Singapore Short Film Awards - Jaded Winds by Nelson Yeo

SSFA moments are partially made of these - you remember the films that touched and you also remember the films that appalled you. Watching 'Jaded Wind' was a like slap on the face. I sat up, jaws dropped, struggling to deal with the absurdist, random, amorphous thing that film was. The title belies the real thrust of the story. 2 supposed jaded warriors (ironically acted by 2 adolescents) settle their differences once and for all. The 'wu xia' (Chinese period kungfu) genre gets a painful contortion. Set amidst 'glorious' HDB flats, the 2 fight on top of a hill. We are treated to one slapstick antic after another. While most of us would like some room for the absurd after too much gravity seen in the other films, the filmmakers could have been a little more conscientious with the absurd antics. Unfortunately, corners were cut in the delivery. And many of the meaning behind the very personal jokes were lost. Risk well taken! But do try harder.