WAKE UP
Anthony Neely
Taiwanese-American Anthony Neely certainly wakes you up on the title track of his second album. Over a propulsive rhythm, he urges with his rocker rasp: “So come take a ride with your eyes open wide/it’s the time for the time of your life.”
The positive energy courses through This Moment and Letters as well as album ender Awakening: “Want to smile more brilliantly/Want to love more lovingly/ Want to do right by this world’s existence.”
To cover all bases, the radio-friendly ballads are here as well, including A Failed Attempt and Dear Death – the latter, a plea to be spared by Death so that he can love.
As a bonus, the single and music video for the lively and jaunty You Are My Baby are bundled with the album. It is the theme song for his romantic comedy The Soul Of Bread (2012).
Hopefully, Neely will not get too distracted from his musical journey as his career in entertainment opens up.
The Music Room: Concert Live Recording
Kit Chan
After a seven-year hiatus, home-grown singer Kit Chan’s sold-out three-night solo gig at the Marina Bay Sands’ Grand Theater last October was a triumphant return.
She sang, she flirted, she slinked and she owned the stage as if she never left.
Collected on these two discs are the songs she performed then, ranging from her early hits such as Heartache and Liking You to Cantonese musical numbers Waiting and Forget Him. Also included are the snippets of dialogue which segued into the songs.
A number of tracks included here are from her comeback covers album Re-interpreting Kit Chan (2011). While it was a treat to listen to them live, on disc, they are a little too reminiscent of the recently recorded versions.
More satisfying are the inclusion of new covers including Prince’s Nothing Compares 2 U and Stephen Sondheim’s Send In The Clowns. The latter – a movingly tender reflection on missed chances – was a definite highlight of the show and it still shines here.
(ST)
Thursday, March 29, 2012
The Flowers Of War
Zhang Yimou
The story: It is 1937 and Nanjing has fallen to the Japanese soldiers. A group of Chinese Catholic schoolgirls are stranded in the city and head to the church for safety. They place their hopes of salvation on the unlikely figure of the mortician John Miller (Christian Bale). A group of prostitutes led by the comely Yu Mo (Ni Ni) later break into the venue for shelter as well. Based on Chinese American author Yan Geling’s 2007 novella 13 Flowers Of Nanjing.
When one first sees Christian Bale with his fedora darting through war-torn streets, it seems as though we are being set up for something like Indiana Jones And The Rape Of Nanking.
To director Zhang Yimou’s credit, the film is not as jarring as that but on the other hand, he never quite manages to pull together the film as its tone veers from harrowing drama to a more light-hearted adventure flick.
Bale, best known for his brooding performances in the Batman films, plays Miller quite broadly at first. The rascally character is a fortune-hunter who has a weakness for both wine and women and, initially, he is concerned only with looking for money squirrelled away in the abandoned church.
But there is a pivotal point at which Miller turns into Oskar Schindler and he begins to take it upon himself to save the schoolgirls.
What changes his mind is the horrifying picture of Japanese soldiers breaking into the church and manhandling the terrified schoolgirls.
Later on, there is a scene of one of the prostitutes tied down by a group of Japanese soldiers, gang-raped and then gutted.
These shocking vignettes drive home the atrocities committed during the Rape of Nanking and make clear what fate would befall the schoolgirls if they do not escape from the city.
Yet they feel they belong more in Lu Chuan’s sombre City Of Life And Death (2009) which tackled grim realities unflinchingly.
The doomed attraction between Miller and Yu feels out of place as well, even though newcomer Ni Ni brings sass and nobility to her role as a prostitute with a tale of woe and a heart of gold.
This being a Zhang Yimou film, there are also visually arresting moments including the colourful explosion of a paper factory, though some of the flourishes seem a tad overdone.
Still, you care about the fate of the girls when a Japanese general orders for the lot of them to be taken away to perform at a “celebration”.
The film asks some piercing questions: Who should be saved? Who should be sacrificed? Is one human life worth more than another?
There are no easy answers and the film ends on a haunting and poignant note.
(ST)
Zhang Yimou
The story: It is 1937 and Nanjing has fallen to the Japanese soldiers. A group of Chinese Catholic schoolgirls are stranded in the city and head to the church for safety. They place their hopes of salvation on the unlikely figure of the mortician John Miller (Christian Bale). A group of prostitutes led by the comely Yu Mo (Ni Ni) later break into the venue for shelter as well. Based on Chinese American author Yan Geling’s 2007 novella 13 Flowers Of Nanjing.
