The poster and trailer didn't give half the musical away. But I've been warned by the lyricist in quite a sombre way, that it's going to be really sad. And I came out of the dark theatre blinking not because of the sudden brightness, but because my eyes were swollen.

Like 881, the visuals were a feast; catchy getai tunes, dance, complete with gaudy costumes and makeup. One is refreshing, and colourful enough to be Singapore's pick for the Oscars. (I still like Gone Shopping though) Two getai films is just one too many.

I loved the storyline, a heartwrenching story about a girl driven to insanity by the men in her life. The song 12 Lotus formed the skeleton of the movie with the getai as the backdrop. Nothing new, but tastefully done.

The weaving of the plot was all too easy. The father, Huang Yi Liang, convieniently gets knocked down by a lorry. The boyfriend, Qi Yu Wu, somehow manages to find Lian Hua's flat by accident after 20years. But I especially like that glimmer of hope Royston Tan gives near the end of the movie, then heartlessly extinguishes.

Kudos to the actors for the convincing and moving performance. Especially Liu Ling Ling who played the older Lian Hua. You can't hate any characters in the movie, as they are multifaceted even when they are "bad". Still, character development can be more nuanced.

Recommended! A bit heavy on the dialect though.