This may not be the best, or even a great, Singaporean film, storywise, plotwise and acting-wise. (Instead of the film telling a smooth or uninterrupted story, what you get are a series of vignettes of the boys' lives more or less linked by the last subject matter touched on in the previous sub-plot. The acting seem stunted at times, yet the "actors" themselves seem remarkably unaffected by the cameras trained on them.) However, it remains an important local film in being one of the few which does not shy away from stark portrayals of certain sections of society, in this case, a particular group of disaffected youth. That it is internationally acclaimed makes me proud as a Singaporean, but what makes me prouder is the fact someone actually made this film in a society where such topics are preferred swept under the rug, not just by the authorities, but by the population in general.
This is definitely not a Jack Neo-style movie, where criticism is veiled and locally-sensitive topics discussed in a non-provoking manner. (Which is probably why his movies, even though subtly critical of the government and its policies, are not banned or even censored.) This is in-your-face, MTV-style. I enjoy Jack Neo movies, but sometimes you need something like this to take you out of the comfort zone.