When one first sees Christian Bale with his fedora darting through war-torn streets, it seems as though we are being set up for something like Indiana Jones And The Rape Of Nanking.
To director Zhang Yimou’s credit, the film is not as jarring as that but on the other hand, he never quite manages to pull together the film as its tone veers from harrowing drama to a more light-hearted adventure flick.
Bale, best known for his brooding performances in the Batman films, plays Miller quite broadly at first. The rascally character is a fortune-hunter who has a weakness for both wine and women and, initially, he is concerned only with looking for money squirrelled away in the abandoned church.
But there is a pivotal point at which Miller turns into Oskar Schindler and he begins to take it upon himself to save the schoolgirls.
What changes his mind is the horrifying picture of Japanese soldiers breaking into the church and manhandling the terrified schoolgirls.
Later on, there is a scene of one of the prostitutes tied down by a group of Japanese soldiers, gang-raped and then gutted.
These shocking vignettes drive home the atrocities committed during the Rape of Nanking and make clear what fate would befall the schoolgirls if they do not escape from the city.
Yet they feel they belong more in Lu Chuan’s sombre City Of Life And Death (2009) which tackled grim realities unflinchingly.
The doomed attraction between Miller and Yu feels out of place as well, even though newcomer Ni Ni brings sass and nobility to her role as a prostitute with a tale of woe and a heart of gold.
This being a Zhang Yimou film, there are also visually arresting moments including the colourful explosion of a paper factory, though some of the flourishes seem a tad overdone.
Still, you care about the fate of the girls when a Japanese general orders for the lot of them to be taken away to perform at a “celebration”.
The film asks some piercing questions: Who should be saved? Who should be sacrificed? Is one human life worth more than another?
There are no easy answers and the film ends on a haunting and poignant note.
(ST)
Saturday, March 24, 2012
He Is Hanjin
Hanjin Tan
This disc of demos by Hong Kong-based Singapore singer-songwriter Hanjin Tan gives listeners a peek into the business of putting out a CD. He observes in the liner notes that demos are meant to be a sales tool to market his melodies to record companies. Once they are sold, their buyers can freely ask for changes to be made.
It is interesting to compare the original tracks with their better-known versions recorded by other singers, such as how Jam Hsiao’s Mandarin ballad You started out life as an English song with the same title.
Even if you do not know the final versions, the album still works as a collection of a songwriter’s diverse output. It also showcases his versatility as a singer as he emotes on the ballad Till The End and sings in falsetto on the R&B track My Life.
Another Lonely December
Tai Ai-ling
Just five albums later, Taiwan’s Tai Ai-ling is rolling out her first best-of compilation.
Her hits here include the karaoke-friendly ballad Lag from Angel Wings (2008) as well as the more poppish title track off 2009’s Love Sign.
The slow-burn torch songs from her last album, Tone (2010), remain a highlight, including the title track, Close Eyes and Plus, Minus, Multiply, Divide. The collection also features six new tracks and the title number is another moving ballad about being luckless in love: “The lonely season is not just in December/The romantic snow doesn’t bring romance to my heart.”
Extreme Explosion offers something different but this hard rock/rap stomper feels out of place here.
(ST)
Hanjin Tan
This disc of demos by Hong Kong-based Singapore singer-songwriter Hanjin Tan gives listeners a peek into the business of putting out a CD. He observes in the liner notes that demos are meant to be a sales tool to market his melodies to record companies. Once they are sold, their buyers can freely ask for changes to be made.
It is interesting to compare the original tracks with their better-known versions recorded by other singers, such as how Jam Hsiao’s Mandarin ballad You started out life as an English song with the same title.
Even if you do not know the final versions, the album still works as a collection of a songwriter’s diverse output. It also showcases his versatility as a singer as he emotes on the ballad Till The End and sings in falsetto on the R&B track My Life.
Another Lonely December
Tai Ai-ling
Just five albums later, Taiwan’s Tai Ai-ling is rolling out her first best-of compilation.
Her hits here include the karaoke-friendly ballad Lag from Angel Wings (2008) as well as the more poppish title track off 2009’s Love Sign.
