UNRIDDLE 最火搭档 Singapore Drama. YOU Don’t MESS with this RIDDLING.

“UNRIDDLE” 最火搭档 Singapore Drama Series REVIEW

To be devoutly honest …..

ONCE an avid supporter of the Singapore MediaCorp dramas, WHY is my interest starting to wane?

Too much hype, more form than actual substance?

Yeah, and the scripts are getting unbelievably stereotyped.

Made-in-SINGAPORE dramas are definitely skewed towards the Singapore audience because, other than in MALAYSIA where the two countries are recently actively participating in joint-ventures, it’s unlikely that legion of people outside these shores would sit up and take notice because they have better choices.

Of course, there are the lovely, rare exceptions of THE LITTLE NONYA and TOGETHER …..

Bless JEANETTE AW. She was in BOTH of them.

So much being said, well ….

Here goes for the “dramatic” UNRIDDLE:

UNRIDDLE is really one avant garde verb, so I am beseeching myself not to be riddled.

Call me bamboozled, but some questions are never meant to be answered.

The bullets are flying helter-skelter in the UNRIDDLE drama series.

Storming onto the goggle box in the living room are two unlikely heroines misses CHEN LI PING and RUI EN ……

first pitching – and then pitting their efforts against each other in their first-time collaboration.

Miss RUI EN is genteel and oh-so-slender in appearance.

She slips into this tough-as-nail role that you can liken to ANGELINA JOLIE’s in SALT.

She even wields a gun. (gasp!)

Come to think of it, there could be some semblance … in ANGELINA’s and RUI EN’s “stiff upper lip”?

RUI EN is the consummate actress to watch out for this year.

Top brass in the SINGAPORE TV Station liken her to TVB actress 鄧萃雯 SHEREN TANG

Coincidentally, I’ll be on a work project with SHEREN next year, and it will be an interesting point to note.

RUI EN is in a diversity of roles – as a besotted starry-eyed live wire in HAPPY FAMILY, a widow-in-distress in WITH YOU and now she is leading a crime team in UNRIDDLE.

Her long flowing hair adds a certain amount of alluring maturity and chic to her personality.

CHEN LI PING is trying not to pose chub.

How can she? CHEN LI PING is CHEN LI PING.

We love her cute figure …. lock, stock and barrel.

Yet these two dames play “dont-mess-with-me” iron cookies in in this AUGUST 2010 offering from MediaCorp SINGAPORE.

The mood is intended to be dead-set hot and scorching.

But no, this is where the disappointment sneaks in.

Some parts can be so tiresomely draggy and yawny …..

Pose not too many questions in this prime-time CSI-formulaic plotline series because one riddle piles atop another before you can complete the whole jig saw puzzle.

Sit, relax, enjoy and be justly entertained.

But to be honest, I am NOT pleasantly surprised.

Expect extensive shoot-outs amid the mad scampering of cops and robbers as the bullets are “let fly” in super-clean Singapore, but it ain’t any DANTE LAM type drama as they only have a definite budget per episode, mind you.

So rule out precarious stunts, vivid explosions and enticing props.

The CG effects “where bullets fly” are like ineffective fireworks and the car speeding scenes are laughable.

“UNRIDDLE” is a SINGAPORE police drama with women cops on the beat, leading the way.

Now, where are the HUNKS in the anti-crime force?

An unlikely situation in SINGAPORE, but mind you, this is drama time taking a swipe at the regular TVB’s Hong Kong cop series, thus answering our first riddle.

Second riddle:

Why is my favorite Singapore actress CHEN LI PING cast as a comic relief albeit rough-and-tumble stool pigeon in this police-flavored series?

It’s just like roping in veteran artiste LOUISE LI TSE KEI from TVB to play a similar role.

This is how real or reel it can be in the casting exercise.

Fresh from a frightfully dreadful 180 series called YOUR HAND IN MINE (everyone I encounter and the gossip mill can attest to this) into this one is not taking our MISS CHEN anywhere.

An excellent actress typecast in ambiguous roles. Kinda sad because she was la manifique in REUNION DINNER and THE GOLDEN PATH (sigh).

