881

A cheerful film, yet with a sad undertone. Stunningly decorated as an exotic carnival, yet also rooted in local traditions. A comedy but also a melodrama in some ways.
The film is about two girlfriends who are fascinated by the glitter and music of what’s known as Getai. These are traditional song and dance performances especially popular in the Chinese community of Singapore and then especially with the Chinese who speak the Hokkien dialect, because many of the songs are in Hokkien. And Hokkien is also the mother tongue of the director. It seems striking that the young and modern director should dare tackle this material, but the film is full of camp moments and is regularly consciously over the top. In fact Tan innovated the tradition and blew new life into it. In Singapore the film was a box-office hit.
The film maker borrowed elements from other music genre films such as the musical battle. For instance the two girlfriends, Big Papaya and Small Papaya (881 in the Hokkien dialect sounds like papaya), have to take up arms against the false Durians. The film derives its infectious effect from a combination of craftsmanship and courage in all areas of film making. The set, choreography, lighting, montage and not lastly the exciting acting together ensure an almost excessive film – but then a beneficial excess. (GjZ)