Sandcastle

I like it. R really, really likes it.
Sandcastle, directed by Boo Junfeng in his debut feature-length film, is a coming-of-age movie about a Singapore boy, En, age 18. That just about sums it up. But. It's alot more as well, thoughtful, felt and immediately engaging. The reviews so far emphasize the political commentary that is brought in by En’s discovery that his dead father was an activist in Singapore in the 1960s, but thankfully, this does not define the movie. What moved me was the movie's simple telling of En's getting to know his family, the nature of family bonds, the passage of life. Joshua Tan, the lead actor, really carried the movie in a mature, understated performance. En's relationship with his Chinese neighbour was the weakest link, and felt perfunctory and unconvinced. The art direction wasn't overwhelming, and didn't make Singapore either overly exotic nor pretty, but dignified and realistic. It feels fresh. It looks fresh. For this I'm grateful.

Oh, and the dragonflies. I think that the dragonflies completely lifted the movie into importance.
There are now two new talents to watch and this is exciting.