I have no answer for this second riddle.

ZOE TAY, where are you?

We could make use of some of your “glam” here.

Next …..

This made-in-Singapore drama series is definitely crafted for a Singaporean audience.

At best, it may reach a captive audience in Malaysia.

Repeat, there’s more hype than substance here.

With all the fanfare, I was expecting a quality production along the line of LITTLE NONYA or TOGETHER … but ….

UNRIDDLE promises a lot, but delivers little.

For sure the actors and actresses gave their best, you can’t fault them …..

TAY PING HUI, CHEN LIPING and RUI EN rendered commendable performances.

But much can be said about a insipid script this time, dumb lines and an absurd plot with silly twists.

You don’t reject a 60 million dollar inheritance, do you?

It’s pure common sense that you don’t put your own sister out there to lure a serial killer, and the protector then rushes off to another crime scene, right?

Have you watched hapless gals committing suicide in frenzied zombie-style, standing on ledge of high buildings with glazed looks and falling beautifully backward?

Poetry in motion ….

Wow, some more …..

Dispense disbelief when these silly incidents exist to mar your intelligence.

Only dinner time aunties, uncles and kids may buy that.

Trying very hard to be in the line of the American series CSI, this Singapore series is nowhere near this.

There’s much to be said about inconsistencies in the directing department.

Beef up, fellas!

Sure, it’s true that one man’s meat is another man’s poison.

Also true, everyone is entitled to his own opinions.

Clearly said, this Reviewer tries to be as objective as possible.

After suspending so much disbeliefs here, the suspension string just breaks apart here.

The last episode which is the 20th, spawns “red herrings” suggesting that there could be a sequel in the planning.

I am sure there will be a standing ovation from die-hard fans.

For me?

No – Sir, thank you so very much …..

REUNION DINNER tastes even BETTER this TIGER YEAR, thanks to veteran actress CHEN LIPING.

CHEN LIPING.

How do we describe her?

In three little words …..

She is cute, fun, very versatile.

And definitely, one of SINGAPORE’s best loved actresses.

When it comes to au naturel acting, not that many come close, at least, not in Singapore.

Her diction, her gesticulations, her vivid portrayal of the undaunting mother never fails to strike a chord in our hearts, always.

She is simple, her versatility puts us at ease and we laugh and cry with her her as she goes on in her gamut of roles.

Take this poignant scene from last year’s drama series REUNION DINNER.

It’s the eve of the Chinese New Year where the entire family sits down for the once-a-year round the table gathering.

Here she is, serving the festive foods.

Her wimp-of-a-husband has been offered a high paying position by an ex-Caucasian client.

Her dementia stricken father-in-law has just unwittingly complimented her as being the “best daughter-in-law” around.

Suddenly intense happiness assails her and as the camera follows her brisk saunter to the kitchen to get more soup,

her eyes are welling up with genuine tears …

Camera closes in on:

her face as she brushes aside tears of pride and joy that speak volumes of the long hard years that had not been in vain ….

How can we forget this heart-warming scene as it keeps on playing over and over again in my mind, reminding me of my own mother?

I wish my own mother is still living so that I can give her a hug,

IT’S SO REAL.

REUNION DINNER was aired in SINGAPORE before the LUNAR NEW YEAR of 2009 (exactly one year ago), but it tastes even better this time round.

With a grande dame like Ms CHEN LIPING around, who really cares for attention grabbing eye-candies?

MISS CHEN, THANK YOU FOR THE MEMORY!

2010.

It’s the LUNAR YEAR of The TIGER.

A time for reflection upon the past before embarking on a brand new Chinese year.

Isn’t it right that, if time could really stand still,

we’d have freeze it here …..

we’d have handled things a lot more differently?

Regrets we all have many.

Who don’t?

We are all creatures of imperfections.

Let’s begin this Lunar New Year by saluting all mothers.

MOTHER.

This word conjures an image of a stoic woman,

A woman who believes in selfless love for her children.

A mother who expects nothing in return,

Perhaps, except, maybe, for some love and care on our part.

