Truth: We've seen worse Singapore movies than this Chai Yee Wei directed horror action comedy.
At the rate Singaporeans are condemning almost every other commercial flick which comes our way (when was the last time you actually liked a Jack Neo movie?), it is only a matter of time our homegrown filmmakers lose confidence in making films. But this doesn't give the liberty for directors to produce works which, well, to simply put it, make viewers feel that they could have better made use of their time by sleeping at home.
After receiving MDA's Feature Fund to make his debut feature Blood Ties (2009), how does Chai's second horror feature project fare?
In what seems to be a popular approach to telling stories, the 108 minute movie features three intertwined segments starring an ensemble of familiar faces in the region. The protagonists are exaggeratedly personified for comedic effect: A flashy womanizing drug dealer who kills his girlfriend in an accident, two horny male flight attendants who want to get fresh with their pretty colleagues and a pair of hilarious con men who decide to take on their last job by exorcising a demon out of a possessed girl.
Thanks to his capable cast, you almost ignore how underdeveloped Chai's story is. The screenplay co written by Chai and Eng Boon Ping does not boast of the most innovative dialogues, but you'd still find yourself chuckling at some of the deliberately localised usage of words. The nice mix of dialects in the film is definitely welcoming.
This is where leading man Mark Lee, who plays the flirtatious drug dealer, is a natural. The comedian (and recently turned director) shoots his mouth off the moment he appears on screen in the first segment, and doesn't stop until he meets his, err, end. Despite the character's unlikable personality, his entertaining performance is one of the highlights of the movie.
The other member of the cast to look out for is Hongkong based Zhu Mi Mi, who stars in the film's third story. The veteran actress plays the mother of a possessed schoolgirl, and you have to take your hats off as the acclaimed comedian sends shivers down your spine with her zoned out and creepy expressions. Commendable performances also come from Malaysian actors Joey Leong (she plays the obligatory possessed girl again after her breakout role in Chai's first feature), Alvin Wong and Brandon Yuen (as the mediums who unluckily stumble upon the cursed family).
Elsewhere, pretty faces come in the form of Linda Liao, Tracy Lee and Randall Tan, who star in the segment about a wild party gone wrong. The most senseless segment of the lot, the only redeeming aspect of this story comes from local host Cavin Soh, who will have you believe that cabin crew members can be a slimy, sneaky lot.
Chai attempts to link the three segments together by superficially writing the characters into each others' stories. There is also this underwhelming feeling that the writer director is attempting to relay a message about karma and fate, as well as cause and effect. Unfortunately, this gets buried beneath the laughs (no, there aren't much scares here except the "been there done that" specials makeup), and as the film's end credits begin rolling, you'd find yourself moderately entertained with no contemplation on how karma can affect one's life.
