Wet Season

Still wondering why I liked it! Perhaps it was the acting, direction or... NO, that was it. Not too special of a story, but a DRAMA that's just gonna feel GOOD. Even got a STANDING OVATION at that screening. GO FOR IT!!!

She has a lot to handle, father-in-law, failed fertilisation throughout 8 years, cheating husband and more than student relationship.

There are some mocking details I like such as bad female driver prejudice and chinese education not important in Singapore.

Although chinese is really difficult to learn. A fresh start after everything happened during wet season.

A Malaysian-born woman is married to a Singaporean man, and living in Singapore. She is busy. She is trying to get pregnant, and when her husband is not in the mood during her fertile period, resorts to using her husband's frozen product. She is the evening caretaker of her stroke-ridden father-in-law, who spends much time watching martial arts movies on TV. She is also a high school teacher in Mandarin, whose ethnic Chinese students are not motivated to learn their heritage language. When she tries to run a remedial class, it rapidly dwindles down to one student - who happens to be a martial arts artistic competitor. As the time for her duties overlap, the student develops a case of Hots for Teacher.

Seeing this at the Toronto International Film Festival with Q+A, the director mentioned that the wet monsoon season (and the time period of the film) lasts 6-8 weeks. The rain serves as an indication of the teacher's mental state, as well as acting as the soundtrack of the film. The backbone of the story is that Singapore kids are far more interested in English, the language of commerce, than their heritage. (Interestingly, the lone student interested in Mandarin suggests he might want to do business with China.)

Overall, a good film.

Teenage infatuation takes the front seat in Anthony Chen's second feature film Wet Season which by the time the drama ends gives you a feeling that is equal to what you feel when rains stop and the sun comes up in the sky with all its glory. With a proper blend of nuanced performances by the two lead able actors and subtle filmmaking, the story about a high school teacher and her inquisitive student and Wushu (Chinese Kung Fu) enthusiast moves with a pace that is bound to bring a smile to your face with its straightforward story, dry humour with enough stereotypical jibes between the characters, and unallayed emotional tension. The themes of invisible marital discord, anxiety about childlessness, caring the old, and teacher-student dynamics lines the simple plot with silver as the actors shoulder the entire film to turn it into what it is: an honest look at how such relationship start and how even they can be seen as pure despite the societal dogma. I like how Chen compares the discomfort of a monsoon season (a full-fledged one, I mean; not the joy of the first rains) with the proceedings of the film, which is only heightened by the facial expressions of the remarkably talented Yann Yann Yeo. The high school scenes are a pleasure to watch. I cannot stop gushing even though I wanted it to end at least 20 minutes earlier. TN.

(Watched and reviewed at its India premiere at the 21st MAMI Mumbai Film Festival.)

A movie that forcus more on the main character.every detail is so exquisite that u can't find flaw in movie. Super performance by the actress that had to restraint her feeling which is so hard to perform but she manage to make it. And the dad act so natural that I think he's really a stroke patient. It could be better if jump between scene will be more smoother and more focus on the rain drop transform as this is the main root of the movie. Every performance is so natural that there's is no sign of acting in this movie.