Too shy to say “I love you” to your mum?

Don’t be.

Give her a warm hug

and that alone would speak wonders.

Treasure her when she still around,

lest when she’s long gone one day

and you’ll live with regrets that you haven’t done so.

How do you describe

A MOTHER’S LOVE?

“To some love is just a word

To me it’s a feeling

A feeling

I get everytime I look into your eyes

A feeling I get when I realize you’re my mum,

A mum who loves, shares,

A mom who inspires

Unconditionally …..

What’s that?

That’s love

A mother’s love,

but only you would know

And me

You returned that love

time and time again

Possibly too much,

nevertheless you did

Thank You

Thank You for being there when I needed you most

For being my rock when I should have been yours,

Thank you for believing in me,

even when I doubted myself

For being the one person I could trust

No matter what,

No matter where

But most of all, “Thank You” for being you ….

my mum,

A mum I am so proud to claim

I LOVE YOU,

Now and always.”

HAPPY YEAR OF THE TIGER, FOLKS!

JEANETTE AW. Vibrant SINGAPORE Actress. Newest "AH JIE" pushing LIMITS.

We are visiting SINGAPORE for this one.

There's a thriving film industry out there and one gigantic TV drama factory that produces prime time soaps.

It's called MEDIACORP Singapore.

Yet some SINGAPORE bloggers nicknamed it MEDIACORPSE.

Sarcasm or Spite?

Considering that the station is one of the very best in ASIA and is constantly churning out some of the most prolific dramas, such as the recent REUNION DINNER and JUST IN SINGAPORE.

REUNION DINNER and JUST IN SINGAPORE made us all sit up to take notice of the simpler virtues in life, of living in the heartland of SINGAPORE.

They were wonderfully scripted and kudos to the writing team who had added beauty and realism to the otherwise mundane lines.

Excellent true-to-life scripts, we all say.

And to the competent acting cast who delivered the goods.

They are "best actors" in their own rights.

We enjoyed the series so much, we laughed and we cried all-the-way with the characters.

And we are especially wowed with the "au naturel" acting prowess of veteran actress CHEN LI PING.

And kudos too, to PAUL CHAN, the Station's Vice-President OF Branding for his first-hand and entertaining blog covering the MEDIACORP scene.

You are doing a great job, PAUL, in "enhancing the brands" and making them so vibrant.

He has a way with his banters and interactions with the artistes (not easy, because we are hopeless at people mayhem).

NOW BACK TO THIS ARTICLE.

It's bound to upset some raw nerves.

But we're sticking to our guns.

SOMETIMES, a great notion?

Maybe. Perhaps.

Our regional production team (comprising a fair mix of SINGAPOREANS, MALAYSIANS, FILIPINOS, HONG KONGERS and THAIS) try to stay positively opinionated, bear with us.

We are insiders in this industry.

We do our homework before we shoot from our mouths (pun intended).

We are not fans.

It's MIND over MATTER, OK?

As a CHINESE adage goes, we are dealing with SUBJECT content and not the PERSON.

JEANETTE AW.

She's really beautiful, isn't she?

She has that kind-of-a-face that can launch a thousand ships.

She's getting better and better.

Pearly white teeth, enchanting smile, sparkling eyes that beckon you seductively - yet with a tinge of playful shyness.

Believably perfect.

She reminds you of a younger VIVIAN CHOW, the Hong Kong squeeky clean girl-next-door artitste.

Nope, we were not taken in by her in the first instance.

In her earlier drama roles, she was often the spoilt lass or shy maiden.

Until LITTLE NONYA came along and changed all that.

As I have mentioned, her image just "grows" on you.

She's JEANETTE AW, Singapore's newest AH JIE (big sister = topmost actress).

She's going to grace the SINGAPORE google tube for many more long years to come.

This sweet damsel is bound to set male hearts aflutter, not only in SINGAPORE but from far, far away - from all around the region.

Provided that her MANAGEMENT is SINCERE in promoting her seriously and NOT PUSHING her off the limits.

