Serena
Susanne Bier
The story: George Pemberton (Bradley Cooper) is a lumber baron with an operation located in the North Carolina mountains in 1929. He marries the unconventional Serena (Jennifer Lawrence) and soon, she begins to clash with his right-hand man Buchanan
(David Dencik). When Serena learns of George’s past indiscretion, she turns to the skulking Galloway (Rhys Ifans) to help her wreak terrible vengeance. Based on the novel of the same name by American author Ron Rash.
Moviegoers know Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper can generate chemistry together.
Despite the age gap – she is 24, he is 39 – they sizzled in the romantic drama Silver Linings Playbook (2012). They were both nominated for Oscars and Lawrence won for Best Actress. The two also worked together in the acclaimed comedy-drama American Hustle (2013), though they did not play a couple there.
And because they enjoyed working together so much, Lawrence persuaded Cooper to come on board for Serena. They forgot, though, that you cannot generate sparks in a vacuum.
The script by Christopher Kyle is full of risible dialogue and acclaimed Danish director Susanne Bier flounders in the follow-up to her first American film, the drama Things We Lost In The Fire (2007).
The courtship between George and Serena is perfunctory and he essentially wins her over with: “I think we should be married.”
And more than once, they profess their feelings for each other with lazy lines such as “I really love you”.
Hidden in this dour, dreary film is a potentially interesting one with feminist leanings. What happens when a strong woman is introduced into a fraternity where men run the world and women serve, cook and raise babies? What does she have to do to prove herself?
While moviegoers get a scene of Lawrence manfully wielding an axe, she is eventually reduced to a hysterical state in an over-the-top resolution.
Instead, Bier adds other elements such as the clash between the timber-for-profit and woodland- for-preservation factions, mostly to wooden effect. Meanwhile, George is hunting down an elusive panther and it feels like the film is straining for metaphor, but ends up falling flat.
This is a rare misstep for Lawrence, who has ably balanced crowd-pleasers such as young-adult franchise The Hunger Games with acclaimed arthouse work in films such as Winter’s Bone (2010).
Working with friends is well and good, but next time, she might want to read the script more carefully.
(ST)
Monday, December 29, 2014
Opus 2 Jay 2014 World Tour
National Stadium
Last Saturday
Can a concert suffer from sequelitis?
A year and a half after the Opus world tour made its way to the Indoor Stadium, Mandopop king Jay Chou was back with Opus 2 at the National Stadium.
The first two numbers certainly made a case for it. The volume was pumped up to deafening levels as he descended onto the stage like some celestial being garbed in glittery silver. And then a riot of colours and movement exploded on stage as Exclamation Point was punctuated with bolts of blue, while Dragon Fists swirled about in red.
These were the two opening songs for the first Opus as well, and the idea here seemed to be to pummel the memory of that into submission.
And since we are comparing editions, it has to be said that he kept his abs hidden from view this time, though he did show us his slick-with-sweat biceps in a sleeveless top.
Thankfully, the assault on the senses let up by the third song, The Final Battle.
Unfortunately, the messy, murky sound never really cleared up. He mostly sounded echoey and, at times, was barely audible. The acoustics were particularly bad during Mr Magic, when other singers came on board, as some voices were swallowed up completely.
While Chou did not have a new movie out, there was still a short segment of role-playing that felt like a redux of the mini-musical that plugged The Rooftop (2012) previously. It did not work last time, and it did not work this time.
Ultimately, what the more than 30,000 fans were here for were the songs. And whenever he launched into a familiar favourite during the almost three-hour-long gig, the reception was thunderous.
Even those who criticise him for essentially putting out the same album over and over again have to admit he has a knack for coming up with diverse hits, from R&B ballads to fast-paced tonguetwisters.
Chou remarked that he saw many children and some parents in the audience and added: “It shows that my music speaks to fans across a wide age range.”
They bellowed along with gusto and cheered when he dedicated Adorable Woman from his debut album, Jay (2000), to “the adorable women of Singapore”.
At one or two junctures though, it hardly seemed to matter what he was singing.
Nunchucks was propelled by an insanely catchy beat and some wicked rhymes and not by his vocals, which one could barely make out.
And during the giddily entertaining track Dizzy Eunuch, he could just as well have been spouting gibberish since you had no idea what he was rapping if not for the karaoke-style lyrics displayed on the screens flanking the stage.
Inevitably, the new songs from his just-launched album, Hey, Not Bad, did not pack as much of a punch given that they were not as familiar.
None of this seemed to dampen the enthusiasm of his adoring fans. There was almost a stampede when he made his way into the audience to shake some hands.
The affection was mutual and he cherished his fans as well. He showed his sweet and playful side when he picked three fans and sang duets with them. When an Indonesian fan professed that she could not sing well, he said encouragingly that neither could he.
The finale song, Common Jasmine Orange, harked back to the previous tour’s closing number. But it seemed particularly apt for the stormy evening as he sang: “It rained all night/My love overflows like rain.”
It was answered by a flood of love from his fans as well.
(ST)
National Stadium
Last Saturday
Can a concert suffer from sequelitis?
A year and a half after the Opus world tour made its way to the Indoor Stadium, Mandopop king Jay Chou was back with Opus 2 at the National Stadium.
The first two numbers certainly made a case for it. The volume was pumped up to deafening levels as he descended onto the stage like some celestial being garbed in glittery silver. And then a riot of colours and movement exploded on stage as Exclamation Point was punctuated with bolts of blue, while Dragon Fists swirled about in red.
These were the two opening songs for the first Opus as well, and the idea here seemed to be to pummel the memory of that into submission.
And since we are comparing editions, it has to be said that he kept his abs hidden from view this time, though he did show us his slick-with-sweat biceps in a sleeveless top.
Thankfully, the assault on the senses let up by the third song, The Final Battle.
Unfortunately, the messy, murky sound never really cleared up. He mostly sounded echoey and, at times, was barely audible. The acoustics were particularly bad during Mr Magic, when other singers came on board, as some voices were swallowed up completely.
While Chou did not have a new movie out, there was still a short segment of role-playing that felt like a redux of the mini-musical that plugged The Rooftop (2012) previously. It did not work last time, and it did not work this time.
Ultimately, what the more than 30,000 fans were here for were the songs. And whenever he launched into a familiar favourite during the almost three-hour-long gig, the reception was thunderous.
Even those who criticise him for essentially putting out the same album over and over again have to admit he has a knack for coming up with diverse hits, from R&B ballads to fast-paced tonguetwisters.
Chou remarked that he saw many children and some parents in the audience and added: “It shows that my music speaks to fans across a wide age range.”
They bellowed along with gusto and cheered when he dedicated Adorable Woman from his debut album, Jay (2000), to “the adorable women of Singapore”.
At one or two junctures though, it hardly seemed to matter what he was singing.
Nunchucks was propelled by an insanely catchy beat and some wicked rhymes and not by his vocals, which one could barely make out.
And during the giddily entertaining track Dizzy Eunuch, he could just as well have been spouting gibberish since you had no idea what he was rapping if not for the karaoke-style lyrics displayed on the screens flanking the stage.
Inevitably, the new songs from his just-launched album, Hey, Not Bad, did not pack as much of a punch given that they were not as familiar.
