Should you watch this if it’s free? OK.
Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? If you want to support local films.
Score: 2.1/5
Secret ending? No, but the credits are entertaining.
Running time: 103 minutes (~1.75 hours)
“Lulu the Movie” is a Singaporean comedy based on the character from “The Noose”, Lulu.
When a woman from China comes to Singapore to meet her online date, she finds that there’s less to him than meets the eye. A combination of pluck and luck leads her to fame and fortune in our little red dot, but is that what Lulu really wants?
It stars Michelle Chong (Lulu/Sonia), Leon Jay Williams (Leon), Chen Tianwen (Brad Pit), Glenn Ong (Alfred), The Flying Dutchman (Karl Lagerfeld), with cameos by Sharon Au, Terence Cao, Suhaimi Yusof, Shane Pow, and Dee Kosh. It is rated PG.
There are plenty of other “The Noose” characters who would have more endearing and relevant stories, like Leticia (domestic worker issues) or Madam Nancy Goh (Singapore’s education system), but in the current climate, Lulu might be coincidentally appropriate. “Lulu the Movie ” goes to great lengths to add layers to an otherwise one-dimensional character, which is hampered by subpar writing.
Highlights
Chen Tianwen brings his A game to the film
Although the “Brad Pitt” joke wears thin very quickly, there’s no doubting the comedy of Chen Tianwen’s role as the clueless, unattractive uncle who wants a China bride. He reminds us of the kindly old uncles at the void deck who, at the same time, can be rather lecherous and cheapskate. For audiences who are too young to remember Chen Tianwen’s stalwart presence in Singapore’s media from the 80’s, this highlights his versatility as an actor. Unfortunately, he disappears halfway through the film, which is a pity since he adds so much heart to the film.
Fun cameos
There are plenty of cameos in the film, and this becomes a fun mini-game where you try to spot the next celebrity in the film. The cameos span the gamut from prominent A-listers to YouTubers like the folks at Night Owl Cinematics, and it lends a sense of familiarity to see so many Singaporean faces in the film. They’re also incredibly entertaining, and add colour to rather ordinary scenes.
Letdowns
Lulu is thoroughly dislikeable
Most of Lulu’s time in the film is spent scowling as she turns her nose up at anything that she disapproves of, especially at the beginning. It’s hard to root for a character who spends so much time being grumpy. Her hypocrisy makes it even more difficult to like her – she’s judgmental of Brad Pit’s lack of class and manners, yet she gets angry when she is similarly judged for lacking the same class and manners. The character as written gives the audience little motivation to want her to succeed, which completely defeats the purpose of the film.
Tacky sets and props
As much as I understand that product placement is how the film got funded, there’s so much of it that fatigue sets in quickly. It’s worked in clumsily, and makes the film feel cheaper than it probably is. Part of the cheapness of the film is also the poor production quality of the sets. Heartlander sets feel authentic, but when it comes to depicting wealth and finery, the sets are as classy as Lulu herself, making it completely unbelievable. You end up scrutinising the sets of supposedly atas places, when you should be immersed in the unfolding plot instead.
Horrible writing
The plot’s structure almost seems ad-libbed, which is great for a sketch comedy, but not for a two hour long narrative. The complication comes out of nowhere without a proper setup and escalating stakes before it suddenly reaches the climax and gets resolved. The scripted jokes belabour the same point so much that it’s like they’re worried the audience won’t get it. There’s no sense of story, no proper character development, and even the theme itself is contradictory. Be yourself? But that’s exactly what Lulu did not do, and it led her to success.
Better writing would have saved “Lulu the Movie”, but as it stands, it’s an unoriginal attempt at comedy.
“Lulu the Movie” opens in cinemas:
– 24 November, 2016 (Singapore)
Marcus Goh is a Singapore television scriptwriter. He’s also a Transformers enthusiast and avid pop culture scholar.
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