Stop repeating that JEANETTE is 29 (who cares, since she can pass off as 23) and that rookie CHINA babe DYT is only 23.

If the pairing is so uncomfortable, just don't align them together in the first place.

So much for comfort zone.

Age is just a number if a person can maintain his or her looks.

Sensitivity is quite another matter.

Women do not like to be reminded that they are a year older.

First, they were adamant in bestowing JEANETTE the crown, since ZOE TAY and FANN WONG, the Station's reigning queens are happily married and have reached their pinnacles.

JEANNETTE AW gained awesome fame in LITTLE NONYA the recent blockbuster drama series.

She should be the ONLY leading actress there judging by air time, storyline and character focus, as any foreign producer or film maker can see and judge.

THE SINGULAR THEME WEAVES AROUND THE LITTLE NONYA. Even the name.

JEANETTE had fleshed her dual roles as the distraught peranakan mother-and-daughter during pre-and-post Japanese occupation with aplomb.

She deserved the compliments and even her management applauded her.

At first.

Now it's a different story. There's a sudden change of hearts and minds.

It's JOANNE PEH, another pretty damsel, who has a prominent supporting role in LITTLE NONYA who stole the thunder with her portrayal of a brutally maimed woman, raped and left to die.

It's JOANNE PEH who walked away with the coveted BEST ACTRESS 2009 award.

Hers is a staunch supporting role as we read it (say what you want), and not a lead by sight and sound, and we therefore beg to digress.

But her management wants her in, and that was that.

Suddenly JOANNE becomes the flavor of the season.

It's LIFE imitating ART, or vice-versa?

We don't know, but our heart goes out to JEANNETTE.

Everybody has been rooting for her to win and for some inexplicable reasons, she lost out and is left dangling in mid-air.

Heard of the song PUPPET ON A STRING?

There're plenty of cherubic smiles on the stage of the recent SINGAPORE STAR AWARDS 2009.

For the winners, it was "floating on cloud 9" and enlightenment all the way

For the losers?

Brave smiles ("no big deal, la") but teary disappointments within.

It's like this when you've got to pit one talent against another.

Did the best one win?

Your guess is as good as ours.

This is pretty much the situation for JEANNETTE AW, to have what you should have on a platter and have it taken away right before your eyes.

TO HAVE BUT NOT TO HOLD.

Entertainment politics prevail here.

Raw talent, kick ass or kiss ass?

For sure, connections are all that important here.

If Management likes you, then it's SUMMER all the way.

If they don't, then it's time to hunt for alternatives.

Unless you are tolerant of the frost-bites.

AWARDS NIGHT is not necessarily a culmination of achievements, of tributes and of glowing things to come.

It's a pitch of one-great-talent-against-another in a boxing ring.

It's pure entertainment itself to the audience out there, fodder to raise ratings and to incite media advertising.

All the World is a Stage,

And all the men and women are mere players.

They have their exits and their entrances,

And one man in his time plays many parts,

It's life imitating art, so to speak.

WHAT PRICE STARDOM?

Lots.

You lose your privacy, you are heavily lauded with praises or negative criticism,

You'll feel ever-so-insecure because you fear that there's always a better one out there somewhere,

And the day'll come when you are forced to step down -

gracefully or otherwise,

THE ENTERTAINMENT ARENA is a brutal ground for challenges,

You've to dance to the right tune,

Plenty of SMILES aflowing.

But for those who have lost, putting on your brightest SMILE is the best way to walk away head up high.

With gracious dignity.

AWESOME, isn't it?

To JOANNE PEH - we have supported you in our past articles, we think you are great - we say sorry for voicing our opinions (and of course, we know you don't care).

To JEANETTE AW - at least we are seeing you in a different light now, and there'll be sunshine after the rain, for sure. Cheers!

Isn't LIFE like this:

YOU WIN SOME, YOU LOSE SOME.

YOU SIMPLY CANNOT ATTAIN GLORY FOREVER.

(The above content reflects the professional sentiments and musings of your SINGAPORE's friendly neigbbours and does not seek to offend or pique controversy, so there!)