Cages

Cages is a remarkable film. And Singapore has a lot to be proud of this film.

Shot solely in Singapore, Cages presents our beautiful island in a different light. Think bunk boats, Nonya outfits, kok kok bowls (porcelain bowls with rooster motifs), and colourful mosaic tiles. Even being a born and bred Singaporean, I have never seen my city island viewed in that light before.

As for castings, Cages is acted by late Makoto Iwamatsu, Zelda Rubinstein, Asrani, Bobby Tonelli, and our very own Tan Kheng Hua and Dickson Tan.

Iwamatsu made such a convincing role out of Tan’s father that it was pretty teary at some point. Whilst Tan, immersed herself in the role so much, I could sense her protectiveness as a mother and defensiveness as a daughter. Above all, I thought Dickson deserved praise for his role in the movie. Cages shines brightly as its star studded cast.

Vibrant staging and good casting aside, the movie follows a dramatic plot, embedded with a  lot of hidden meaning that viewers need to decipher before fully understanding the story line - like why was Iwamatsu avoiding Dickson at one point and embracing him at another. And that was what I loved about the movie. It wasn’t a in-your-face story.

With exception of the first 5 minutes of the show - which I thought was irrelevant - I thought that this show is fantastic. I would show this film to my kids when they are a bit older, to allow them to appreciate the artsy side of it.

Visit Cages official site here: http://www.cagesmovie.com/