The slow-burn torch songs from her last album, Tone (2010), remain a highlight, including the title track, Close Eyes and Plus, Minus, Multiply, Divide. The collection also features six new tracks and the title number is another moving ballad about being luckless in love: “The lonely season is not just in December/The romantic snow doesn’t bring romance to my heart.”
Extreme Explosion offers something different but this hard rock/rap stomper feels out of place here.
(ST)
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Break Heart, Black Heart
Alien Huang
Taiwan’s singer-actor- host Alien Huang has deftly avoided the dreaded sophomore slump. While his debut record Love Hero (2009) had a hip, youthful spirit that was irresistible, his ambitious follow-up admirably avoids replicating what had previously worked.
Huang tries his hand at coming up with the lyrics this time. He contributed to the dense wordplay of Black Heart and also paints love as a turbulent affair in the opening synth-rock number Whirlpool: “The enemy doesn’t move, I move; you don’t charge, I charge/Unless you love me, otherwise I won’t leave.”
The disc also features a wide variety of genres, from the winning ballad Who Knows You Better Than Me to the perky pop of Infatuated Man to the unexpected reggae pop of Front Back Left Right. Thank You For Letting Me Be Equal To You is most reminiscent of Love Hero’s vibe. And no wonder, since it was written by the band Fun4, a major collaborator on that record.
On the whole, a heartening follow-up.
(ST)
Alien Huang
Taiwan’s singer-actor- host Alien Huang has deftly avoided the dreaded sophomore slump. While his debut record Love Hero (2009) had a hip, youthful spirit that was irresistible, his ambitious follow-up admirably avoids replicating what had previously worked.
Huang tries his hand at coming up with the lyrics this time. He contributed to the dense wordplay of Black Heart and also paints love as a turbulent affair in the opening synth-rock number Whirlpool: “The enemy doesn’t move, I move; you don’t charge, I charge/Unless you love me, otherwise I won’t leave.”
The disc also features a wide variety of genres, from the winning ballad Who Knows You Better Than Me to the perky pop of Infatuated Man to the unexpected reggae pop of Front Back Left Right. Thank You For Letting Me Be Equal To You is most reminiscent of Love Hero’s vibe. And no wonder, since it was written by the band Fun4, a major collaborator on that record.
On the whole, a heartening follow-up.
(ST)
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Endlessly
Lin Yu-chun
Taiwanese reality singing show star Lin Yu-chun is back with his third album, made up mostly of English tracks, and it opens on a promising note.
Opening track Saving Grace is surprisingly low-key and restrained, and is all the better for it. Lin croons gently: “Lonely corner/In deep water/You are always my saving grace.”
It is a pity that his English pronunciation makes it sound like “in dip water”, marring the effect.
Several numbers – Stay For Awhile, Good Isn’t Good Enough – fall into an adult-oriented middle- of-the-road groove that seems too old and dated for the 25-year-old.
It is back to business on the title track Endlessly though. It is a song tailor-made for fans who adore his take on dramatic ballads, in which he scales those high notes.
Also included are covers of the Carpenters’ Close To You and Whitney Houston’s Greatest Love Of All. After all, he first caught the attention of the public with his rendition of I Will Always Love You. Unfortunately, the covers themselves are reverent and unexciting affairs.
It is something of a relief to have him singing in his native Mandarin tongue on the last few tracks. They are not quite the saving grace of the album, but at least he has no problems with diction on them.
(ST)
Lin Yu-chun
Taiwanese reality singing show star Lin Yu-chun is back with his third album, made up mostly of English tracks, and it opens on a promising note.
Opening track Saving Grace is surprisingly low-key and restrained, and is all the better for it. Lin croons gently: “Lonely corner/In deep water/You are always my saving grace.”
It is a pity that his English pronunciation makes it sound like “in dip water”, marring the effect.
Several numbers – Stay For Awhile, Good Isn’t Good Enough – fall into an adult-oriented middle- of-the-road groove that seems too old and dated for the 25-year-old.
It is back to business on the title track Endlessly though. It is a song tailor-made for fans who adore his take on dramatic ballads, in which he scales those high notes.
Also included are covers of the Carpenters’ Close To You and Whitney Houston’s Greatest Love Of All. After all, he first caught the attention of the public with his rendition of I Will Always Love You. Unfortunately, the covers themselves are reverent and unexciting affairs.
