The Blue Mansion

"The Blue Mansion" is a quirky murder mystery about the death of a wealthy tycoon of a pineapple tart business named Wee Bak Chuan. Deemed as the Donald Trump of Asia, he later returns as a ghost to uncover the truth behind his untimely death together with the help of his late daughter-in-law (Emma Yong), his family members and the police. Directed by Glen Goei, the film is shot with a noir feel and bears a stylish setting within a mansion fully equipped with beautiful antic furniture.

As the film opens up, we get to know more about Bak Chuan, outstandingly played by Patrick Teoh, as an overbearing authoritative figure who imposes himself on his children, forcing them to make personal sacrifices for the sake of the family legacy. His death brings tension to his two sons, Teck Liang (Lim Kay Siu), the eldest who doesn't know if he should take over the business, and Teck Meng (Adrian Pang), a hot-tempered man who strives to be the company's next CEO. Meanwhile, the daughter Pei Shan (Neo Swee Lin) is somewhat relieved over her father's death as he has often been unsupportive of her choice of men.

The family drama unfolds as the story progresses, revealing some interesting bits and pieces (sexual affairs, interracial relationships and even homosexuality) of their social lives. The twist to the story gets pretty bloody at the end and it even catches a glimpse of Emma Yong's naked body, who wears a wedding gown throughout the movie for reasons unknown.

Unravelling a murder mystery with jokes in between, the movie is well executed and clear cut. Even the language is articulate (proper Queen's English is used and not the typical Singlish) but this may have backfired if you look at how some actors may have made it too theatrical, like Adrian Pang.

Audiences will find comedy in the outcome of Bak Chuan's wrath, a police detective's strong Indian accent, his assistant's goofiness, four big-haired gossiping sisters and other wise-crack jokes by miscellaneous characters. The only downside to this movie is that Bak Chuan's spirit is an irritating character to bear with, yelling and snapping in between other people's sentences. Overall, "The Blue Mansion" is a well narrated film of an interesting family drama with a good dose of wit.