After the 1969 nationwide floods, Zhao Di takes over her
father’s family farm with the help of reformed gangster Ah Long. In 1977, the
Government begins expropriating land for redevelopment, forcing villagers from
their kampongs. Licensed farmland owners, such as Zhao Di, are financially
compensated for their land. Ah Kun, Zhao Di’s greedy brother accuses Zhao Di
and Ah Long of having an affair to tarnish her name in front of the family. In
the midst of Ah Kun’s persistent accusations, Zhao Di’s health takes a hit.
Will Zhao Di be able to keep her hard-earned compensation money? What will become
of her family if Zhao Di’s health continues to deteriorate? As people change
with time, will the kampong spirit remain?
The story begins when a heavily pregnant Zhao Di is forced to
return to her maternal family in the village with three daughters in tow.
Zhao Di survives one adversity after another with her family
members and friends. As she struggles to make her living, she bears witness to
some of the major challenges and milestones that our fledgling nation faced in
the early years.
The story spans from 1965 to early 1970s. During the time,
heavily pregnant Zhao Di was chased out by her husband's family. She gave birth
to twins, and one of them had two moles on her face, which was said to be bad
luck. She gave up that daughter due to the pressure of wanting to build a
better life for the rest of her family. With Zhao Di's indomitable spirit, and
with the help of her family, they went through adversities, witnessed the
changes through the years, and accompanied every step of the nation's growth in
its early years.
It’s a decent film, but it’s not as good as the first installment, which is odd because it doesn’t have the unenviable task of setting up the exposition and premise of the film. Much of it is due to how the story plays out, as it doesn’t provide the proper cathartic resolution to the many conflicts that arise in the film.
ReplyDeleteIt’s a daring move to show the initial disapproval of the interracial romance in the film, as well as the obstacles that the lovers face in getting their families to understand their relationship. The film also shows us the very real issue of birth control, which is a major contributing factor to their marriage. It might not be an in-depth exploration, and the couple overcomes their obstacles pretty easily, but it’s still a refreshing take on relationships in Singapore.
ReplyDeleteThe film ends on a lackluster note. It’s a downer, and what’s worse is that it leaves several relationships hanging and the antagonist unpunished. Instead, you get a half-hearted reform and a very upsetting fate for one of the protagonists. The main characters don’t have to be invincible and immortal, but there’s almost no victory for them in the film’s end. It’s not a poignant finale to the film, but a sad closure to a nostalgic era.
ReplyDeleteI’m imagining how hard it is to make the clean water to look that dirty and the passion of the crew to make the setting realistic by planting plants themselves and taking care of it before the shoot happens.
ReplyDeleteThis is a good movie. You get to appreciate the heritage of Singapore and enjoy the story too.
Singapore right now is close to my heart. I would love to see this film and learn more about Singapore’s history.
ReplyDeleteI am impressed with the flood scene and how it was staged which involved quite a lot of work but it’ll definitely work well for the film.
I like the idea of mixing different like minds and behaviour together for this move (quiet and loud, blending with the hardworking and lazy personality). Interesting!! Two years to write and research the script for the film, portrays the genuine of the production.
ReplyDeleteThe few placements that you see are integrated well into the scenes. Other trademark Jack Neo indulgences like the heavy handling of emotional dramatic scenes and cheap slapstick digs for humour are also kept to a bare minimum.
Very good movie, remind me about my childhood. All the actors and actresses have super acting!
ReplyDeleteThe analogy is straightforward – like Singapore, Zhao Di finds the burden of her own survival thrust onto her on 9 August 1965, and it is hardly any surprise that her subsequent display of tenacity and indomitable spirit as she perseveres to provide for her immediate and extended family are pretty much the same qualities that have been celebrated as the fundamental elements of our nation's success.
That finale is as dramatic and emotionally gripping a finale as it gets, but it also underscores just how indifferent the rest of the 'checkpoints' in history have been to his central narrative. Therein lies the crux, or should we say crutch, of Neo's film – by trying to balance the significant events in Singapore's history with the ups and downs of a family living through that era, it ends up being too episodic and scattershot to truly resonate.
ReplyDelete