None of this seemed to dampen the enthusiasm of his adoring fans. There was almost a stampede when he made his way into the audience to shake some hands.
The affection was mutual and he cherished his fans as well. He showed his sweet and playful side when he picked three fans and sang duets with them. When an Indonesian fan professed that she could not sing well, he said encouragingly that neither could he.
The finale song, Common Jasmine Orange, harked back to the previous tour’s closing number. But it seemed particularly apt for the stormy evening as he sang: “It rained all night/My love overflows like rain.”
It was answered by a flood of love from his fans as well.
(ST)
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Best & Worst of 2014 gigs
Best
DICK LEE: CELEBRATING 40 YEARS IN MUSIC
Drama Centre, Aug 31
Home-grown music man Dick Lee marked four prolific decades with a cosy gig with, and for, family and friends. His body of work is a richly diverse one and spans the beloved national song Home to pop hit Paradise In My Heart to musicals such as Snow.Wolf.Lake.
He crooned Canto hits, duetted with his ex-wife Jacintha Abisheganaden and performed with his three brothers. In between, he reminisced on how he got his start on Talentime and his encounters with stars such as the late Leslie Cheung.
The thunderous standing ovation at the end was a tribute to both the man and his music.
(ST)
Best
DICK LEE: CELEBRATING 40 YEARS IN MUSIC
Drama Centre, Aug 31
Home-grown music man Dick Lee marked four prolific decades with a cosy gig with, and for, family and friends. His body of work is a richly diverse one and spans the beloved national song Home to pop hit Paradise In My Heart to musicals such as Snow.Wolf.Lake.
He crooned Canto hits, duetted with his ex-wife Jacintha Abisheganaden and performed with his three brothers. In between, he reminisced on how he got his start on Talentime and his encounters with stars such as the late Leslie Cheung.
The thunderous standing ovation at the end was a tribute to both the man and his music.
(ST)
Best & Worst of 2014 Asian gigs
Best
EASON’S LIFE IN SINGAPORE
Singapore Indoor Stadium, March 1
The best reason to catch Hong Kong singer Eason Chan live is his voice. Wonderfully rich and beautifully emotive, this is a brew to get drunk on when he performs hits such as Under Mount Fuji and Tourbillon. His exuberance on stage suggests that even he himself gets intoxicated as well.
If you need more reasons, how about the playful outfits and the thoughtful staging? The most indelible image of the night was a man defying gravity by walking on the underside of a cloud while Chan was dressed like a beekeeper on his way to a funeral.
STEFANIE SUN 2014 KEPLER WORLD TOUR
Taipei Arena, Feb 15, and National Stadium, July 5
Singapore’s favourite home-grown pop star wife and mother staged a triumphant comeback at the new National Stadium in July. And Stefanie Sun goes down in the history books as the first pop act to perform at the venue. Unfortunately, it was not quite the perfect gig as she lost her voice as a result of the flu. Still, her fans rallied around her and kept spirits high.
Her Taipei concert in February showed what she was capable of when she was in top form. She was relaxed and happy on stage and even pulled off some slinky dance moves. And best of all, her powerful and distinctive pipes rang out strong and clear.
Worst
2014 SPRING WAVE MUSIC AND ART FESTIVAL
The Meadow, Gardens by the Bay, June 7
The festival made news overseas when Taiwanese diva A-mei was prohibited from singing her ballad Rainbow as authorities deemed that it was used to promote an LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) agenda when she performed it here previously.
Reports said she was perplexed as the lyrics and mood of the track are very gentle.
Crowd control was also messy as the event tried to be both a sit-down concert as well as a do-as-you-please festival. Security personnel could be heard shouting at fans to return to their seats and disgruntled people yelling at others to not block their view.
(ST)
Best
EASON’S LIFE IN SINGAPORE
Singapore Indoor Stadium, March 1
The best reason to catch Hong Kong singer Eason Chan live is his voice. Wonderfully rich and beautifully emotive, this is a brew to get drunk on when he performs hits such as Under Mount Fuji and Tourbillon. His exuberance on stage suggests that even he himself gets intoxicated as well.
If you need more reasons, how about the playful outfits and the thoughtful staging? The most indelible image of the night was a man defying gravity by walking on the underside of a cloud while Chan was dressed like a beekeeper on his way to a funeral.
STEFANIE SUN 2014 KEPLER WORLD TOUR
Taipei Arena, Feb 15, and National Stadium, July 5
Singapore’s favourite home-grown pop star wife and mother staged a triumphant comeback at the new National Stadium in July. And Stefanie Sun goes down in the history books as the first pop act to perform at the venue. Unfortunately, it was not quite the perfect gig as she lost her voice as a result of the flu. Still, her fans rallied around her and kept spirits high.
Her Taipei concert in February showed what she was capable of when she was in top form. She was relaxed and happy on stage and even pulled off some slinky dance moves. And best of all, her powerful and distinctive pipes rang out strong and clear.
Worst
2014 SPRING WAVE MUSIC AND ART FESTIVAL
The Meadow, Gardens by the Bay, June 7
The festival made news overseas when Taiwanese diva A-mei was prohibited from singing her ballad Rainbow as authorities deemed that it was used to promote an LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) agenda when she performed it here previously.
Reports said she was perplexed as the lyrics and mood of the track are very gentle.
Crowd control was also messy as the event tried to be both a sit-down concert as well as a do-as-you-please festival. Security personnel could be heard shouting at fans to return to their seats and disgruntled people yelling at others to not block their view.
(ST)
Best & Worst of 2014 movies
Best
THE LUNCHBOX
Inspired by the feat of logistical wonder that is the daily lunch delivery in Mumbai, writer-director Ritesh Batra cooks up a moving tale of urban loneliness and human connection.
It is liberally sauced with delicious curries and spiced with lovely performances from Irrfan Khan as a curmudgeonly widower and Nimrat Kaur as a housewife slowly discovering her own voice.
There are moments of drama, comedy and tragedy and the first-time feature director balances all the flavours as deftly as a dabbawalla wending through Mumbai traffic.
BEYOND BEAUTY: TAIWAN FROM ABOVE
From above looking down, one sees beauty as well as a landscape ravaged by rampant, thoughtless development in the name of progress and economic growth.
The Golden Horse Award winner for Best Documentary shows cinemagoers both stunning natural vistas as well as scarred earth and polluted waterways, all set to a stirring score by Singapore composer Ricky Ho.
What comes through is film-maker Chi Po-lin’s love of the land and while he does not harangue, it is also clear that something has to change before more mountains come tumbling down.
GRAND PIANO and BROTHERHOOD OF BLADES
Two of the most purely entertaining flicks of the year could not be more different.
Spanish director Eugenio Mira goes for high drama and taut suspense in his virtuoso performance of Grand Piano.
Elijah Wood is a concert pianist who has to get a devilishly difficult piece right under threat of death and there are plenty of intriguing questions raised along the way. The score by Victor Reyes works in tandem with what is unfolding as it teases and thrills.
Brotherhood Of Blades is the Mandarin wuxia version of A Simple Plan (1998) – what seems like a good idea turns into a nightmare that will not end.
An easy windfall ends up exacting a terribly high price on Ming dynasty palace assassin Shen Lian (Chang Chen) and his sworn brothers.
