impulsive vlog by the protagonist Sean has caused the whole family to suffer in extreme ways. Loosely based on events that happened in Singapore, Ken Kwek's #lookatme dealing with themes of LGBT, religion, effects of social media - is really not just about Singapore as these issues can happen anywhere in the world. Teetering between facts and fiction, #lookstme that is heartwarming, funny, and thought-provoking; it's a movie worth watching for Singaporeans and global audience alike!

A gripping story on a straight teenager's stance for LGBTQ+ rights, motivated to defend his own twin brother (excellent performance by Yao doing both roles). This is a film that delivers drama, humour, irony and most importantly hope. It's not a film just about the Community, but a film about the importance of justice, truth about hypocrisy and why humanity is critical in our crazy world to stay sane. May I just call out the outstanding performance by all the cast members and artistic vision by Ken, what an incredible achievement to have been produced with limited funding. Thought provoking and excellently produced, please go watch it!

Being such a long while where I have been at a movie where the audience laugh as one, cheered and exclaim together.

A simple production that is at times raw, it hits you. It does showcase some underlying themes of the society that most people are afraid to know, thread or understand or challenge.

A lot of foreigners don't understand why Singaporeans got so much to complain about Singapore. Maybe this movie can help share such insights.

However, audience are to be careful with the opening statement. It's a fictional storyline, with inspiration from some real events. After all Amos is now locked up in US for his own crimes and is definitely not anyway close to be a hero in Singaporeans eyes.