15: The Movie (2003) User Reviews

A Nutshell Review: 15

[DICK STEEL · 7/10 · 31 August 2005]

15 gained its film notoriety locally for its content, about the lives and angst of teenage delinquents in Singapore. However, after watching this film, one might think a little deeper about the trials and tribulations that these teenagers face, from the angle that director Royston Tan presents.

The opening credits was stylishly done, and this is very surprising actually, for a local film. The feel of the movie was like a series of short snippets of set pieces, be it gang fights, body piercing, the etching of a tattoo on one's body, body mutilations, the swallowing of condom filled Ecstasy pills, etc. And stringing it all together were manga inspired transitions done Japanese documentary style of huge words smacked across the screen.

While these stylistic techniques drew attention to themselves, the main leads were also infamously rumoured to be in similar dire straits as the characters. The street wise teenagers actually looked sincere in their acting (or were they?) and it's a wonder how Royston managed to coax them into starring in his movie.

The plot, as mentioned, consists of short stories which fell into 3 acts. The first, being the brotherhood between 2 friends who ponder the meaning of their aimless lives. They know that they are condemned in the eyes of society, and find solace in the company of themselves. The second act was a bit comical, as 2 friends helped an ex-enemy to look for a building to commit suicide in. And the last act continued with examining the lives and friendship between the same 2 friends.

Sure, peppered throughout the dialogue are constant swearing, smoking, drug-taking, porn watching, lip piercing (which irked the audience), hokkien song singing, but there's a limit to how much these novelties can disguise a lack of focus in certain parts of the story, especially towards the end. I felt the strength of this film was in the first act, where you could actually feel the desperation and crying out for direction in life, and eventually the succumbing to the belief of what Fate has dealt them.

Nonetheless, for its stark and pointed commentary, this is certainly a departure from the usual stories that one might associate teenagers with. It's gritty, dark, melancholic to the point of despair, this is a glimpse into the troubled lives of the local misguided youth.

Disappointing Feature-length Version

[Matt73 · 5/10 · 7 November 2003]

I've seen the short and it was truly great, so I went to see the feature-length version with great expectations. I was totally disappointed.

The first section is actually the short version, where the story of the 3 friends unfolds, but then the director focuses on 1 protagonist. I guess he might not be able to get the other 2 actors to 'complete' the story.

Shaun as the only one remaining acted quite well, but the story would've been much better if it explored deeper into his love-hate relationship with Vynn. The movie fell flat on several scenes because the director just couldn't build the story based on Shaun alone. He introduced 2 new characters but they really couldn't help much.

I guess Royston should've just left the short alone until he managed to build a stronger plot. All in all, 15 is a heart-warming short film, but a disappointing feature-length.

Lots of style and potential, but doesn't live up to it

[BeyondHardBoiled · 6/10 · 23 January 2015]

15 follows several 15 year-olds in suburban Singapore. They display their angst by acting like typical teenagers: talk sex, do drugs, and act obnoxious.

Their innocence is slowly lost as they begin to dwell on gang life and suicide.

Overall, it's very stylish, using different color filters and flashy effects. It transitions between chapters with titles that give off a feeling of angsty teenage philosophy and tells of their struggles. This develops a lot of potential to be like other great films with similar subjects, like Donnie Darko. Some of the themes of suicide bring up the great films of Sion Sono, such as Suicide Club and Noriko's Dinner Table.

This film does not live up to those titles. The style is great at first, especially in the character's "music videos", but eventually gets repetitive.

There isn't that much of a plot. You just kinda follow the characters around, there isn't a real conflict or goal. Then again, it doesn't really follow the traditional three-act format. It jumps around from different groups of characters. You don't spend that much time with some so it's hard to connect with them. This is my main complaint.

Some of the emotional scenes seem a bit forced. There are a couple scenes that go on for a long time with one shot, and try to be kinda artsy and emotional but just don't work.

The film does have a few instances of dark comedy, which is one of the best points. There isn't much though.

If the film had more story and balance, it would be much better.