Director Lu Yang keeps cinemagoers on tenterhooks over their fates and Lin Sang dazzles with the sizzling swordfights.
Worst
OUTCAST
In bizarro land, wracked with guilt Crusader Jacob (Hayden Christensen) has to chaperone a China princess and her heir-to-the-throne younger brother to safety.
Christensen’s fauxhawk always looks sharp even though they are on the run and Nicolas Cage shows up – blind in one eye, brandishing a snake in one fist and lurching about drunk and angry. It seems like an apt response to getting cast in this turkey.
(ST)
Best
THE LUNCHBOX
Inspired by the feat of logistical wonder that is the daily lunch delivery in Mumbai, writer-director Ritesh Batra cooks up a moving tale of urban loneliness and human connection.
It is liberally sauced with delicious curries and spiced with lovely performances from Irrfan Khan as a curmudgeonly widower and Nimrat Kaur as a housewife slowly discovering her own voice.
There are moments of drama, comedy and tragedy and the first-time feature director balances all the flavours as deftly as a dabbawalla wending through Mumbai traffic.
BEYOND BEAUTY: TAIWAN FROM ABOVE
From above looking down, one sees beauty as well as a landscape ravaged by rampant, thoughtless development in the name of progress and economic growth.
The Golden Horse Award winner for Best Documentary shows cinemagoers both stunning natural vistas as well as scarred earth and polluted waterways, all set to a stirring score by Singapore composer Ricky Ho.
What comes through is film-maker Chi Po-lin’s love of the land and while he does not harangue, it is also clear that something has to change before more mountains come tumbling down.
GRAND PIANO and BROTHERHOOD OF BLADES
Two of the most purely entertaining flicks of the year could not be more different.
Spanish director Eugenio Mira goes for high drama and taut suspense in his virtuoso performance of Grand Piano.
Elijah Wood is a concert pianist who has to get a devilishly difficult piece right under threat of death and there are plenty of intriguing questions raised along the way. The score by Victor Reyes works in tandem with what is unfolding as it teases and thrills.
Brotherhood Of Blades is the Mandarin wuxia version of A Simple Plan (1998) – what seems like a good idea turns into a nightmare that will not end.
An easy windfall ends up exacting a terribly high price on Ming dynasty palace assassin Shen Lian (Chang Chen) and his sworn brothers.
Director Lu Yang keeps cinemagoers on tenterhooks over their fates and Lin Sang dazzles with the sizzling swordfights.
Worst
OUTCAST
In bizarro land, wracked with guilt Crusader Jacob (Hayden Christensen) has to chaperone a China princess and her heir-to-the-throne younger brother to safety.
Christensen’s fauxhawk always looks sharp even though they are on the run and Nicolas Cage shows up – blind in one eye, brandishing a snake in one fist and lurching about drunk and angry. It seems like an apt response to getting cast in this turkey.
(ST)
Best & Worst of 2014 Mandopop albums
Best
BREAKTHROUGH
Luantan-Ascent, B’in Music International
Inspired by the natural world, the record dives into the sea, emerges on land and takes flight on songs such as Out From Water, Streams In The Desert and Iceberg. This is revelatory rock, propelled by everything from buzzing guitars to Luantan-Ascent’s magnetic, raspy voice. He ruminates on the essential nature of this earth and even takes on animal forms like a music shaman.
FACES OF PARANOIA – ONLY THE PARANOID SURVIVE
A-mei, Mei Entertainment
Much ink has been spilled on the Taiwanese diva’s ballooning weight, but the spotlight should really be on how good A-mei’s new album is. It sounds like a best-of compilation distilled from the three years that went into it – every track sounds like it could be a hit. Highlights include the slinky Dog, examining a relationship on the brink from the perspective of a shared pet.
MODEL
Li Ronghao, Linfair Records
Thanks to five nominations at the prestigious Golden Melody Awards, China’s Li Ronghao found himself catapulted into the limelight. He eventually nabbed the trophy for Best New Artist.
His lightly husky baritone lights up the understated, mid-tempo material here. Highlights such as the breezy opener Li Bai, Too Frank, a light-footed number about getting hurt, are why the album is compelling enough to make a mannequin move.
Worst
LION ROAR
Show Lo, Sony Music Entertainment Taiwan
One expects more from a milestone 10th album, but dance king Show Lo merely serves up warmed-over rehashed K-pop. His boast on the title song – “I’m not afraid to take on challenges, keep breaking through to something new” – rings hollow.
(ST)
Best
BREAKTHROUGH
Luantan-Ascent, B’in Music International
Inspired by the natural world, the record dives into the sea, emerges on land and takes flight on songs such as Out From Water, Streams In The Desert and Iceberg. This is revelatory rock, propelled by everything from buzzing guitars to Luantan-Ascent’s magnetic, raspy voice. He ruminates on the essential nature of this earth and even takes on animal forms like a music shaman.
FACES OF PARANOIA – ONLY THE PARANOID SURVIVE
A-mei, Mei Entertainment
Much ink has been spilled on the Taiwanese diva’s ballooning weight, but the spotlight should really be on how good A-mei’s new album is. It sounds like a best-of compilation distilled from the three years that went into it – every track sounds like it could be a hit. Highlights include the slinky Dog, examining a relationship on the brink from the perspective of a shared pet.
MODEL
Li Ronghao, Linfair Records
Thanks to five nominations at the prestigious Golden Melody Awards, China’s Li Ronghao found himself catapulted into the limelight. He eventually nabbed the trophy for Best New Artist.
His lightly husky baritone lights up the understated, mid-tempo material here. Highlights such as the breezy opener Li Bai, Too Frank, a light-footed number about getting hurt, are why the album is compelling enough to make a mannequin move.
Worst
LION ROAR
Show Lo, Sony Music Entertainment Taiwan
One expects more from a milestone 10th album, but dance king Show Lo merely serves up warmed-over rehashed K-pop. His boast on the title song – “I’m not afraid to take on challenges, keep breaking through to something new” – rings hollow.
(ST)
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Departures
Karen Mok
Arriving in time to bid farewell to the year is Karen Mok’s new album, Departures. The two-time Golden Melody Award winner for Best Female Mandarin Artist is in a reflective mood as she ruminates on farewells and reunions.
On standout ballad Outside The Borders, emotional baggage fails to weigh her down: “Feel like leaving, leave/Walk beyond memories, there’s nothing to worship/Feel like returning, return/Realise after touring, I’ve left the past outside the borders.”
Saying goodbye need not always be a morose affair. Opener Farewell To Myself finds Mok in celebratory jazz-rock mode as she philosophises: “Regardless of how busy life gets, at least once/You’ll leave yourself, meet yourself.”
Meanwhile, Regardez, penned by sodagreen’s Wu Ching-feng, seems to offer a snapshot of her life after marrying German finance executive Johannes Natterer in 2011.
She sings with fervour: “Let you look at my heart/Let you look at my heart/Every tomorrow, every deep night, every season, won’t change anymore/Let me look at your heart/Let me look at your heart/Every process, every circumstance, want you to dote on them.”
It seems that marriage will not be tying down the Hong Kong singer as she declares on the last track, With Just One Piece Of Baggage. Adventures in life and music beckon.