It is something of a relief to have him singing in his native Mandarin tongue on the last few tracks. They are not quite the saving grace of the album, but at least he has no problems with diction on them.
(ST)
Death Cab for Cutie – Live in Singapore
Fort Canning Park/Wednesday
If names are destinies, then alternative rock band Death Cab For Cutie can be said to have fulfilled theirs, for it is striking how many of their songs deal with dying.
Morbid case in point: A highlight of their recent two-hour gig here was undoubtedly frontman Ben Gibbard alone with his acoustic guitar singing I Will Follow You Into The Dark. Backed up by the audience as chorus, he promised in his clear and plaintive voice: “If there’s no one beside you/When your soul embarks/Then I’ll follow you into the dark.”
And on What Sarah Said, he crooned: “But I’m thinking of what Sarah said/That love is watching someone die”.
On other occasions, the four-member band used death as a metaphor. Marching Bands Of Manhattan ominously intoned that “your love is gonna drown”.
But if death was a constant theme, it was present in a vibrant show that was attended by 5,500, say the organisers.
Looking like a college student in his red checked shirt and skinny jeans, Gibbard proved he had the boundless energy of one as well.
Long Division, off their Billboard No. 1 album Narrow Stairs (2008), was revved up a notch from the disc and he could barely contain himself as he furiously unwound the guitar and microphone wires holding him back.
Apart from a minor snag or two, having already performed in Australia, New Zealand and Taipei, the band were a well-oiled machine and they put on a tight and energetic show, their second in Singapore, that was free of frills.
Melancholia seldom sounded this good, whether paired with sunny melodies or delivered in downbeat doses.
The band performed material spanning their career, including Photobooth from The Forbidden Love EP (2000), A Movie Script Ending off The Photo Album (2001), A Lack Of Color from the critically lauded Transatlanticism (2003) as well as Meet Me On The Equinox, which was on the soundtrack for The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009).
New album Codes And Keys (2011) was represented by Doors Unlocked And Open, You Are A Tourist and St. Peter’s Cathedral. While the record marked a departure of sorts from the more characteristically guitar-driven sound of the band, the change was not as marked on stage except for the synth-backed title track.
Gibbard was not one given to much small talk, though he remarked charmingly at one point: “Looks like our friend Sticky Heat showed up. He’s my worst enemy, I hate him.”
When bassist Nick Harmer had to deal with a technical glitch, Gibbard mused: “I could take this opportunity to do some shameless promotion on our behalf, but I won’t. Maybe I can talk about how bad airline food is.”
The final song of the gig was the epic ballad Transatlanticism with its insistent repetition of “I need you so much closer”. It was a touchingly direct and earnest plea for human connection, one which Death Cab had already made with their fans that night.
(ST)
Fort Canning Park/Wednesday
If names are destinies, then alternative rock band Death Cab For Cutie can be said to have fulfilled theirs, for it is striking how many of their songs deal with dying.
Morbid case in point: A highlight of their recent two-hour gig here was undoubtedly frontman Ben Gibbard alone with his acoustic guitar singing I Will Follow You Into The Dark. Backed up by the audience as chorus, he promised in his clear and plaintive voice: “If there’s no one beside you/When your soul embarks/Then I’ll follow you into the dark.”
And on What Sarah Said, he crooned: “But I’m thinking of what Sarah said/That love is watching someone die”.
On other occasions, the four-member band used death as a metaphor. Marching Bands Of Manhattan ominously intoned that “your love is gonna drown”.
But if death was a constant theme, it was present in a vibrant show that was attended by 5,500, say the organisers.
Looking like a college student in his red checked shirt and skinny jeans, Gibbard proved he had the boundless energy of one as well.
Long Division, off their Billboard No. 1 album Narrow Stairs (2008), was revved up a notch from the disc and he could barely contain himself as he furiously unwound the guitar and microphone wires holding him back.
Apart from a minor snag or two, having already performed in Australia, New Zealand and Taipei, the band were a well-oiled machine and they put on a tight and energetic show, their second in Singapore, that was free of frills.
Melancholia seldom sounded this good, whether paired with sunny melodies or delivered in downbeat doses.
