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Rating: 2.9/5
Review: "Siew Lup movie review" (82 minutes)

"Siew Lup's controversial scenes may be bold but the weak script and character's development make it a lacklustre local film which is a pity."

I have not seen Lang Tong, the first installment to director Sam Loh's planned trilogy. But after watching Siew Lup, I am guessing the first installment isn't as much better as this. Both films have gained some popularity due to sex scenes that are rarely seen in a local film. For Siew Lup, if you strip away the fairly graphic sex scenes and violence, it is just an ordinary TV film. Sam Loh should be given credit for his bold vision of bringing something controversial to the local film industry however with a weak plot development, it is tepid.

The story: Siew Lup is barely entertaining thanks to its controversial materials. Although there are bold scenes, it still seems that the film is still played in a safe way. The pacing is awkward. There are some scenes that go on too long and there are some that are too short. It relies heavily on film's convenience. It feels rushed on the whole. Thankfully, it is not boring. But there are no ups and downs, the whole film just unfolds in the most ordinary manner. Continuity is not good but I am able to close one eye.

Given its very short runtime, it is no surprise that the characters' motivations are out of place. After trying to establish the characters, the second and third acts are rushed. Once it reaches the climax, you will feel nothing for any of the characters. One thing that faces my strongest critism is the music. The music feels so out of place and is very cliché. It may work for a TV film but for a theatrical film, it feels amateur. It is noisy, vulgar and emotionless. The sound design is also lacklustre. It sounds like as if the actors' voices are heavily edited.

The good thing is that the controversial scenes are alright. There are many fairly graphic sex scenes with nudity. The acting is not up to par (stiff most of the time) but the actors and actresses are attractive enough to make the film more appealing. Newcomer Rebecca Chen, the main lead, may be stiff in the first act but is more believable as a femme fatale in the second and third acts. Melody Low does not have enough screentime to make an impact but her presence is enough to create a contrast to Rebecca's character. Other male cast (Louis Wu and Sunny Pang) are so-so. Cinematography and the limited location sets are decent enough to create the mood. The action choreography, led by local stunt team, Ronin Action, is alright.

Overall: These sum up a mediocre film that is not up to standard yet. It is a decent try for the local industry but it could be much better if given a better developed script. If there is a third installment, hopefully the lessons from this are learnt. It may be okay to watch if you are interested in sexploitation films. Probably it is more worth to watch on VOD (Video On Demand) (since it is R21, it is not allowed for a DVD release and I have no idea when is it going to be released on VOD) rather than in cinema.

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