(ST)
Karen Mok
Arriving in time to bid farewell to the year is Karen Mok’s new album, Departures. The two-time Golden Melody Award winner for Best Female Mandarin Artist is in a reflective mood as she ruminates on farewells and reunions.
On standout ballad Outside The Borders, emotional baggage fails to weigh her down: “Feel like leaving, leave/Walk beyond memories, there’s nothing to worship/Feel like returning, return/Realise after touring, I’ve left the past outside the borders.”
Saying goodbye need not always be a morose affair. Opener Farewell To Myself finds Mok in celebratory jazz-rock mode as she philosophises: “Regardless of how busy life gets, at least once/You’ll leave yourself, meet yourself.”
Meanwhile, Regardez, penned by sodagreen’s Wu Ching-feng, seems to offer a snapshot of her life after marrying German finance executive Johannes Natterer in 2011.
She sings with fervour: “Let you look at my heart/Let you look at my heart/Every tomorrow, every deep night, every season, won’t change anymore/Let me look at your heart/Let me look at your heart/Every process, every circumstance, want you to dote on them.”
It seems that marriage will not be tying down the Hong Kong singer as she declares on the last track, With Just One Piece Of Baggage. Adventures in life and music beckon.
(ST)
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Saint Laurent
Bertrand Bonello
The story: From 1967 to 1976, French designer Yves Saint Laurent (Gaspard Ulliel) was at the peak of his career. He and his business and personal partner, Pierre Berge (Jeremie Renier), were building a fashion empire that expanded worldwide. Creatively, Saint Laurent was being inspired by muses such as model Betty Catroux (Aymeline Valade) and the bohemian Loulou de la Falaise (Lea Seydoux). But his life threatens to careen out of control when he fell for Jacques de Bascher (Louis Garrel), who was also designer Karl Lagerfeld’s lover.
Saint Laurent is no conventional, chronological biopic. And that is both its strength and weakness.
On the one hand, it avoids the expected template of its subject overcoming challenges and difficulties to emerge at the top of his game. On the other, it can be a frustrating exercise trying to make sense of Yves Saint Laurent’s importance as a designer without much of a context.
Mostly, the movie feels like an impressionistic and languorous take on his downward spiral into a booze and drugs-fuelled bender of sexual hedonism.
The movie flits forwards and backwards in time and there are surrealistic touches that suggest his state of mind, such as when he imagines snakes slithering in his bed.
There is also a humorous sequence which pokes fun at fashion’s ludicrousness as we hear models at a photo shoot – one completely nude – voice their inner thoughts. Then there is the pointed juxtaposition of luxe clothing with images of unrest, poverty and agitation.
But it is mostly touch-and-go for director and co-writer Bertrand Bonello (The Pornographer, 2001).
At one point, he casually references the controversial naming of the Opium perfume for the American market and then never returns to it.
The context for Saint Laurent’s place in the pantheon of fashion greats only comes at the end, when a newspaper editorial team is trying to put together an obituary for him in 1977. He died in 2008 at the age of 71.
What keeps the movie from falling apart are some canny casting choices.
With his long, delicate face, Ulliel (Hannibal Rising, 2007) conveys the fragility and ego of the tortured artist.
At one point, he mock mourns the fact that he has no competition.
Garrel (The Dreamers, 2003) mixes sexiness and danger as the decadently louche de Bascher.
While Saint Laurent is something of a mixed bag, the competing biopic Yves Saint Laurent by Jalil Lespert has also gotten mixed reviews.
Perhaps, like the perfect sleeve or silhouette, the larger-than-life designer is not an easy subject to pin down.
(ST)
Bertrand Bonello
The story: From 1967 to 1976, French designer Yves Saint Laurent (Gaspard Ulliel) was at the peak of his career. He and his business and personal partner, Pierre Berge (Jeremie Renier), were building a fashion empire that expanded worldwide. Creatively, Saint Laurent was being inspired by muses such as model Betty Catroux (Aymeline Valade) and the bohemian Loulou de la Falaise (Lea Seydoux). But his life threatens to careen out of control when he fell for Jacques de Bascher (Louis Garrel), who was also designer Karl Lagerfeld’s lover.
Saint Laurent is no conventional, chronological biopic. And that is both its strength and weakness.
On the one hand, it avoids the expected template of its subject overcoming challenges and difficulties to emerge at the top of his game. On the other, it can be a frustrating exercise trying to make sense of Yves Saint Laurent’s importance as a designer without much of a context.
Mostly, the movie feels like an impressionistic and languorous take on his downward spiral into a booze and drugs-fuelled bender of sexual hedonism.
The movie flits forwards and backwards in time and there are surrealistic touches that suggest his state of mind, such as when he imagines snakes slithering in his bed.
There is also a humorous sequence which pokes fun at fashion’s ludicrousness as we hear models at a photo shoot – one completely nude – voice their inner thoughts. Then there is the pointed juxtaposition of luxe clothing with images of unrest, poverty and agitation.
But it is mostly touch-and-go for director and co-writer Bertrand Bonello (The Pornographer, 2001).
At one point, he casually references the controversial naming of the Opium perfume for the American market and then never returns to it.
The context for Saint Laurent’s place in the pantheon of fashion greats only comes at the end, when a newspaper editorial team is trying to put together an obituary for him in 1977. He died in 2008 at the age of 71.
What keeps the movie from falling apart are some canny casting choices.
With his long, delicate face, Ulliel (Hannibal Rising, 2007) conveys the fragility and ego of the tortured artist.
At one point, he mock mourns the fact that he has no competition.
Garrel (The Dreamers, 2003) mixes sexiness and danger as the decadently louche de Bascher.
While Saint Laurent is something of a mixed bag, the competing biopic Yves Saint Laurent by Jalil Lespert has also gotten mixed reviews.
Perhaps, like the perfect sleeve or silhouette, the larger-than-life designer is not an easy subject to pin down.
(ST)
Monday, December 22, 2014
Chyi Yu 2014 Singapore Concert
Grand Theatre, MasterCard Theatres at Marina Bay Sands/Last Saturday
No fancy staging, no costume changes, no guest stars.
Taiwanese folk-pop singer Chyi Yu kept things simple at her concert at Marina Bay Sands’ Grand Theatre last Saturday and proved that less can be more.
She said at one point to the full-house audience of 2,200: “I think it’s not necessary for me to say too much as I think that will disrupt your memories.”
At 57, her voice remained a thing of beauty, enchanting and enthralling. There was a purity and richness to her vocals that brought songs to wondrous life.
She opened with Your Smiling Face (1979), not the easiest number to start with as it shoots for the high notes. There was perhaps a touch of tightness here and Chyi herself pointed out that she was actually very nervous as this was her first solo show here.
She soon settled down. After all, Singapore was a familiar place to her, one filled with “lots of good friends and good food”.
While the accompanying video visuals were relatively basic, she painted evocative pictures with her crooning.
She sang on Chrysanthemum Sigh: “Smiling gently, slowly blossoming in the cold night/Drifting gently like falling leaves in the forest.”
Chyi could be playful as well. On the oldie Ye Lai Xiang (Fragrance Of The Night), her voice was as light and refreshing as a passing evening breeze.