The band performed material spanning their career, including Photobooth from The Forbidden Love EP (2000), A Movie Script Ending off The Photo Album (2001), A Lack Of Color from the critically lauded Transatlanticism (2003) as well as Meet Me On The Equinox, which was on the soundtrack for The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009).
New album Codes And Keys (2011) was represented by Doors Unlocked And Open, You Are A Tourist and St. Peter’s Cathedral. While the record marked a departure of sorts from the more characteristically guitar-driven sound of the band, the change was not as marked on stage except for the synth-backed title track.
Gibbard was not one given to much small talk, though he remarked charmingly at one point: “Looks like our friend Sticky Heat showed up. He’s my worst enemy, I hate him.”
When bassist Nick Harmer had to deal with a technical glitch, Gibbard mused: “I could take this opportunity to do some shameless promotion on our behalf, but I won’t. Maybe I can talk about how bad airline food is.”
The final song of the gig was the epic ballad Transatlanticism with its insistent repetition of “I need you so much closer”. It was a touchingly direct and earnest plea for human connection, one which Death Cab had already made with their fans that night.
(ST)
Thursday, March 08, 2012
Timeless Love
Dasmond Koh, Lim Koong Hwee
A lazy script, leaden acting and lacklustre direction make for a disappointing feature-film debut by television host Dasmond Koh. The movie was co-directed by MediaCorp veteran Lim Koong Hwee.
The story is largely set on a fantasy resort island from which adults seem to have been banished. Eden (Joshua Ang from We Not Naughty) and his younger sister Xiaowei (Kimberly Chia) run the place.
They cater to rich kid Morgan (We Not Naughty’s Shawn Lee lookalike Aloysius Pang), his good friend Sky (the cheery and cheeky Xu Bin, who is about the only actor who emerges unscathed) and Morgan’s on-off girlfriend Pepper (Josephine Chan). There is also a lone photographer Uri (Eugene Lim) thrown into the mix.
Morgan is searching for his late grandmother’s connection to the island and, disconcertingly, she appears to him as a young woman (Cynthia Ruby Wang) rather than as an old woman.
After the set-up, the film-makers have no idea what to do, so they pile on preposterous plot turns while the characters speak in cliches or, worse, in stilted voiceovers.
A scheming adult character turns up at the end threatening to take over the resort, and has his flunkey pick open a safe with a piece of wire in broad daylight. It is enough to make one laugh out loud.
The movie is desperately trying to masquerade as a fluffy Taiwanese idol drama but it simply falls flat.
(ST)
Dasmond Koh, Lim Koong Hwee
A lazy script, leaden acting and lacklustre direction make for a disappointing feature-film debut by television host Dasmond Koh. The movie was co-directed by MediaCorp veteran Lim Koong Hwee.
The story is largely set on a fantasy resort island from which adults seem to have been banished. Eden (Joshua Ang from We Not Naughty) and his younger sister Xiaowei (Kimberly Chia) run the place.
They cater to rich kid Morgan (We Not Naughty’s Shawn Lee lookalike Aloysius Pang), his good friend Sky (the cheery and cheeky Xu Bin, who is about the only actor who emerges unscathed) and Morgan’s on-off girlfriend Pepper (Josephine Chan). There is also a lone photographer Uri (Eugene Lim) thrown into the mix.
Morgan is searching for his late grandmother’s connection to the island and, disconcertingly, she appears to him as a young woman (Cynthia Ruby Wang) rather than as an old woman.
After the set-up, the film-makers have no idea what to do, so they pile on preposterous plot turns while the characters speak in cliches or, worse, in stilted voiceovers.
A scheming adult character turns up at the end threatening to take over the resort, and has his flunkey pick open a safe with a piece of wire in broad daylight. It is enough to make one laugh out loud.
The movie is desperately trying to masquerade as a fluffy Taiwanese idol drama but it simply falls flat.
(ST)
Saturday, March 03, 2012
Love Original Soundtrack
Various artists
A Gift Of Love
Victor Wong
Love is in the air but only one of these albums is a welcome gift. As with Doze Niu’s previous film Monga (2010), the soundtrack to Love is no mere afterthought but a smartly curated selection of songs. The Taiwanese director even sings on one track here – the pared-down and earnest Maxim Of Love.
The new number Fool from feted singer Yoga Lin is an undoubted highlight. He makes a convincing case to be a fool for love in the emo ballad: “I don’t need, nor is it important, how great is it to be a fool/I don’t understand, nor do I need to, just let me be this way till I’m old.”
