Mad About English

Rip-roaringly enjoyable, this (i shall term it) docu-movie. I was a little surprised, in an raised-eyebrow kind of way, to learn that it was made by a Singaporean, and a semi-professional to boot. The feature works quite well, with its pacy tempo, great music and nifty camerawork. The film successfully captures a sense of national fervor and eager anticipation of the Beijingers towards the Olympics, which is often referred to as 国家大事, like nothing, and absolutely nothing else matters. Laughing at the weird Chinese contortions of the English language aside, I now have a lot of respect for the Chinese's patriotism and their willingness to sacrifice the self for the country. Even the little kid at the English crash course concentration camp understands that she has to soldier on despite the lack of sleep, proper food, and the constant screaming (so as to aid memorising of the English vocab, or so the nutty coach claims), so that she can master the language and be a bridge between China and the world (and of course, better job opportunities). The 76-year old man's determination to speak English fluently, despite being passably conversant already, just so he can pass the test to become a volunteer guide at the Palace Museum and showcase China's culture and history to tourists. And Mr Cabby, who is perpetually stressed out by the need to pass his English test and be allowed to drive during the Games, not because he is worried that flunking the test will deprive him of an income during the period, but because he wants so much to play a humble part in this historic moment of national glory. And of course, who could forget the friendly cop's smooth Brooklyn accent, obviously a result of Hollywood's pervasive influence. He had us completely floored. http://www.asiaing.com/mad-about-english-2008.html