Raw as Sashimi

[slurpee-sundae · 8/10 · 1 May 2003]

*Spoilers Warning*

15 is an extension of the award-winning short film of the same title and the long-awaited Singaporean work starring real-life teen hooligans (all 15 years of age at time of filming) whom Royston picked up from schools and streets. The film is an honest yet provocative insight of the world of several disenchanted, tattooed youths rejected by their own families and sidelined by the mainstream of society. Shot in a disjointed MTV and voyeuristic style with mixed paces, the show is like a rollercoaster ride with dizzy, intense outburst of vulgar Hokkien and "brotherhood" gangster songs and occasional prolonged scenes of quiet emotions. There was a couple of confetti-filled performances and even a small segment of crude animation to add some ironic exuberant touches to their sad journeys in life. Because of its presentation, subject matter and nature of characters, it is quite reasonable to describe 15 as a semi-documentary of a lost generation.

Through the direction of the lens, the lives of these boys were laid bare to the audience with little actual acting [Royston claimed that he discarded 5 rolls of film, approximately 30 minutes worth of footage because the boys had somehow picked up and gone into method acting instead] .......so whatever you see on screen (the tears, behavior, etc) are authentic aspects of their personalities and backgrounds. Because everything is almost real, the film is embodied with a quality as raw as sashimi. Apart from their young faces, there wasn't a shred of innocence found in the boys. 15 was essentially a platform for the display of the teenagers' pain, loneliness, hopelessness, despair and frustration. Yet it's more than watching a violent heavy rock concert [rock bands are commonly made up of angry men anyway?] or a sort of satirical social commentary. The depressing slant is moderately balanced by several points of humor and entertainment, which would be better appreciated in a Singaporean context.

One of the most poignant scene, to me, came from the search of a suitable, grand building for one of the protagonists to jump off ---- yes, a suicidal site recce. After scouting and assessing several landmarks, from familiar HDB flats/condominiums to more prominent landmarks like commercial skyscrapers and hotels, they finally found the best location......gloriously revealed as the Esplanade. I saw the choice as deliberate, staining the symbol of our (so-called) cultural excellence with the blood of a 15 year-old street urchin, profaning the icon of elitism and artistry. A subtle stroke of tragic brilliance here, I feel.

Mirroring real life, there was no fairy-tale ending for the film. The sad fact is that most were not able to free themselves of their troubles or find a new leash of life and hope even after the completion of filming. As Royston related, out of the 6 boys, one went missing, one got jailed for stabbing another youth almost to death, one attempted suicide over a failed relationship. Only one desired to go back to school but was rejected by government schools because of his tattoos. Fortunately, a church group is looking into sponsoring his education thru private tutoring. The film may seems to be a one-sided effort in generating sympathy for their plight without considering personal responsibilities and choices....but then again, what sort of accountability can be reasonably demanded from a 15 year-old? Where or what were most of us doing when we were 15? All I remembered of myself was being a mugger tackling class tests and exams......even years down the road I do not think I would have the capacity to deal with or relate to the emotional complexities that the boys in the film went thru. A matter of circumstances? Perhaps so. Anyway, their counterparts will never be able to watch this film to find any identification as it is very unlikely for the film to get a rating below R(A). Himself an ITE-graduate whose lecturer destined himself to be nothing more than a clerical assistant, Royston may qualify himself in filming this as he isn't part of the echelon which society heaps its recognition and approval but a filtered by-product of a national system with narrowly-defined parameters of success.

Comparing it with Jack Neo's light-hearted I Not Stupid [whose characters were also marginalized individuals], 15 is definitely not a crowd pleaser. Besides being real, the boys were older and far more repressed than Neo's trio. There were disturbing, nauseating scenes of drug-smuggling by swallowing condoms filled with ecstasy pills as well as real bodily mutilation: skin-piercing without anesthetic and a particularly heartbreaking scene where one boy repeatedly slashed his forearm with a penknife [Royston later explained that this scene was shot in reality whereby the boy was given complete freedom to express himself to the world in 2 minutes; he just keep cutting himself while a doctor was on stand-by]. Some may find his approach exploitative (as voiced by an audience in the Q&A session after the screening) in a bid to shock, offend and earn the label of notoriety thru' controversy. I felt discomfort too but I did not doubt his sincerity in wanting to raise general awareness of some of our troubled youths and that his objective is not to "wash our dirty linen in public".

Royston has clearly shown his undeniable talent in filmmaking after a series of outstanding short films and I am happy that he has fulfilled his personal dream to make a full feature. A few foreign distributors are already interested in 15 but Shaw's intent for a general release in Singapore is yet to be finalized, uncut or otherwise. Whether 15 are the most important Singapore film to date may remain a subject of debate but I believe many would say that it is the most unforgettable.

Kannina! How come no ah-lians?

