15 (film)

Infobox Film
name = 15: The Movie


caption = "15: The Movie" theatrical poster
director = Royston Tan
producer = Tan Fong Cheng Eric Khoo
writer = Royston Tan
starring = Melvin Chen Erick Chun Melvin Lee Vynn Soh Shaun Tan
music =
cinematography =
editing = Pinky Calica
distributor =
released = 27 Apr 2003 (Singapore)
5 Sep 2003 (Canada)
5 Nov 2003 (UK)
16 Jan 2004 (US)
16 Jun 2004 (Australia)
runtime = 96 min
country = Flagicon|Singapore Singapore
language = Hokkien, Mandarin
budget =
gross =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website = http://www.zhaowei.com/15synopsis.html
amg_id = 1:305316
imdb_id = 0344766

"15: The Movie", also known simply as "15", is a 2003 Singaporean film about teenage gangsters in the Singapore suburbs. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Royston Tan, the film is an expanded version of Tan's 2002 award-winning short film, also titled "15".

Plot

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. The 2003 film 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 cinema verite fashion.

Distribution

In Singapore, the film premiered during the 2003 Singapore International Film Festival. [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0344766/releaseinfo IMDB: Release dates for "15: The Movie" (2003).] ] In 2003, it premiered in Canada during the Montreal World Film Festival, and in Britain during the London Film Festival. In 2004, it premiered in the US during the Sundance Film Festival, and in Australia during the Sydney Film Festival. The film also saw its first US theatrical release in New York City on 13 April 2005.mojo title|id=15|title=15.]

In Singapore, the film is distributed by Zhao Wei Films. In North America, it is distributed by Picture This! Entertainment. [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0344766/companycredits IMDB: Company Credits for "15: The Movie" (2003).] ]

Reception

Censorship

While "15: The Movie" was initially banned in Singapore, the Singapore Board of Film Censors (BFC) later ruled that the film should be rated R(A). [imdb title|id=0344766|title=15.] Under pressure from the BFC, Royston Tan ended up making 27 cuts to the film. [http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=7&art_id=23671&sid=9022393&con_type=1&d_str=20060727&fc=1 "Take a big breath, you'll survive."] "The Standard". 27 Jul 2006. ] Opposition was also raised against the heavy use of the Hokkien language in the film,Fact|date=May 2008 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".

Critical reception

The film received mixed reviews from film critics. [ See rotten-tomatoes|id=fifteen|title=15 and metacritic film|id=15|title=15. ] In Rotten Tomatoes, it earned ratings of 50% based on 10 reviews and 20% based on 5 top critics. [ rotten-tomatoes|id=fifteen|title=15. ] In Metacritic, the film earned a metascore of 47% based on 6 reviews. [ metacritic film|id=15|title=15. ]

Awards

* FIPRESCI/NETPAC Award, Singapore International Film Festival (2003) [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0344766/awards IMDB: Awards for "15: The Movie (2003)".] ]
* Best Fiction, Tampere International Short Film Festival (2003)
* Prize of the Youth Film Competition (Special Mention), Oberhausen International Short Film Festival (2003) [ [http://www.kurzfilmtage.de/en/looking-back/2003/award-winners.html Internationale Kurzfilmtage Oberhausen: 2003 Award Winners.] ]
* Grand Prix Asturias (nominated), Gijón International Film Festival (2003)
* Best Director, Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema (2004) [ [http://www.bafici.gov.ar/bafici_10/premios_anteriores_e.php#6 6th Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente: Winners.] ]

Trivia

*"15: The Movie" has been advertised outside of Singapore in gay publications, due to the heavy homoerotic tension between the characters. However, in an interview segment of the DVD "Royston's Shorts", a collection of Tan's short films, Tan affirms that the boys whose lives he portrayed do not identify as gay.

Notes

References

Reviews

* Bradshaw, Peter. [http://film.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/Critic_Review/Guardian_review/0,,1405028,00.html Review.] "The Guardian". 4 Feb 2005.
* Dawson, Tom. [http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2005/01/31/15_2005_review.shtml Review.] BBC. 01 Feb 2005.
* Elley, Derek. [http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117921999.html?categoryid=31&cs=1 Sundance 2004 review.] "Variety". 30 Sep 2003.
* Fox, Ken. [http://www.tvguide.com/movies/15/review/137920 Review.] "TV Guide". 15 Apr 2005.
* French, Philip. [http://film.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/Critic_Review/Observer_review/0,,1406693,00.html Review.] "The Observer". 6 Feb 2005.
* Johnson, G. Allen. [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/06/10/DDGMHD5KC41.DTL#flick5 Review.] "San Francisco Chronicle". 10 Jun 2005.
* Ng, David. [http://www.villagevoice.com/film/0515,ng,62929,20.html "Thirteen+2: Aimless Singaporean rebels in directionless youth flick."] "The Village Voice". 5 Apr 2005.
* Smith, Matthew. [http://www.filmjournal.com/filmjournal/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000883489 Review.] "Film Journal International". 27 Oct 2005.
* Stevens, Dana. [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/13/movies/13fift.html "Young and Adrift in Singapore."] "The New York Times". 13 Apr 2005.
* Walsh, Brian. [http://www.zhaowei.com/15time.htm "Street Survivors".] "Time". 1 Sep 2003.

External links

*imdb title|id=0344766|title=15
*amg movie|id=1:305316|title=15
*rotten-tomatoes|id=fifteen|title=15
*metacritic film|id=15|title=15
*mojo title|id=15|title=15