Hebe Tien’s Love! and My Love are more obvious, though still apt, selections. In particular, Love!’s daisy chain of failed connections sets up the film beautifully.
Better yet is the inclusion of Waa Wei’s Stary Birds and Us, both off her new album, No Crying (2011). She coos fearlessly on Birds: “I rush about blindly, how did I end up full of wounds.”
The DVD includes the music video for Fool as well as glimpses of the star-studded cast of Love mucking about on set. It would have been nice, though, to have had more original material as was the case for the Monga soundtrack, which had contributions from actors Ethan Juan and Mark Chao.
While Malaysian balladeer Victor Wong’s latest album comprises original material, it is hard to get excited about much of it. Even the key track A Gift To Unwrap, with lyrics by Lin Xi, feels blah rather than achingly romantic: “You’re the gift I’ve waited to unwrap all my life/This love is too precious, held in my palm, there are no more ifs.”
I Am Sure is one of the more memorable songs here with an easy breezy melody, while Again leaves an impression with its computer game-inspired lyrics and synth effects-laden music.
Problem is, his voice falls on the wrong side of sweet for me and is too often just blandly pleasant.
(ST)
Various artists
A Gift Of Love
Victor Wong
Love is in the air but only one of these albums is a welcome gift. As with Doze Niu’s previous film Monga (2010), the soundtrack to Love is no mere afterthought but a smartly curated selection of songs. The Taiwanese director even sings on one track here – the pared-down and earnest Maxim Of Love.
The new number Fool from feted singer Yoga Lin is an undoubted highlight. He makes a convincing case to be a fool for love in the emo ballad: “I don’t need, nor is it important, how great is it to be a fool/I don’t understand, nor do I need to, just let me be this way till I’m old.”
Hebe Tien’s Love! and My Love are more obvious, though still apt, selections. In particular, Love!’s daisy chain of failed connections sets up the film beautifully.
Better yet is the inclusion of Waa Wei’s Stary Birds and Us, both off her new album, No Crying (2011). She coos fearlessly on Birds: “I rush about blindly, how did I end up full of wounds.”
The DVD includes the music video for Fool as well as glimpses of the star-studded cast of Love mucking about on set. It would have been nice, though, to have had more original material as was the case for the Monga soundtrack, which had contributions from actors Ethan Juan and Mark Chao.
While Malaysian balladeer Victor Wong’s latest album comprises original material, it is hard to get excited about much of it. Even the key track A Gift To Unwrap, with lyrics by Lin Xi, feels blah rather than achingly romantic: “You’re the gift I’ve waited to unwrap all my life/This love is too precious, held in my palm, there are no more ifs.”
I Am Sure is one of the more memorable songs here with an easy breezy melody, while Again leaves an impression with its computer game-inspired lyrics and synth effects-laden music.
Problem is, his voice falls on the wrong side of sweet for me and is too often just blandly pleasant.
(ST)
Thursday, March 01, 2012
The Lady
Luc Besson
The story: Before getting embroiled in politics, Aung San Suu Kyi (Michelle Yeoh) is happily married to academic Michael Aris (David Thewlis) and makes a home with him and their two sons in Oxford, England. A trip back to Rangoon to visit her dying mother proves pivotal and eventually leads to her non-violent campaign for human rights and democracy in her native Burma. She is subsequently placed under extended house arrest by the military government. (The movie refers to the country as Burma throughout. The military regime changed the country’s name to Myanmar in 1989.)
In the other current biopic of a famous female politician, Meryl Streep physically transforms into former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. It is a bravura performance that has just won her a Best Actress Oscar.
Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh’s turn may not be as dramatic but she emanates a dignified grace and a steely resolve that capture the essence of Aung San Suu Kyi as she goes from Oxford housewife to political leader.
Even with no make-up wizardry, there is a passing resemblance between the two. And impressively, she delivers key public speeches in Burmese, though admittedly, I have no idea how authentic they sound.
Suu Kyi’s destiny is mapped out for her by history. Her father Aung San had led Burma to independence and was assassinated in 1947 when she was just three.
But he has not been forgotten and on her return home from England, she finds his portrait being held aloft by those protesting against the military junta.
