Sandcastle (沙城) (2010)

A teenager undergoing a rite of passage comes of age when he discovers, through his almost-senile grandmother, how Singapore's dark past clashed with his family history.

The personal never quite becomes political as melodrama takes over the narrative.

The director's first feature has two problems highlighting his problem with scale - there's far too much short film aesthetics (languid, repetitive artsy shots, endless framing shots) padding up the screentime, and far too many subplots competing for oxygen.

Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 25 August 2010.