Singapore Sling (2003)

Better Late Then Never

A lot of fun.

There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

.Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

I think it would only be fair to say that Singapore Sling is more than a little bit on the weird side of the cinematic spectrum. The story in this Greek oddity takes place over the course of one stormy night. A psychotic mother and daughter, who live in a remote villa, imprison a man whom they christen Singapore Sling. Much strangeness follows.This has to be described as a true one off. In some ways this may very well be a good thing, as this is a movie with some content elements that can charitably be described as somewhat unpleasant. But it's no ordinary exploitation shockfest; it's an experimental art film as well. For starters, its shot in black and white and it's full of strange dialogues, deeply unusual characters, visual invention, genre clashing and an absolute barrow load of transgressive material. Consequently, it's very hard to categorise. It one solely recommended for those with a taste for the bizarre. It recalls film-noir, with its hard-boiled voice-overs from the main character – except this is delivered in Greek, while the mother and daughter speak exclusively in English; ordinarily details like these would raise questions but in this case it just seems par for the course. This man, Singapore Sling, pursues an ex-lover who vanished after visiting these women; her name is Laura which is a nod the 1944 film-noir…I think.But all this film-noir malarkey is juxtaposed with a great deal of extreme material; like two completely differing film genres colliding at random. To that end we have lots of sexual torture and humiliation, which includes, of all things, graphic urination, vomiting and…masturbation with fruit. If you think any of its erotic then good luck to you but I think it's only fair to say that this sort of stuff will titillate an extremely small demographic. I personally found a lot of what I encountered in here pretty repulsive to be perfectly honest but the fact is that this is a well-made and acted film, while its sheer originality was impressive. So it does have an impact. Utterly strange and wilfully different, Singapore Sling is a movie that should be approached with some caution but its most likely not going to resemble anything else you've ever seen before. Whether or not that's a good thing I will leave you to be the judge of.

How to properly review a film like this is something that has bewildered many people on here. Could you simply explain the story (as you believe it to be) or do you express your feelings after having seen it? Perhaps you must see this movie 50 times before you can properly describe it. Maybe 100? I'm not sure I can still perform this task after seeing this film so many times. Every time I watch it, new questions come up, new meanings get revealed, new disturbed beauty shines through. This film is by far and above one of the most prized cinematic gems I have in my collection and I give it all the attention it deserves.Nikos Nikolaidis certainly shows amazing talent by creating a film such as this with so little. One house, three actors and not heavy on the dialogue, this film is about as powerful as they come. But here's the catch, it's still a mystery! Who killed Laura? Who is Laura? Who is Singapore Sling? Where did he come from? What happened to father? Was the daughter even really the daughter????? I think the story runs deep, and people seem to just see what's up on the screen and take it at face value. Notice the lack of names? Notice the use of the Greek language by only Singapore Sling? Why does the daughter not understand French if her mother speaks it regularly? Perhaps you saw this movie and loved it, and perhaps you have forgotten it in the depths of your memory. Perhaps you should seek it out and watch it a few more times.I could go on for days about the subtle nuances and absolutely amazing musical score (that still gives me goosebumps every time I hear it). I could go on about how this film has actually affected (in a good way) my love life (not in the way you think, sickos). I could go on forever about what I think this story portrays, but perhaps it is the mystery that makes this film so endearing. As sick as it is, and as hard as some parts are to watch, it is something that will sit with you for a long time. So, don't just look at the disturbed imagery as it is, look at the characters and listen to the dialogue. Perhaps this is a tale that is beyond a simple mystery and maybe it's a sick joke on all of us. Perhaps it's just Nikos Nikolaidis blowing his proverbial genius load on to all of us. Any way you look at it, it's something that was almost lost to the complete underground but has made a small comeback."Forget her, forget her Singapore Sling"

As this is my first review for IMDb, I decided to choose something obscure and potentially difficult. Art-house stylistics with Euro-centric sensibilities is what is evident in Singapore Sling. A film-noirish tendency envelopes this production in a attempt to deviate away from the twisted intents of the main characters. Yes it is filmed entirely in black and white, but the aforementioned film noir elements derive not just from this but also through the foreboding qualities of the narrative, the sensual erotica of the deviant femme-fatales that are thrust before us like they were doyens of Marquis De Sade scriptures and the pseudo-psychological revenge/redemption plot that lies within. Make no mistake this is not easy watching, convention is not permitted. It is exceedingly macabre, yet also allowing sexual pleasure to derive from many levels of disgust. The processes of consuming food in this film will indeed disgust you. If that doesn't then the "disgust" will capture you in many other ways. If you are a fan of Transformers or Shreck then stay away, but if you like unique visual experiences then please indulge.

It's difficult to categorise the black-and-white surreal experience that is "Singapore Sling". The film probably falls into the midnight movie category with films like "Eraserhead" and "Jungfrau am Abgrund" - nightmarish celluloid journeys that leave you wondering, "Did I really see that?" as you wake in the cold light of the morning."Singapore Sling" is beautifully shot; every scene is lit perfectly and looks amazing. From the opening scene where two rain-drenched and mud-caked scantily clad women dispose of the "chauffeur", the tone is set for over-the-top weirdness.Erotic, sickening, funny and shocking, "Sling" is a taboo-busting tale of incest, murder, fruit abuse and insanity. Acts of sexual debauchery are thrown at the viewer almost casually. The actress who plays the daughter is classically beautiful and delivers some of the most bizarre scenes I've ever witnessed. This is an actress who's trusting the director to deliver a solid film. I would say that this trust is well-placed - Nikos Nikolaidis has produced a unique movie that is impossible to forget and that lingers in the mind like a fever induced bad dream.For those of a nervous disposition and fragile constitution, this is a movie that should be avoided like the plague. Fans of transgressive cinema, however, will probably love this movie and appreciate its dark slice of perverse comedy.9 out of 10. A twisted, hellish journey into celluloid madness that is as captivating as it is repelling.