Interestingly, she espouses non-violent revolution despite being the daughter of a general. This is not something the movie dwells on beyond a scene of her reading a book on Indian leader Gandhi, suggesting she was influenced by his ideas.
It is something of a surprise to find French director Luc Besson – best known for his snazzy action thrillers such as Nikita (1990) and The Fifth Element (1997) – at the helm of this rather restrained drama, which is as much about politics as about love.
The bond between Suu Kyi and Michael (an excellent David Thewlis, left) is powerful and moving.
He is her pillar of strength through all the ups and downs. At one point, she says tenderly: “You really must be the most indulgent husband who ever lived.”
The film also illustrates the high price the Nobel Peace Prize laureate pays for her cause as her loved ones are deliberately kept apart from her.
They are denied entry visas to visit her in Burma, and she knows that if she leaves, she would never be allowed back.
When she is forced to choose between her country and her dying husband by the generals in power, her anguished, bitter response is: “What kind of freedom is that?”
The constant one-step-forward-two-steps- back momentum and the cycles of reunion and separation grow a little too familiar as the film progresses. And one can begin to imagine the immense frustrations that Suu Kyi herself must have felt.
She rebuffs the idea of a cult of personality in the film but The Lady is nevertheless a timely tribute to the courage of one extraordinary woman.
While the film is overtly political – it ends with her release from house arrest in 2010 and a plea from her: “Please use your liberty to promote ours” – it appears to have been overtaken by current developments.
Reforms in Burma have been progressing at a brisk pace since the general elections which took place in 2010.
(ST)
Luc Besson
The story: Before getting embroiled in politics, Aung San Suu Kyi (Michelle Yeoh) is happily married to academic Michael Aris (David Thewlis) and makes a home with him and their two sons in Oxford, England. A trip back to Rangoon to visit her dying mother proves pivotal and eventually leads to her non-violent campaign for human rights and democracy in her native Burma. She is subsequently placed under extended house arrest by the military government. (The movie refers to the country as Burma throughout. The military regime changed the country’s name to Myanmar in 1989.)
In the other current biopic of a famous female politician, Meryl Streep physically transforms into former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. It is a bravura performance that has just won her a Best Actress Oscar.
Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh’s turn may not be as dramatic but she emanates a dignified grace and a steely resolve that capture the essence of Aung San Suu Kyi as she goes from Oxford housewife to political leader.
Even with no make-up wizardry, there is a passing resemblance between the two. And impressively, she delivers key public speeches in Burmese, though admittedly, I have no idea how authentic they sound.
Suu Kyi’s destiny is mapped out for her by history. Her father Aung San had led Burma to independence and was assassinated in 1947 when she was just three.
But he has not been forgotten and on her return home from England, she finds his portrait being held aloft by those protesting against the military junta.
Interestingly, she espouses non-violent revolution despite being the daughter of a general. This is not something the movie dwells on beyond a scene of her reading a book on Indian leader Gandhi, suggesting she was influenced by his ideas.
It is something of a surprise to find French director Luc Besson – best known for his snazzy action thrillers such as Nikita (1990) and The Fifth Element (1997) – at the helm of this rather restrained drama, which is as much about politics as about love.
The bond between Suu Kyi and Michael (an excellent David Thewlis, left) is powerful and moving.
He is her pillar of strength through all the ups and downs. At one point, she says tenderly: “You really must be the most indulgent husband who ever lived.”
The film also illustrates the high price the Nobel Peace Prize laureate pays for her cause as her loved ones are deliberately kept apart from her.
They are denied entry visas to visit her in Burma, and she knows that if she leaves, she would never be allowed back.
When she is forced to choose between her country and her dying husband by the generals in power, her anguished, bitter response is: “What kind of freedom is that?”
The constant one-step-forward-two-steps- back momentum and the cycles of reunion and separation grow a little too familiar as the film progresses. And one can begin to imagine the immense frustrations that Suu Kyi herself must have felt.
She rebuffs the idea of a cult of personality in the film but The Lady is nevertheless a timely tribute to the courage of one extraordinary woman.
While the film is overtly political – it ends with her release from house arrest in 2010 and a plea from her: “Please use your liberty to promote ours” – it appears to have been overtaken by current developments.
Reforms in Burma have been progressing at a brisk pace since the general elections which took place in 2010.
(ST)
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