In the Room is a 2015 Hong Kong-Singaporean eroticdrama filmdirected by Eric Khoo and written by Khoo and Jonathan Lim. The film stars Josie Ho, George Young, Daniel Jenkins, Koh Boon Pin, W Leon U, Show Nishino, Lawrence Wong, Nadia AR, and Ian Tan. The film comprises six different stories of couples in a single-room brothel at a hotel in Singapore, spread over several decades. The film is marked as Singapore's first erotic film. At the same time, Khoo downplays the film's erotic themes, calling its ode to the national cultural trends "a look at Singapore through the decades. It's a homage to the country". Khoo dedicated the film to the late horror writer Damien Sin, who wrote Khoo's career-launching Mee Pok Man. Principal photography began on 3 September 2014, at the Infinite Studios in Singapore. The $800,000 budgeted film was produced by Nansun Shi and Zhao Wei Films, and distributed and financed by Distribution Workshop. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2015 and travelled to the San Sebastián International Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival and Singapore International Film Festival before the director withdrew his submission for a rating for the film from the Media Development Authority as the MDA had deemed that two scenes exceeded the film classification guidelines. Khoo didn't want any cuts for a commercial release of the film in Singapore and so the film was denied a commercial release as unrated films are not allowed for public release in Singapore. However, on February 25, 2016, the film was given a commercial release after an "international version" with subtle differences from the original was passed uncut with an R21 rating by the MDA.
Plot
The story starts just after the surrender of the British to Japanese troops in Singapore in 1942. Six stories of six different Japanese, British, and Chinese couples are set in the same hotel room, spread over several decades.
Production
Nansun Shi is producing the $800,000 budgeted film along with Zhao Wei Films, and Eric Khoo is directing the film based on his own co-written script with Jonathan Lim. Distribution Workshop is financing and distributing the film worldwide, Hong Kong actress Josie Ho stars in the film as a mama-san. The cast includes from different countries like Singapore-based actors are George Young, Daniel Jenkins and Koh Boon Pin, from Thailand is Aeaw, from Japan is actress Shou Nishino and from Malaysia is Lawrence Wong, while other cast includes Nadia Ar and Ian Tan. Director Khoo told Today Online about the casting:
I must say I'm really happy because finally, my characters have come alive. And because it's been on the drawing board for so long. Also it's really good to have the foreign actors come in because prior to that, it's only been Skype calls. And now, having met them in person and walking through the motions and scenarios with them, it's exciting.
Critics generally criticised In the Room. Justin Chang of Variety wrote that the film's "conceptual poignancy isn’t matched by the execution onscreen" and that this "sex-a-thon winds up feeling like the wrong kind of grind". Reviewing the film on Screendaily.com, Wendy Ide found it "hampered by a wildly uneven tone", predicting that "the film’s prospects outside the festival circuit look slim". David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter also found In the Room's tone "uneven", adding that the film's "intriguing idea" is let down by "the execution, particularly in the script and acting departments... the writing and performances too lacking in subtlety to lend those ideas much of an intoxicating spell." Singapore critics also criticised the film: Lisa Twang of The New Paper noted that the film was "hampered by an uneven tone. The comic and tragic elements do not always blend together well", giving it 3/5. Prabu Krishna Moorthy of AsiaOne awarded it 2.5/5: while praising its "marvelous idea" and successful "episodic approach", he found that "the film only provides a cursory look at different characters" whose "stories deserved more screen time". Zaki Jufri of inSing.com gave the film 3/5, finding that the film is "Khoo’s boldest work but its unevenness hampers from being one of his best." Critic Eternality Tan gave it 2.5/5 and called it "Khoo's weakest film to date", "a huge misfire" and "at best a misguided attempt at interweaving disparate tales in one film", writing that he "felt second-hand embarrassment for Eric Khoo and his cast and crew who were present at the premiere". John Lui of The Straits Times also gave the film 2.5/5, calling it a "courageous try at mingling the history of Singapore with the lovemaking of its characters" while noting its "uneven" results, "with the fault lying mostly with the writing, which tries to be thoughtful and titillating at the same time, while succeeding at neither."
