15 (film)
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| 15: The Movie | |
 15: The Movie theatrical poster |
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| Directed by | Royston Tan |
|---|---|
| Produced by | Tan Fong Cheng Eric Khoo |
| Written by | Royston Tan |
| Starring | Melvin Chen Erick Chun Melvin Lee Vynn Soh Shaun Tan |
| Editing by | Pinky Calica |
| Release date(s) | 27 Apr 2003 (Singapore) 5 Sep 2003 (Canada) 5 Nov 2003 (UK) 16 Jan 2004 (US) 16 Jun 2004 (Australia) |
| Running time | 96 min |
| Country |  Singapore |
| Language | Hokkien, Mandarin |
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.
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[edit] Plot
The film stars three real-life juvenile gangsters, aged 15, giving an honest and accurate depiction[citation needed] 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[citation needed] fashion.
[edit] Distribution
In Singapore, the film premiered during the 2003 Singapore International Film Festival.[1] In 2003, it premiered in Canada during the Montreal World Film Festival,[1] and in Britain during the London Film Festival.[1] In 2004, it premiered in the US during the Sundance Film Festival,[1] and in Australia during the Sydney Film Festival.[1] The film also saw its first US theatrical release in New York City on 13 April 2005.[1][2]
In Singapore, the film is distributed by Zhao Wei Films. In North America, it is distributed by Picture This! Entertainment.[3]
[edit] Reception
[edit] 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).[4] Under pressure from the BFC, Royston Tan ended up making 27 cuts to the film.[5] Opposition was also raised against the heavy use of the Hokkien language in the film,[citation needed] 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.[5]
[edit] Critical reception
The film received mixed reviews from film critics.[6] In Rotten Tomatoes, it earned ratings of 50% based on 10 reviews and 20% based on 5 top critics.[7] In Metacritic, the film earned a metascore of 47% based on 6 reviews.[8]
[edit] Awards
- FIPRESCI/NETPAC Award, Singapore International Film Festival (2003)[9]
- Best Fiction, Tampere International Short Film Festival (2003)[9]
- Prize of the Youth Film Competition (Special Mention), Oberhausen International Short Film Festival (2003)[10]
- Grand Prix Asturias (nominated), Gijón International Film Festival (2003)[9]
- Best Director, Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema (2004)[9][11]
[edit] 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.
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c d e f IMDB: Release dates for 15: The Movie (2003).
- ^ 15 at Box Office Mojo.
- ^ IMDB: Company Credits for 15: The Movie (2003).
- ^ 15 at the Internet Movie Database.
- ^ a b "Take a big breath, you'll survive." The Standard. 27 Jul 2006.
- ^ See 15 at Rotten Tomatoes and 15 at Metacritic.
- ^ 15 at Rotten Tomatoes.
- ^ 15 at Metacritic.
- ^ a b c d IMDB: Awards for 15: The Movie (2003).
- ^ Internationale Kurzfilmtage Oberhausen: 2003 Award Winners.
- ^ 6th Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente: Winners.
[edit] References
[edit] Reviews
- Bradshaw, Peter. Review. The Guardian. 4 Feb 2005.
- Dawson, Tom. Review. BBC. 01 Feb 2005.
- Elley, Derek. Sundance 2004 review. Variety. 30 Sep 2003.
- Fox, Ken. Review. TV Guide. 15 Apr 2005.
- French, Philip. Review. The Observer. 6 Feb 2005.
- Johnson, G. Allen. Review. San Francisco Chronicle. 10 Jun 2005.
- Ng, David. "Thirteen+2: Aimless Singaporean rebels in directionless youth flick." The Village Voice. 5 Apr 2005.
- Smith, Matthew. Review. Film Journal International. 27 Oct 2005.
- Stevens, Dana. "Young and Adrift in Singapore." The New York Times. 13 Apr 2005.
- Walsh, Brian. "Street Survivors". Time. 1 Sep 2003.
[edit] External links
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Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: 15 (film) |
- Official website
- 15 at the Internet Movie Database
- 15 at Allmovie
- 15 at Rotten Tomatoes
- 15 at Metacritic
- 15 at Box Office Mojo
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