I first saw G-23 at the beginning of my first year in FSV. Much hype had preceded it and I enthusiastically watched it with a few friends of mine inside of a Ngee Ann theatre. When it was all over I was met with numerous comments all positive saying : “Wow that was good” and “Excellent.” Sitting down and watching this by myself several months later I still wonder to myself. Do people immediately praise this movie just based on the fact it has won many awards? Or the hype Ngee Ann has placed around it as well as Anthony Chen skills?

Staged in a tamil movie theatre in Woodlands , our seemingly main protagonist ( simply dubbed ‘ticket tearer’) observes numerous characters from a singular seat in the cinema ( seat G-23 no less).

Three people all connected in some way by this seat, all having their own problems and conflicts along the way. This three pronged narrative cycle ticks forward during the course of the movie and we see these three characters in a few ways.

One thing that stood out for me and that I was impressed with was its impeccable lighting and cinematography . The long drawn out shadows of the cinema created an ambiance to set the stage for the narrative as well as the interiors of all the characters respective homes. The cinema itself emitted an almost labyrinth like appeal due to this – spinning rays of light across the screen and really creating something more than just a location.

For our sexually-charged frustrated middle aged woman we are greeted with a slightly over saturated scene – with over exposed whites; glaring and bright. In the case of the old man we see him through a veil of pale colours – desaturated in many ways perhaps emphasizing the solitude he feels. For the young Indian girl close-ups and overpowering ambiance sound is present – perhaps to distract and distort and to give us an inkling into the problem this troubled youth is facing. I felt it added to the whole feel of the film which was in essence to represent these characters in many different ways.

The scene that I found most memorable though was our old man chasing a lonely cockroach around his flat. It was memorable, funny and in a way sad as well – bringing a range of emotions that was interesting for just one scene devoid of dialogue.

What I found equally interesting was the fact I could relate to the character of our troubled Indian Girl. Was this the aim for Anthony? To give a range of characters and problems so that we might , in turn, relate these problems in some way with our own lives? After all we all long for somethings we don’t usually get for find trouble in achieving. This stood out the most for me. G-23’s ability to relate to the audience in some way or another . I recently wrote in another forum about “What is Cinema?” In my opinion it is in this very powerful quality of relation. If I relate to one of the character on screen, I can see myself in their shoes and thus take something home with me once the film is over. How did they overcome their trials and tribulations? Did I really do that or was I really that unfair? Questions like these evolve from this relation after the movie is over and I felt that G-23’s ability to relate was its best and most defining feature.

Reviewed by Kane Wheatley-Holder