[qwertzy · 4/10 · 23 January 2006]

The last time a local film actually garnered critical acclaim, Cleopatra Wong was still karate chopping up policemen in shorts. Hailing from 21th century Singapore, I was all eager to watch 15. Too eager, on hindsight, as I passed up Broken Flowers and Julie Delpy for it.

Opening sequence with 3 leads playing bow-and arrows in a metaphorical wasteland (Nope! There's no desert in monsoon-ravaged Singapore), a sense of foreboding crept up inside me. A film which purports to capture street life grittiness but opens with some high arty farty concept, is suffering from a clash of ideologies, something akin to getting Jesus and God of Mercy tattooed on your back.

So the movie meanders down this slippery path of pseudo high concept art. We find Ah-bengs, or 'street thugs' in colloquial Hokkien, not in the streets spilling blood, but hanging around in their not-so-spartan HDB flats musing about the vagaries of life and occasionally breaking into colourful song-and-dance. Sounds a lot like my life, thank you.

Granted, there were a few great takes of self-mutilation and drug-smuggling, which was stomach churning even to the hardboiled. But the terrible pacing blunted the scenes and ruined the senses. It was with much gratitude that I survived the extreme tedium, thanks to my fingers on the FAST FORWARD button. Mind you, it was not just a casual fast forward, but a SUPER TURBO FAST FORWARD of 8x.

15 would indeed be a smashing hit as a 15 min long feature. Royston Tan shouldn't have dragged 15 out from the relative comforts of short films to the hazards of full-lengths. A full-length film needs to be sustained by a story, a heartbeat. Witness how blood courses through the veins of Amores Perros, or Cidade de Deus. A concept alone, even if wrapped up in garish lighting and high contrast colours, is simply not enough.

IMDb Rating: 4.7 (-1 for lack of Ah Lians in a movie about Ah Bengs. Oh! Ludicrious!)

Film on 15 year-olds in Singapore. Do you always see everything that's happening? Or are you just blind to the things you don't want to see?

[PressingSilence · 8/10 · 18 February 2007]

This was an amazing film.

Many people don't like it, perhaps because they're used to the films that Hollywood keeps spitting out. Fast-paced, over dramatic films (Please note: I'm referring to some, not all) I've seen some terrible films in my lifetime, and 15 is certainly not one of them.

The trailer sums it up well. Unbreakable friendships, the "in-your face" visuals, the drama, the comedy.

There's not many films that I laugh at this much. It was fun to watch, painful at times, but all in all a lovely, amazingly well done, creative, unique film.

While some may find it a disappointment, I wholeheartedly disagree.

It was fantastic. You become attached to the characters. Things were's blatantly obvious, there's some fantastic quotes.

This is everything I thought it would be, and more.

Stunning.

Great short film. Awful feature film!

[jonvjon · 3/10 · 6 September 2003]

For the uninitiated, 15 tells the story of Singapore's lost youth. The original short film (at a duration of approximately 20 minutes) was excellent and mind blowing. A treat for all the senses. I don't think there was a single person who left the film festival screening unmoved.

The feature length version basically continues where the short left off. And what a great feature it would've been had there been an actual story! The movie was wandering and meandering, meaningless at some points, and just plain boring at others. I shall always treasure the short film experience, and have already forgotten the feature length abomination.

beautiful

[kajsarydergard · 10/10 · 6 February 2004]

This is one of my favourite movies. Can't wait 'til I can buy it. It is a chockingly beautiful movie, the colours and the camera angles and everything is perfect. It is so close, everytime the actors cut their wrists or try to press down a condom full of pills in their throat, it feels like they're doing it to me.

Even the violence is beautiful. I don't mean kill bill-violence, but in some way the director makes everything seem so realistic but at the same time extraordinary. I don't know how else to describe it.

This is true beauty. See it!

this is crap

[Alise_shenle · 1/10 · 13 April 2009]

i'm also a 15 year old. i am not scared of blood or violence, and i even like to watch horror movies. so i was interested in this film as it seemed quite funny (at first). but then it became boring (no plot), and the characters seem unreal. It was very vulgar, to the point where you don't find it funny anymore. you also don't know why exactly they are like that--many people go to ITE too, but they don't join gangs. they don't do STUPID things like fight, have sex with a dummy, take drugs, pierce, get tattoos, cut themselves, commit suicide. even if they die, they would choose to let the whole nation mourn for them by becoming some famous great person, not die on a famous building. i can't believe the actors are actually not acting. who would do such things on CAMERA? Roystan tan is really sick (psycho sick), and i have no intention to watch any more of his films. keep in mind that this is not a fair nor typical representation of Singapore's youth, who are typically a studious, polite lot. And gang fights or gangsters parading around are not common. & what's the deal with all the hokkien? do you really think all the people understand this? use your brain, roystan. you're making a film for everyone and you add all this vulgar stuff and hokkien to show off your artiness. PS: the boys don't look like 15, now do they? you're not even realistic, roystan!