After a stretch of classic tracks from the 1980s and earlier, she teased: “Some people still refuse to sing along. Are you afraid of revealing your age?”
Midway, she brought out her biggest hit, The Olive Tree. Taken from her 1979 debut album of the same name, it is a track which manages to sound timeless rather than dated.
Chyi thanked lyricist and writer Sanmao and her mentor and composer Li Tai-hsiang for her signature song and wondered where she would be without it.
A few surprises were in store for her fans.
She performed Tian Xia You Qing Ren (Lovers Of The World), originally a Mandopop duet with Wakin Chau, and sang both parts herself. Not only that, she also added the Cantonese version of the wordy track into the mix. It was a showcase of her linguistic as well as vocal dexterity, given the range she had to cover.
As a treat for polyglot Singapore, she then did a mash-up of Leslie Cheung’s Cantopop hit Silence Is Golden in the Minnan dialect, as well as delivered renditions of evergreens such as Whoever Finds This, I Love You and Sailing.
But it was a pity that she found no space in the two-hour-plus concert for any song from her mesmerising 1997 album, Camel. Flying Bird. Fish.
Apart from songs, Chyi also shared the story of her journey from a folk-pop singer to one who does religious music now. Since 2004, she has been releasing Buddhist and gospel works.
She felt that mistakes she had made in life were like little locks weighing her down, but since she started on her new music path, “all those little locks have opened and I feel the path to heaven is open to me once more”.
This was followed by a deeply felt version of the hymn Amazing Grace, which was then juxtaposed with a Buddhist track, Lotuses Bloom Everywhere.
The evening ended on a philosophical note with the song Bodhi Tree, which is strongly associated with Buddhism.
She mused: “I hope that your olive trees and mine can turn into an eternal Bodhi tree after gaining wisdom.”
(ST)
Grand Theatre, MasterCard Theatres at Marina Bay Sands/Last Saturday
No fancy staging, no costume changes, no guest stars.
Taiwanese folk-pop singer Chyi Yu kept things simple at her concert at Marina Bay Sands’ Grand Theatre last Saturday and proved that less can be more.
She said at one point to the full-house audience of 2,200: “I think it’s not necessary for me to say too much as I think that will disrupt your memories.”
At 57, her voice remained a thing of beauty, enchanting and enthralling. There was a purity and richness to her vocals that brought songs to wondrous life.
She opened with Your Smiling Face (1979), not the easiest number to start with as it shoots for the high notes. There was perhaps a touch of tightness here and Chyi herself pointed out that she was actually very nervous as this was her first solo show here.
She soon settled down. After all, Singapore was a familiar place to her, one filled with “lots of good friends and good food”.
While the accompanying video visuals were relatively basic, she painted evocative pictures with her crooning.
She sang on Chrysanthemum Sigh: “Smiling gently, slowly blossoming in the cold night/Drifting gently like falling leaves in the forest.”
Chyi could be playful as well. On the oldie Ye Lai Xiang (Fragrance Of The Night), her voice was as light and refreshing as a passing evening breeze.
After a stretch of classic tracks from the 1980s and earlier, she teased: “Some people still refuse to sing along. Are you afraid of revealing your age?”
Midway, she brought out her biggest hit, The Olive Tree. Taken from her 1979 debut album of the same name, it is a track which manages to sound timeless rather than dated.
Chyi thanked lyricist and writer Sanmao and her mentor and composer Li Tai-hsiang for her signature song and wondered where she would be without it.
A few surprises were in store for her fans.
She performed Tian Xia You Qing Ren (Lovers Of The World), originally a Mandopop duet with Wakin Chau, and sang both parts herself. Not only that, she also added the Cantonese version of the wordy track into the mix. It was a showcase of her linguistic as well as vocal dexterity, given the range she had to cover.
As a treat for polyglot Singapore, she then did a mash-up of Leslie Cheung’s Cantopop hit Silence Is Golden in the Minnan dialect, as well as delivered renditions of evergreens such as Whoever Finds This, I Love You and Sailing.
But it was a pity that she found no space in the two-hour-plus concert for any song from her mesmerising 1997 album, Camel. Flying Bird. Fish.
Apart from songs, Chyi also shared the story of her journey from a folk-pop singer to one who does religious music now. Since 2004, she has been releasing Buddhist and gospel works.
She felt that mistakes she had made in life were like little locks weighing her down, but since she started on her new music path, “all those little locks have opened and I feel the path to heaven is open to me once more”.
This was followed by a deeply felt version of the hymn Amazing Grace, which was then juxtaposed with a Buddhist track, Lotuses Bloom Everywhere.
The evening ended on a philosophical note with the song Bodhi Tree, which is strongly associated with Buddhism.
She mused: “I hope that your olive trees and mine can turn into an eternal Bodhi tree after gaining wisdom.”
(ST)
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Miracle
Valen Hsu
Love In Songs
Rachel Liang
At her peak in the late 1990s, Taiwan’s Valen Hsu was selling millions of records and winning fans with her beautifully pristine vocals.
Her commercial fortunes have since faded but her voice is as gorgeous as ever. And she works with top-notch talents on this album to showcase it. They include sodagreen’s Wu Ching-feng and home- grown songwriters Tanya Chua and Xiaohan.
There is a sense of anticipation, of being on the verge of something new and exciting, in the title track penned by Chua: “Something’s happening around me/What is it, I can only guess, play a game of catch and guess.”
Some of the loveliest tracks include two ballads composed by Wu, the lush I Will Be With You and the poignant The Most Precious Thing Is Meeting.
Musically, Miracle blooms with orchestral strings and a smattering of electronica touches.
While Hsu has moved on creatively, Taiwan’s Rachel Liang takes a step back on her fifth album. Yellow Jacket (2013) added some colour to her usual palette of ballads but she is back to painting by the numbers here.
Taken as a whole, the album suffers from a surfeit of love ballads. It is best savoured in small doses such as the sweet and simple Rukai Tribe Girls and the laidback title number with its strumming guitar accompaniment.
Also included here is the hit Let’s Not Be Friends After Breaking Up, the ending theme of the idol drama Deja Vu.
Unfortunately, deja vu could also be used to describe the sensation one gets on encountering this album.
(ST)
Valen Hsu
Love In Songs
Rachel Liang
At her peak in the late 1990s, Taiwan’s Valen Hsu was selling millions of records and winning fans with her beautifully pristine vocals.
Her commercial fortunes have since faded but her voice is as gorgeous as ever. And she works with top-notch talents on this album to showcase it. They include sodagreen’s Wu Ching-feng and home- grown songwriters Tanya Chua and Xiaohan.
There is a sense of anticipation, of being on the verge of something new and exciting, in the title track penned by Chua: “Something’s happening around me/What is it, I can only guess, play a game of catch and guess.”
Some of the loveliest tracks include two ballads composed by Wu, the lush I Will Be With You and the poignant The Most Precious Thing Is Meeting.
Musically, Miracle blooms with orchestral strings and a smattering of electronica touches.
While Hsu has moved on creatively, Taiwan’s Rachel Liang takes a step back on her fifth album. Yellow Jacket (2013) added some colour to her usual palette of ballads but she is back to painting by the numbers here.
