3688 (film)

3688
Theatrical release poster
想入飛飛
Directed by	Royston Tan
Produced by	Melvin Ang Royston Tan Bert Tan Zheng Le Ng Say Yong Karen Khoo Soo Wei Toong
Written by	Lim Wei Fong
Starring	Joi Chua Liu Lingling Rahimah Rahim Brandon Wong Shigga Shay Michael Tan
Music by	Don Richmond
Cinematography	Daniel Low
Edited by	Neo Rui Xin
Production company	Chuan Pictures mm2 Entertainment
Distributed by	mm2 Entertainment Golden Village Pictures
Release dates	September 17, 2015 (2015-09-17)
Running time	100 minutes
Country	Singapore
Language	Mandarin Hokkien Bahasa English
Budget	S$1.2 million
Box office	S$191,000

3688 (simplified Chinese: 想入飞飞; traditional Chinese: 想入飛飛; pinyin: Xiǎngrù Fēifēi, literally "Dreaming of Fei Fei"), is a 2015 Singaporean musical/comedy film directed by Royston Tan, and his first feature film after an absence of 7 years. It stars Joi Chua, Michael Tan, Rahimah Rahim, Liu Lingling and Shigga Shay as the main cast.

Plot

Xia Fei Fei is a 38-year-old parking attendant, locally known as "summon auntie", or "Feng Fei Fei", who has often dreamed of becoming a singer like her idol, Feng Fei-fei since during her school days, and had won many contests singing Feng’s songs during her school days. She is good-natured, and would often give each driver a chance before issuing a ticket. She is well-loved by the drivers, but detested by her colleagues, especially the veteran Jenny and her group of minions who often scheme and plot against her. With her mother long gone, Fei Fei and her father, a retired Rediffusion sales representative, nicknamed "Uncle Radio", live a codependent life together.

At the same time, she had to deal with several other concerns, including supporting her dementia-stricken father, salesman. Fei Fei is aided by kopitiam drink-stall owner Ah Luan, who has an alter-ego, Lady Kaka (a reference to Lady Gaga), and childhood friend and taxi driver Mao Shan. On the day of Feng Fei Fei’s passing, Fei Fei has also suddenly realised that something was amiss with her father when he became visibly frustrated over the Rediffusion set’s malfunction. It is common knowledge that Rediffusion had been long gone.

In order to take care of her father and cover his rising medical expenses, Fei Fei decides to join the National Singing Competition after seeing an advertisement. Fei Fei eventually made it to the finals after capturing the nation's heart using her voice and sincerity, but her father has disappeared suddenly on the day of the finals.

Cast

• Joi Chua as Xia Fei Fei
  • Lee Pei Fen as teenage Xia Fei Fei
• Michael Tan as "Uncle Radio"
• Rahimah Rahim as Jenny Rahimah
• Liu Lingling as Ah Luan "Auntie Hai Xian"/Lady Kaka
• Shigga Shay as Yoyo "Hai Er", Ah Luan's son
• Brandon Wong as Maoshan
• Jerry Huang as Fei Xiang, Fei Fei's ex-lover
• Pamelyn Chee as Teresa, one of The Four Beauties / J4 (Jenny's 4)
• Tracy & Teresa from Babes as Ya Ping and Shu Rong, two of The Four Beauties / J4 (Jenny's 4)
• Tay Siayuen as Piao Piao, one of The Four Beauties / J4 (Jenny's 4)
• Tan Bee Keow as Anita, a contestant in the singing competition
• Lin Meijiao as Fei Fei's late mother (cameo)

Jim Lim, Patricia Mok, Xie Jiafa and Don Richmond have cameo appearances in the film.

Production

Most of the filming was done at Dakota Crescent, a residential area that was built in the 1950s with first-generation HDB flats. In an interview with Royston Tan by The Straits Times, he said that the act of filming a place can help to preserve it, at least in people's memories and so "disappearing fragments of society will not be forgotten", and wanted to shoot there "as this estate would be gone by next year". ^[1] Another carpark at Queen Street was used for some of the filming.^[2] Filming started in November 2014, and lasted for three weeks.

Soundtrack

3688: Original Soundtrack 3688 想入飛飛 (電影原聲帶)
Soundtrack album by Various Artists
Released	September 15, 2015 (2015-09-15)
Genre	Soundtrack
Length	33:23
Label	Chuan Pictures, mm2 Entertainment

The soundtrack for 3688 was released on all platforms on 15 September 2015, two days before the release of the film.

The theme song of the film is 《念》, sung by Joi Chua. Within a few weeks, it has made its way to one of the top 10 songs on YES 933's weekly charts.

Another song, "Tapau", features Shigga Shay rapping out a list of drinks ordered at coffee-shops. The music video was uploaded on YouTube on 9 August, 2015. Shigga also recorded a one-minute rap on the life and career of Feng Fei-fei. The film marks the first time Shigga raps in Mandarin.^[3]

Some of the songs in the film are remakes of popular songs from the 1970s and 1980s, especially those originally sung by Feng Fei-fei.

Reception

John Lui of The Straits Times gave 3688 3.5/5 stars, stating that although "Tan's forte is detail and mood" and that there is "sparkle and heart", he needs "fresher ways to express his vision". Furthermore, there is a "lack of narrative discipline", and "motifs are repeated ad nauseam, skits are inserted willy-nilly and music sequences serve neither character or story".^[4]

Box office

3688 collected S$191,000 between 17 and 20 September, topping the opening weekend box office chart for a Singaporean film released outside Chinese New Year,^[5] however it was surpassed by Mr. Unbelievable in December 2015.

References

External links

• 3688 at the Internet Movie Database