An excellent film.

[filmfan213 · 9/10 · 23 April 2005]

An excellent film, 15 does a great job showing a side of Singapore most people never see. While some viewers might object to the violence and graphic scenes of self-mutilation, the reality behind every scene had a lasting impression on me. Director Royston Tan should be commended for this haunting look into the lives of these five teenagers. The film shows us that even people on the fringes of society still desire the same love and companionship we all do, these boys only have each other and their friendship is enough to get them through. I had the opportunity to see this film when it was playing in New York and hope the rest of the country gets a chance to see it. Bravo!

fifteen minutes of fame

[samzpan · 9/10 · 26 June 2005]

basically this is the story of two 15 year old Asian boys living in singapore. they are what we would categorize as "at risk" in the good ole USA. both of them are into drugs and into smuggling drugs. and there is this one scene where a condom filled with pills is being forced down the throat of one of the boys. he is doing this himself and is in obvious pain and discomfort. his eyes are watering and saliva drips from his mouth and he tries to shove this giant pill stuffed condom down his throat. luckily we do not get to see the illegal contraband exiting the other end. but the movie has a lot of comedy in it, for instance when the boys buy a blow up doll and run thru the city center throwing it to the ground and humping it. and then there are scenes where the 2 boys place the doll between them and the guy on the top simulates a violent rape of the doll. the two boys spend a lot of time together but other friends are featured also. eventually the two spend some time in bed together and their attraction for each other is homosexual, and there are some tender scenes where one gently hugs the other one. this movie does not pull any punches, this is the reality for these boys in the circumstances that they are faced with. it is more of a documentary than a movie, sort of like pixote, but not as long or as complex. an excellent examination of teenage boys in singapore.

An Important Singaporean Film

[Mike-DD · 9/10 · 5 July 2007]

This may not be the best, or even a great, Singaporean film, storywise, plotwise and acting-wise. (Instead of the film telling a smooth or uninterrupted story, what you get are a series of vignettes of the boys' lives more or less linked by the last subject matter touched on in the previous sub-plot. The acting seem stunted at times, yet the "actors" themselves seem remarkably unaffected by the cameras trained on them.) However, it remains an important local film in being one of the few which does not shy away from stark portrayals of certain sections of society, in this case, a particular group of disaffected youth. That it is internationally acclaimed makes me proud as a Singaporean, but what makes me prouder is the fact someone actually made this film in a society where such topics are preferred swept under the rug, not just by the authorities, but by the population in general.

This is definitely not a Jack Neo-style movie, where criticism is veiled and locally-sensitive topics discussed in a non-provoking manner. (Which is probably why his movies, even though subtly critical of the government and its policies, are not banned or even censored.) This is in-your-face, MTV-style. I enjoy Jack Neo movies, but sometimes you need something like this to take you out of the comfort zone.

unbelievable show.

[boinkisaurus · 9/10 · 27 February 2006]

This is a show about the lives of Singaporean boys, mostly from broken families and how they go astray. They end up in gangs, forming some sort of "brotherhood". It's fantastic how well they managed to portray a typical day of a Singaporean gangster, their mischief and their "violent tendencies". It may seem like fiction but I do know of incidents such as these that actually go on in Singapore that most people do not see. Matter of fact, I do know some people who are exactly like the characters you will be seeing in the show. Show starts off with Vynn and Melvin, 2 good friends who had just fallen out with Shaun, who had gone on to join another gang. Show moves on to the life of Shaun and his posse, getting into gang fights, drinking, clubbing, smoking and taking drugs. Shaun and his new friend Erick are pretty much inseparable, but shows no sign of homosexual tendencies. I can account for this from the things they mentioned throughout the show, always speaking about brotherhood and loyalty. They are extremely good and close friends, but are not emotionally involved in a homosexual manner. The show has occasional graphic scenes, like the piercings, and the drug smuggling. Viewers be warned.