881
"If ABBA could sing Hokkien, they might have auditioned for Royston Tan's 881." - Hollywood Reporter
Set within the Singaporean song culture of getai - a series of exuberant concerts dominating the seventh month of the Chinese calendar - the latest offering from Royston Tan (4:30, MIFF 06) is a camp musical that brought Singaporeans flocking to the cinema in droves.
Vocal non-sensations The Papaya Sisters make a pact with the Goddess of Getai to inject ‘feeling' into their performance. The downside is that they must adhere to the Goddess's unbreakable rules, which - of course - they break. The Sisters face a rocky road to fame and fortune, dogged by their adversaries, the prickly Durian Sisters.
Offering loads of bubblegum fun and flamboyant visuals, 811 at times resembles a rainbow exploding onto a cinema screen.
D/S Royston Tan P Gary Goh, Chan Pui Yin, James Toh WS Arclight Films International L Mandarin, Hokkien w/English subtitles TD 35mm/2007/105mins