Taken as a whole, the album suffers from a surfeit of love ballads. It is best savoured in small doses such as the sweet and simple Rukai Tribe Girls and the laidback title number with its strumming guitar accompaniment.
Also included here is the hit Let’s Not Be Friends After Breaking Up, the ending theme of the idol drama Deja Vu.
Unfortunately, deja vu could also be used to describe the sensation one gets on encountering this album.
(ST)
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Annie
Will Gluck
The story: Annie (Quvenzhane Wallis) is a spunky foster child in New York City, determinedly searching for her parents. Billionaire Will Stacks (Jamie Foxx) becomes her temporary guardian in a bid to boost his popularity in the mayoral race. Meanwhile, sleazy adviser Guy (Bobby Cannavale) and boozy foster home tyrant Miss Hannigan (Cameron Diaz) cook up a scheme that threatens the growing bond between Stacks and Annie. Adapted from the 1977 Broadway musical of the same name.
The movie starts with a perky, red-haired, Caucasian Annie in a familiar-looking, iconic red dress giving a presentation in class. It turns out to be a jokey little introduction as the real Annie is soon unveiled and it hints at how this adaptation is different – Wallis is African-American and has more street smarts and is soon leading the class in an improv rap-and-clap session.
That energy carries over into the staging of one of the musical’s best-known numbers, It’s The Hard- Knock Life. With brooms, mops, cleaning cloths and smooth choreography, the foster girls at Miss Hannigan’s mope about their lot with verve and vigour.
But director and co-writer Will Gluck (Friends With Benefits, 2011) seems to run out of steam and fresh ideas after that. Annie the movie merely chugs along when it should be roaring ahead, taking you on a ride and tugging at your heartstrings.
Turning Daddy Warbucks into a wealthy entrepreneur with an obsessive-compulsive disorder for cleanliness does not add much to the character beyond saddling Foxx with some lame jokes.
Adding self-aware references to product placement and the fact that this is a musical do not work either.
And the new songs written – including Opportunity and Who Am I – have a modern sensibility that makes them stick out from the rest of the material like sore thumbs.
It is as though Gluck is trying too hard to make this adaptation different from the many others which have come before.
The critical casting of Annie herself was a little disappointing as well. Wallis was exceptional as the fiercely resilient Hushpuppy in the critically acclaimed fantasy drama Beasts Of The Southern Wild (2012). But here, she seems more restrained and even a little tentative at points.
One appreciates that Gluck has turned the cuteness dial down, but he might have moved it a few notches too far.
To riff on that paean to optimism: Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow/Another adaptation can’t be too far away.
(ST)
Will Gluck
The story: Annie (Quvenzhane Wallis) is a spunky foster child in New York City, determinedly searching for her parents. Billionaire Will Stacks (Jamie Foxx) becomes her temporary guardian in a bid to boost his popularity in the mayoral race. Meanwhile, sleazy adviser Guy (Bobby Cannavale) and boozy foster home tyrant Miss Hannigan (Cameron Diaz) cook up a scheme that threatens the growing bond between Stacks and Annie. Adapted from the 1977 Broadway musical of the same name.
The movie starts with a perky, red-haired, Caucasian Annie in a familiar-looking, iconic red dress giving a presentation in class. It turns out to be a jokey little introduction as the real Annie is soon unveiled and it hints at how this adaptation is different – Wallis is African-American and has more street smarts and is soon leading the class in an improv rap-and-clap session.
That energy carries over into the staging of one of the musical’s best-known numbers, It’s The Hard- Knock Life. With brooms, mops, cleaning cloths and smooth choreography, the foster girls at Miss Hannigan’s mope about their lot with verve and vigour.
But director and co-writer Will Gluck (Friends With Benefits, 2011) seems to run out of steam and fresh ideas after that. Annie the movie merely chugs along when it should be roaring ahead, taking you on a ride and tugging at your heartstrings.
Turning Daddy Warbucks into a wealthy entrepreneur with an obsessive-compulsive disorder for cleanliness does not add much to the character beyond saddling Foxx with some lame jokes.
Adding self-aware references to product placement and the fact that this is a musical do not work either.
And the new songs written – including Opportunity and Who Am I – have a modern sensibility that makes them stick out from the rest of the material like sore thumbs.
It is as though Gluck is trying too hard to make this adaptation different from the many others which have come before.
The critical casting of Annie herself was a little disappointing as well. Wallis was exceptional as the fiercely resilient Hushpuppy in the critically acclaimed fantasy drama Beasts Of The Southern Wild (2012). But here, she seems more restrained and even a little tentative at points.
One appreciates that Gluck has turned the cuteness dial down, but he might have moved it a few notches too far.
To riff on that paean to optimism: Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow/Another adaptation can’t be too far away.
(ST)
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Super Slipper Live Part 3
Various artists
No. 10
New Taiwan Recreational
Rock is a many- splendoured thing. And what better way to experience the exhilaration of the genre than in a live setting?
But until Super Slipper Live makes its way to Singapore, fans here will have make do with the CDs and DVDs (which are sold separately).
Founded by mega band Mayday, the line-up for this third edition at the Taipei Arena in August is especially noteworthy.
It features Luantan-Ascent, Quarterback, Tolaku, Chairman and Mayday themselves – also the nominee list for the Golden Melody Awards’ Best Duo category in 2000, according to the Taipei Times. Back then, there was no Best Band category and Luantan-Ascent was still part of the group Luantan.
Fast forward 14 years and bands are very much part of the Mandopop scene.
Over a sprawling three discs, you get Chairman’s richly local brand of Minnan rock, Quarterback’s energetic pumpers, Tolaku’s playful pop-rock, Luantan- Ascent’s soulful songs and Mayday’s arena-sized anthems.
Unlike some festivals where artists stick strictly to their own sets, there is a, well, festive vibe here as musicians pop up in one another’s sets and even perform one another’s songs.
It culminates in a finale segment with everyone pitching in and ends with a rousing rendition of Stand Up.
The party continues on New Taiwan Recreational’s No. 10 as different languages come out to play, including Hakka, Minnan and the aboriginal Paiwan tongue, on a diverse array of genres from traditional folk music to synth-jazz-rock.
New Taiwan Recreational is a collaboration among singer-songwriter Bobby Chen, Hakka singer-songwriter Ayugo Huang and Paiwan tribe singer Shig Loog Ching, and the band have released 10 albums since 1992, bringing marginalised music into the mainstream in the process with humour and grace.
Various artists
No. 10
New Taiwan Recreational
Rock is a many- splendoured thing. And what better way to experience the exhilaration of the genre than in a live setting?
But until Super Slipper Live makes its way to Singapore, fans here will have make do with the CDs and DVDs (which are sold separately).
Founded by mega band Mayday, the line-up for this third edition at the Taipei Arena in August is especially noteworthy.
It features Luantan-Ascent, Quarterback, Tolaku, Chairman and Mayday themselves – also the nominee list for the Golden Melody Awards’ Best Duo category in 2000, according to the Taipei Times. Back then, there was no Best Band category and Luantan-Ascent was still part of the group Luantan.
Fast forward 14 years and bands are very much part of the Mandopop scene.
