Perth (2007)

DVD

Perth is one of the most talked about Asian films of the past few years, and right off the bat it breaks the mold of the typical Asian movie. While most Asian cinema (especially Hong Kong) is centered around action and effects, Perth is a truly gripping character sketch. This is perhaps the most unique film to ever come out of Singapore, and its wonderful performances and heartbreaking story will have you on the edge of your seat.

The story is loosely based on the classic Martin Scorsese film Taxi Driver. There are very few scenes are actually adapted from the classic, mainly because the makers of Perth decided to tell the story in a very different way. Clearly the makers wanted to respect the source from which they were drawing; and they were very successful in creating their own interesting story while maintaining the themes of regret, rage, and redemption presented in the original.

The acting is superb, and the characters are all extremely deep and very well written. Most of the dialogue is in English, and Singaporean is rarely actually spoken. You'd think that this would make the film harder to understand, but it doesn't. The actors all speak very clearly and the style of language is very authentic. The main character is Harry Lee, who like Scorsese's Travis Bickle, is a taxi driver upset by urban decay. Harry has had enough with Singapore, and his goal in life is to scrape together enough money to retire to Perth, Australia. In the month before he plans to leave, he must deal with the ghosts of his past, his unfaithful wife, and the obstacles thrown in his way night after night as he drives hookers to and fro to earn some extra cash.

Perth is an extremely well-acted and visually detailed character study. The entire film operates in very dark corners, and there are no true good guys. Much like Taxi Driver, the last five minutes are not for the faint of heart. This is an extremely dark story about one man's desperate attempt at personal redemption. Its told with passion and commitment by the actors, and in my opinion the only Asian-made movie that can stand up to any modern day American crime drama.

Commentary with Director Djinn:
Great commentary, makes me really want to see more of this guy's work. He talks about the atmospheric style, some particularly controversial scenes, and the amazing work of his lead actors (they truly are amazing).

Commentary with Lead Actor Lim Kay Tong:
Tong was near-perfect as Harry Lee, and his commentary is very good. He sheds insight into the character's dark past and how he channeled Robert De Niro in some scenes of particular insanity or acts of rage.

Set Design Featurette:
This is a unique feature, I've rarely seen an entire documentary about the set design. Its interesting stuff, but nothing for the casual observer.

A dark, gritty story about one man's quest for redemption in a world gone to hell. If I was going to recommend one movie to somebody who has never seen a Singaporean film, or thinks that all Asian cinema is kung fu and shoot outs, it would be Perth...its that good.