Directed by Tracie Pang, the play unfolds with a series of unanticipated situations that land the relationships of 4 characters caught in a muddle of passion, betrayal, deception, and, of course, love.

The play starts off with the encounter between 2 characters, Dan (Keagan Kang), an unsuccessful writer and Alice (Cynthia Lee MacQuarrie), a self-proclaimed waif, when he sends her to the hospital after a car accident. While waiting for the doctor (Larry played by Adrian Pang) to attend to Alice’s bloodied knee, they flirt and eventually fall in love.

Their whirlwind romance comes to a standstill, a year later, when Dan meets Anna (Tan Kheng Hua), a photographer during a portrait shoot for his book. He convinces her to meet him again but she rebuffs him. The romance between Larry and Anna then commence when the 2 meet due to a practical joke played by Dan. This misunderstanding ignites an attraction between Larry and Anna and they eventually become a couple. Soon after, the 4 characters engage in a sexual square dance, as desire gives way to infidelity and partners are constantly swapped.

Truth is the central theme of Closer, as it’s the one thing the quartet of characters constantly struggles with. While lies typically threaten relationships, the truth can be too unbearable. Throughout the play, one can see how the characters are caught between betrayal and desire in their pursuit for the truth.

Pangdemonium! Productions’s debut production, The Full Monty (also directed by Tracie Pang and played by Adrian Pang), was well received by the local media. With that in mind, UrbanWire had high expectations of their second production, which unfortunately were not met. Though expectations and comparisons with their prior production is inevitable, it’s also forgivable because Closer is indeed a big challenge.

Marber’s original classic was first staged in London in 1997 and won prestigious awards that include the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play in 1998 and the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Foreign Play in 1999. It was later adapted into a Hollywood film in 2004 by the same name, starring Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, Jude Law and Natalie Portman. Portman, who just won an Oscar for her lead turn in Black Swan, was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for this role, and won the Golden Globes for it in 2005. Clive Owen did the same for these 2 awards in the category of Best Supporting Actor.

With such lofty standards to match up to, the efforts by our local actors deserve recognition. The males, in particular, outshone their female counterparts. Pang puts in a carefully nuanced performance as the loving husband who turns jealous and vengeful after a series of betrayals. Kang’s performance as Dan is also commendable, especially in a heated scene when he questions Alice’s fidelity.

The ladies, however, paled in comparison as they could have done a lot better possibly with a more consistent British accent and a stronger portrayal of the characters, particularly in some scenes when emotions of regret and confusion were shown in blank and aloof expression.

Another aspect of the production that deserves praise is the minimal yet effective use of set design and lighting, most notably in the scene when Larry and Anna first met. A sparse set up of a bench, helped by the clever use of lighting and silhouettes, evoked an impression of an aquarium.

Overall, those misses are still forgivable, because the performance in its entirety was indeed a good watch and, in this writer’s opinion, a hit.

Closer will be staged at DBS Arts Centre till March 6. Tickets are available via Sistic.

Held at St James Power Station (The Boiler Room), the event saw fans of the US hit television show unite,10 days before Christmas on Dec 15 and celebrate with the resident DJs and performers from St. James Power Station..

“I felt curious and excited because I wanted to celebrate this festive season differently. It was great partying with great company and tunes, I feel so lucky that I got to be part of the event!” said Cynthia Oh, 18, who watches Glee 3 times a month and has even downloaded the Glee iPhone app.

For those new to the party, Glee is a musical comedy starring a bunch of social misfits and Spanish homeroom teacher, Will Schuester, as they attempt to return the Glee club or show choir to its former glory. According to Billboard.com, the award-winning series has even surpassed The Beatles in terms of the number of tracks that has debuted on the Billboard Hot 100.

Stand-up comedian, Gino Sunga, who performs 6 days a week at St. James, and resident Filipino singer, Kevin, entertained with hit tunes from the pilot episode of Glee to the Power of Madonna episode. The team’s renditions of the Lady Gaga Glee tunes, “Poker Face” and “Bad Romance”, also had the audience joining in the fun by singing along.

