Festivals Reviews Singaporean Reviews

Film Review: Tiong Bahru Social Club (2020) by Tan Bee Thiam

An imaginative retro-futuristic tale of a young man who's open to opportunities of happiness but also ready to start over when necessary.

Defining the pursuit of happiness through a mathematical formula, or relying on an AI and on the big data analysis to make life decisions seems to be a trending subject explored in recent films; “Hot Soup”, “AI Love K-Drama”. to name few. While this phenomenon speaks volumes about how unhappy we are becoming, it can also be – like in the case of “Tiong Bharu Social Club” – a whimsical starting point for a discussion over the role of community and personal priorities.

screened at Osaka Asian Film Festival

We meet the protagonist Ah Bee () on his last day of job as a clerk, surrounded by piles of colourful paperwork. A reserved young man of 30, he still lives with his mum Mui () in a tall apartment block. The two have a loving and tender bond but it's time for Ah Bee to find his own space and future path in life; even his adoring mum realises that! A new, widely advertised scheme called Tiong Bharu Social Club seems to be the occasion he is waiting for. The project is an experimental data-driven method to inject happiness into the community of residents of Tiong Bharu neighbourhood, which also provides a match-making service for the young people working on site. As Ah Bee starts his new job as a Happiness Agent in this bizarre new realm, he is paired to a motivational-motto-generator AI, called Bravo60 and assigned to help Ms Wee (Jalyn Han), a cat-loving old lady with an unstoppable penchant for speaking her mind.

The misterious group that runs the project is a bizarre mix of corporate marketing executives, holiday reps, and beauty parlour assistants. Measuring the happiness with laser probes and moving the pawns accordingly, they work hard towards the communal goal. When Ah Bee, after a bumpy start, gets more confident and settled, he is promoted to the role of counselor of the Community Complaint Centre, a funny choice as Ah Bee hardly talks (or maybe not, as he is very good at listening). Moreover, he is computer-matched to a lovely colleague girl called Geok () and the new couple move in together, with Ms Wee's cat (Mochi) in tow. But this algorithm-planned engagement doesn't really satisfy Ah Bee; all the elements are good, but they don't add up to real happiness.

With a charming retro-futuristic look and mood, this imaginative tale of a young man who's open to opportunities but also ready to start over if necessary, won't obviously answer the age-old question of how to pursuit happiness. Instead it is a gentle prod and an invite to reflect about the intrinsic correlation between our personal happiness and the community we live in. Not coincidentally, as a centrepiece of the film there are two amazing public housing examples: brutalist gem Pearl Bank Apartment Block, and fascinating Art Deco, “Streamline Moderne” housing estate Tiong Barhu, both testimonials of a bygone era when community was always on the architects' and urban planners' mind. Moreover, they are silent witnesses and testimonials of modern Singapore's fast development; one – Pearl Bank – now sold to a multinational, demolished and ready to a new life as luxury apartments, the other – Tiong Bahru – regenerated and turned into a hipster “village”. In fact, the satire addresses the famously controlled (and controlling) society of Singapore and the impossibility of leaving the human factor out of the whole big picture.

To create the pop-futuristic look that characterises TBSC, a coordinated teamwork has certainly been crucial. The production design by is playful and stylish, aided by the quirky retro costumes by , the great use of colours in the light and photography department by and the pop electronic score by Ruben De Gheselle and Michael Penson. Everything is extremely looked after, down to the graphic design of the titles in a hip retro type font, poster and motion graphic, making in this way the most out of a limited budget.

Another great asset of this work is its gentle sense of humour and the virtual absence of proper villains that prevents it to turn into a full-blown dystopia. Director Tan said he got his inspiration from Buster Keaton's movies and Thomas Pang in the role of charming Bee has indeed done his homework. His deadpan facial expression is spot-on, although he is pleasantly more smiling that Buster Keaton. Veteran actresses Goh Guat Kian as mum Mui and Jalyn Han as Ms Wee are very pleasurable to watch.

“Tiong Bharu Social Club” is a visually thrilling comedy with a delicate touch. Never a futuristic dystopia has been so heartwarming.

About the author

Adriana Rosati

On paper I am an Italian living in London, in reality I was born and bread in a popcorn bucket. I've loved cinema since I was a little child and I’ve always had a passion and interest for Asian (especially Japanese) pop culture, food and traditions, but on the cinema side, my big, first love is Hong Kong Cinema. Then - by a sort of osmosis - I have expanded my love and appreciation to the cinematography of other Asian countries. I like action, heroic bloodshed, wu-xia, Shaw Bros (even if it’s not my specialty), Anime, and also more auteur-ish movies. Anything that is good, really, but I am allergic to rom-com (unless it’s a HK rom-com, possibly featuring Andy Lau in his 20s)"

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