Over a sprawling three discs, you get Chairman’s richly local brand of Minnan rock, Quarterback’s energetic pumpers, Tolaku’s playful pop-rock, Luantan- Ascent’s soulful songs and Mayday’s arena-sized anthems.
Unlike some festivals where artists stick strictly to their own sets, there is a, well, festive vibe here as musicians pop up in one another’s sets and even perform one another’s songs.
It culminates in a finale segment with everyone pitching in and ends with a rousing rendition of Stand Up.
The party continues on New Taiwan Recreational’s No. 10 as different languages come out to play, including Hakka, Minnan and the aboriginal Paiwan tongue, on a diverse array of genres from traditional folk music to synth-jazz-rock.
New Taiwan Recreational is a collaboration among singer-songwriter Bobby Chen, Hakka singer-songwriter Ayugo Huang and Paiwan tribe singer Shig Loog Ching, and the band have released 10 albums since 1992, bringing marginalised music into the mainstream in the process with humour and grace.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Early word on Ridley Scott's biblical epic Exodus: Gods And Kings appears to be mixed. It has parted the sea of critics as neatly as Moses parted the Red Sea when he led the Hebrews to freedom from the Egyptians.
Exodus: Gods And Kings opens in Singapore on Dec 11. Here are some other biblical, and biblically themed, epics to check out as well.
1. Noah (2014)
Russell Crowe is the titular hero in Darren Aronofsky's (Black Swan, 2010) take on the story of Noah's Ark from the book of Genesis. This is the biblical tale as action flick.
2. The Passion Of The Christ (2004)
With its dialogue entirely in Aramaic and Latin and depiction of extreme violence, Mel Gibson's passion project did not seem to be targeted for the masses. It turned out to be a major hit and earned over US$600 million (S$750 million) worldwide.
3. Bruce Almighty (2003)
The biblical epic gets a makeover in this comedy starring Jim Carrey as a down-on-his-luck reporter, Bruce Nolan, who gets to play God for one week. There was a sequel, Evan Almighty, released in 2007.
4. Ben-Hur (1959)
The fastest and highest grossing film of 1959 was also a critical hit as it swept 11 Academy Awards, including for Best Picture and Best Actor for Charlton Heston as Judah Ben-Hur. Also known as the movie with the most famous chariot-racing scene in cinematic history.
5. The Ten Commandments (1956)
The granddaddy of the religious epic was produced and directed by the legendary Cecil B DeMille and starred Charlton Heston as Moses. It was filmed on location in Egypt, Mount Sinai and the Sinai Peninsula and at US$13 million, it was the most expensive movie ever made at the time of its release.
(ST)
Exodus: Gods And Kings opens in Singapore on Dec 11. Here are some other biblical, and biblically themed, epics to check out as well.
1. Noah (2014)
Russell Crowe is the titular hero in Darren Aronofsky's (Black Swan, 2010) take on the story of Noah's Ark from the book of Genesis. This is the biblical tale as action flick.
2. The Passion Of The Christ (2004)
With its dialogue entirely in Aramaic and Latin and depiction of extreme violence, Mel Gibson's passion project did not seem to be targeted for the masses. It turned out to be a major hit and earned over US$600 million (S$750 million) worldwide.
3. Bruce Almighty (2003)
The biblical epic gets a makeover in this comedy starring Jim Carrey as a down-on-his-luck reporter, Bruce Nolan, who gets to play God for one week. There was a sequel, Evan Almighty, released in 2007.
4. Ben-Hur (1959)
The fastest and highest grossing film of 1959 was also a critical hit as it swept 11 Academy Awards, including for Best Picture and Best Actor for Charlton Heston as Judah Ben-Hur. Also known as the movie with the most famous chariot-racing scene in cinematic history.
5. The Ten Commandments (1956)
The granddaddy of the religious epic was produced and directed by the legendary Cecil B DeMille and starred Charlton Heston as Moses. It was filmed on location in Egypt, Mount Sinai and the Sinai Peninsula and at US$13 million, it was the most expensive movie ever made at the time of its release.
(ST)
Tuesday, December 09, 2014
Mandopop newcomer Bonnie Loo is singing up a storm on the dance track YOLO. She is getting into the groove and moving to the beat when suddenly, your ear catches something off. Instead of tian hua luan zhui (an idiomatic expression which means extravagant embellishments), she sings tian hua luan zui, which sounds as though heavenly flowers are getting drunk with abandon.
It was noticeable enough that a radio station deejay commented on it recently, wondering if it might have been due to the recording process.
When it comes to Chinese-language idioms especially, just one slightly mispronounced word can shift the meaning entirely or turn the phrase into gobbledygook.
In the bigger scheme of things though, this was no biggie. The album went on to top CD-Rama’s regional releases chart.
Old-timers such as Fong Fei-fei would be envious.
Proper pronunciation used to be a requirement of the job for Mandopop singers. And they would be criticised when they were off. But fast forward to today and hardly anyone bats an eyelid. Some singers such as Bai An even wear that cloak of imperfection with pride and chalk it up to personal style.
Fong, the late Queen of Hats who was rarely sighted without glamorous headgear of some sort, is considered a legend in the Mandopop world for her sensitive interpretations and precise vocal inflections. But when she started out in the early 1970s, she struggled with diction.
She was born in southern Taiwan where the Minnan dialect was more prevalent and that influenced her pronunciation of Mandarin.
An entire section in her Chinese Wikipedia entry is devoted to dissecting an early track of hers, Zhu Ni Xing Fu (Wishing You Happiness). Among the sins listed: She sings Zu instead of Zhu and Xin instead of Xing.
This was something to overcome and be corrected, not celebrated.
But over the years, listeners began to get less hung-up on exact enunciation.
Partly, this was due to Hong Kong’s musical pre-eminence in the 1980s with stars such as Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui lighting up the pop firmament. They were Cantopop stars first and foremost but also ventured into making music for the growing Mandarin market.
With varying levels of Cantonese-accented Mandarin, singers such as Alan Tam and Jacky Cheung crossed over and less-than-perfect diction became more common.
In the opening line of Between Dreaming And Waking (1988), Tam sings “Zou zai ban meng ban xing de zhi jian”, or “walking the line between dreaming and waking”. But if you look at the lyrics, the word is meant to be “jiu” (“just” for emphasis) and not “zou”.
One might say that in this case, familiarity breeds acceptance.
Singers from Singapore, including Stefanie Sun, Tanya Chua and JJ Lin, played a part as well with their not-quite-standard accent.
Home-grown lyricist Xiaohan once told Life! that one factor that helped these singers stand out is their Westernised background.
She said: “The Western influence in their music sets them apart in terms of their writing and diction. Sun’s diction is very un-Taiwan but it makes her very different.”
On her breakthrough hit Cloudy Sky, Sun actually sings zong (always) as zhong. No one seemed to care as the ballad was a mega hit and she won the prestigious Golden Melody Award for Best New Artist in 2001.
The rise of the singer-songwriter over the last two decades has further blurred the line between imperfect diction and personal style.
The singer-songwriter ethos is very much about the celebration of the individual and individuality. In this context, imperfect diction can be seen as a unique interpretation, even as an inimitable personal style which sets one apart rather than a fault to be eradicated.