But that wasn’t before hosts Desiree Lai and Mr Young from 987FM got the crowd warmed up by getting 3 members in the crowd to drink the special concoction for the night, Glee Power, which left them with a slight blush on the cheeks as they headed offstage. Hmmm…

It ain’t a party without some eye candy and Ann, Eliza and Ela, front-liners for The Boiler Room’s ladies night, Retrospect, came out decked in Santa-themed bustier dresses while performing infectious tunes from Glee Season 1.

UrbanWire particularly enjoyed “Proud Mary” (also known as Rolling on the River) and “I’ll Stand By You” where the 3 gorgeous ladies also danced along with The Boiler Dance Crew.

Jesvyn Oon, 30, who won tickets through the UrbanWire contest, said, “ The song and dance moves were so cute and cheerful. My favourite was ‘Jingle Bells’. Overall, it was fun, great performances by the host and Soul Kool. Glad that I came!”

The incorporation of dance, singing, comedy and live band performance, by Boiler Room’s resident band, Soul Kool, also hit all the right notes for Glee fans.

This writer admits that while she’s no Gleek, she enjoyed herself just as much as the rest of the crowd.

Your loved one is charged for murder and is sentenced to life imprisonment. Of course, it’s easy for you to say that she’s innocent. But how far would you go to prove it and release her of a fate only you believe she doesn’t deserve?

Based on 2008 French film, Pour Elle (Anything for Her), The Next Three Days is directed by Paul Haggis and starts off with introducing the Brennan family: John (Russell Crowe), a college professor, Lara (Elizabeth Banks) and son, Luke (Ty Simpkins). Their life seems perfectly normal until police crash into their house one night and arrests Lara for committing murder against her boss.

Their lives turn topsy-turvy as an untimely squabble with her boss and unexplained circumstances leaves her with a bloodied coat that proves against her. When Lara resorts to attempting suicide, John realises the only way is to break her out of jail. Turning to Damon Pennington (Liam Neeson), an author who has escaped from prison 7 times, John plans out a meticulous plot that leaves him with 3 days in a do-or-die situation to finally execute it.

Half psychological drama and action thriller, the uncertainty of Lara’s innocence holds suspense throughout the movie and is 1 factor that keeps the audience engaged. Breaking out of jail is the easy part and tension accumulates as the couple race across Pittsburgh to evade the cops (a plan that also involves abandoning their son at a gas station). Lara’s hesitation further complicates their desperate situation.

Academy Award-winner, Crowe (Gladiator) was convincing in fighting scenes and pulled off the role of a loving father and husband, a college professor and a fierce criminal, excellently. Banks, who’s well-known for comedy and films like Definitely, Maybe, delivers more than a solid performance in this thriller.

However, a little more work on the plot to better portray Brennan’s transition from ordinary college professor to jail-breaking badass would have made the movie much more believable. Google’s fantastic but scenes like Brennan referring to YouTube for a lesson on how to break into a car dampens a bit of the mood. His complete faith in his wife despite the evidence against her is also a little unrealistic.

That said, Haggis who brought us poignant films like Crash and In The Valley of Elah managed to develop the emotional core of the movie (maybe a bit too well at times, slowing down the action thriller) but the film is still worth the popcorn. Sadly, the movie opened with to an estimated US$6.75 million (S$ 8.87 million) but that’s what happens when you’re competing with blockbusters like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 which had a US$125.1 million (S$ 164.3 million) opening weekend.

Movie: The Next Three Days
Rating: ★★★✩✩

Opens: 25 Nov 2010
Duration: 133 minutes
Language: English
Rating: PG
Genre: Action, Thriller, Suspense

Director: Paul Haggis
Cast: Russell Crowe, Liam Neeson, Elizabeth Banks