15: The Movie (Singapore) (2003)

October 21, 2007 · Posted in Award Winning, Comedy, Drama, Other Asian

Fast, frenetic, and furious, 15 is the story of five Singaporian teenagers who, abandoned by the system and estranged from their parents and life in general, build their own world in which gangs, drugs, fighting, piercing, self-harm and suicide are common and brotherhood is important above all else. Shot in stunning, jarring style, Royston Tan manages to brilliantly capture the chaotic lives of these boys, living in the shadows of a sprawling metropolis and with only each other to rely on.

The film stars three real-life juvenile gangsters, aged 15, giving an honest and accurate depiction of Chinese teenage gang-life in the Singapore suburbs and features two more gangsters as characters as well as a fight sequence with more affluent English-educated Singapore youths. Rather than scripting the movie or employing professional actors, Tan attempted to capture the troubled lives of his characters in cinÃ©ma vÃ©ritÃ© fashion. While 15: The Movie was initially banned in Singapore, the Singapore board of censors later ruled that the film should be rated R(A) and made 27 cuts to the film. Opposition was also raised against the heavy use of the Hokkien language in the film, which is discouraged by the Singapore government in favour of Mandarin and English. These restrictions infuriated Tan, and would later lead him to create his satirical short film Cut.

Cast: Melvin Chen, Erick Chun, Melvin Lee, Vynn Soh, Shaun Tan
Directed: Royston Tan
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Runtime: 1:32:51
Also Known As: 15
Country: Singapore
Language: Hokkien/Mandarin
Subtitles: English
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0344766/