Perhaps with dedicated singers, audiences demand more since that is the one thing that they do. But since singer-songwriters juggle more than one ball, they get to enjoy a little more leeway.
Taiwan’s Mandopop king Jay Chou might have mumbled his way through his debut album Jay (2000) but he also packed the record with fresh and exciting music ideas, offering a delectable mix of groovy pop, smooth rap and tongue- twisting R&B.
Despite some criticisms, Chou has been vindicated by the enormous success he has enjoyed.
By the time Taiwanese singer-songwriter Bai An released her debut album The Catcher In The Rye (2012), she was embracing her distinctive, as opposed to wrong, enunciation as a part of her identity.
Like Chou, she also delivered a compelling album and an immediately recognisable singing style only seemed to complement it perfectly. On the ballad What Brings Me To You, she sings about not disappearing into a sea of humanity. That seems unlikely to happen when she sings “chun zhai” instead of “cun zai” (exist) and “zhi ji” instead of “zi ji” (myself).
But before any aspiring singer decides to mangle words in the name of individuality, here is something to think about: Have something to say in the first place and then you can decide how you want to say it.
(ST)
It was noticeable enough that a radio station deejay commented on it recently, wondering if it might have been due to the recording process.
When it comes to Chinese-language idioms especially, just one slightly mispronounced word can shift the meaning entirely or turn the phrase into gobbledygook.
In the bigger scheme of things though, this was no biggie. The album went on to top CD-Rama’s regional releases chart.
Old-timers such as Fong Fei-fei would be envious.
Proper pronunciation used to be a requirement of the job for Mandopop singers. And they would be criticised when they were off. But fast forward to today and hardly anyone bats an eyelid. Some singers such as Bai An even wear that cloak of imperfection with pride and chalk it up to personal style.
Fong, the late Queen of Hats who was rarely sighted without glamorous headgear of some sort, is considered a legend in the Mandopop world for her sensitive interpretations and precise vocal inflections. But when she started out in the early 1970s, she struggled with diction.
She was born in southern Taiwan where the Minnan dialect was more prevalent and that influenced her pronunciation of Mandarin.
An entire section in her Chinese Wikipedia entry is devoted to dissecting an early track of hers, Zhu Ni Xing Fu (Wishing You Happiness). Among the sins listed: She sings Zu instead of Zhu and Xin instead of Xing.
This was something to overcome and be corrected, not celebrated.
But over the years, listeners began to get less hung-up on exact enunciation.
Partly, this was due to Hong Kong’s musical pre-eminence in the 1980s with stars such as Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui lighting up the pop firmament. They were Cantopop stars first and foremost but also ventured into making music for the growing Mandarin market.
With varying levels of Cantonese-accented Mandarin, singers such as Alan Tam and Jacky Cheung crossed over and less-than-perfect diction became more common.
In the opening line of Between Dreaming And Waking (1988), Tam sings “Zou zai ban meng ban xing de zhi jian”, or “walking the line between dreaming and waking”. But if you look at the lyrics, the word is meant to be “jiu” (“just” for emphasis) and not “zou”.
One might say that in this case, familiarity breeds acceptance.
Singers from Singapore, including Stefanie Sun, Tanya Chua and JJ Lin, played a part as well with their not-quite-standard accent.
Home-grown lyricist Xiaohan once told Life! that one factor that helped these singers stand out is their Westernised background.
She said: “The Western influence in their music sets them apart in terms of their writing and diction. Sun’s diction is very un-Taiwan but it makes her very different.”
On her breakthrough hit Cloudy Sky, Sun actually sings zong (always) as zhong. No one seemed to care as the ballad was a mega hit and she won the prestigious Golden Melody Award for Best New Artist in 2001.
The rise of the singer-songwriter over the last two decades has further blurred the line between imperfect diction and personal style.
The singer-songwriter ethos is very much about the celebration of the individual and individuality. In this context, imperfect diction can be seen as a unique interpretation, even as an inimitable personal style which sets one apart rather than a fault to be eradicated.
Perhaps with dedicated singers, audiences demand more since that is the one thing that they do. But since singer-songwriters juggle more than one ball, they get to enjoy a little more leeway.
Taiwan’s Mandopop king Jay Chou might have mumbled his way through his debut album Jay (2000) but he also packed the record with fresh and exciting music ideas, offering a delectable mix of groovy pop, smooth rap and tongue- twisting R&B.
Despite some criticisms, Chou has been vindicated by the enormous success he has enjoyed.
By the time Taiwanese singer-songwriter Bai An released her debut album The Catcher In The Rye (2012), she was embracing her distinctive, as opposed to wrong, enunciation as a part of her identity.
Like Chou, she also delivered a compelling album and an immediately recognisable singing style only seemed to complement it perfectly. On the ballad What Brings Me To You, she sings about not disappearing into a sea of humanity. That seems unlikely to happen when she sings “chun zhai” instead of “cun zai” (exist) and “zhi ji” instead of “zi ji” (myself).
But before any aspiring singer decides to mangle words in the name of individuality, here is something to think about: Have something to say in the first place and then you can decide how you want to say it.
(ST)
Monday, December 08, 2014
Play
Jolin Tsai
On her last album Muse (2012), Taiwanese pop diva Jolin Tsai fruitfully drew inspiration from the creative process. The undisputed gem there was The Great Artist, which went on to nab the Golden Melody Award for Best Song Of The Year.
She is not quite done with creative play yet.
On the electropop-rap title track, she seems to declare that she is beyond categorisation: “Who cares if you’re niche or mass-market, pooh/Who cares if you’re fresh and light or have heavier tastes, pooh.”
Indeed, some of her play-acting here ventures into suggestively darker places. On one version of the cover – there are at least three – she is bound to a chair with pink ribbon while a tattooed arm is holding a lollipop up to her dark red lips. Read into it what you will.
She dabbles in diverse collaborations on the music and one of the most anticipated has to be her teaming up with Japanese pop diva Namie Amuro on the Mandarin and English dance number, I’m Not Yours. The result is not the most compelling thing either have done, but at least the message is a positive one about girl power.
Instead, it might be the sassy and funny Phony Queen that best exemplifies the spirit of playfulness here.
(ST)
Jolin Tsai
On her last album Muse (2012), Taiwanese pop diva Jolin Tsai fruitfully drew inspiration from the creative process. The undisputed gem there was The Great Artist, which went on to nab the Golden Melody Award for Best Song Of The Year.
She is not quite done with creative play yet.
On the electropop-rap title track, she seems to declare that she is beyond categorisation: “Who cares if you’re niche or mass-market, pooh/Who cares if you’re fresh and light or have heavier tastes, pooh.”
Indeed, some of her play-acting here ventures into suggestively darker places. On one version of the cover – there are at least three – she is bound to a chair with pink ribbon while a tattooed arm is holding a lollipop up to her dark red lips. Read into it what you will.
She dabbles in diverse collaborations on the music and one of the most anticipated has to be her teaming up with Japanese pop diva Namie Amuro on the Mandarin and English dance number, I’m Not Yours. The result is not the most compelling thing either have done, but at least the message is a positive one about girl power.
Instead, it might be the sassy and funny Phony Queen that best exemplifies the spirit of playfulness here.
(ST)
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