The first actual Hollywood-type that I met before moving to California was Paul Schrader. It was quite an experience because I was a big fan of his work, especially after reading his magnificent screenplay for Martin Scorsese's TAXI DRIVER. In some ways, that movie is what persuaded me to jump into the indie film scene. The only reason why I bring this up is because writer/director Djinn's PERTH is in many ways a retelling of TAXI DRIVER. Mind you, despite what some critics have said about it, I don't think it's a rip-off. Instead, it's another version of the story, Singapore style, and while it contains many similarities to the Scorsese/Schrader film, it also investigates its own themes.

Harry Lee, a lonely 51-year-old man, loses his security guard job. Being fired doesn't surprise a cynical Harry. He's become used to seeing the faster, more computerized modern generation replace human jobs with technology. What the hell? Harry liked being a security guard because it was an easy job. And now, his new job as a taxi driver is easy too, so he's not complaining. Well, not about his job, anyway. Aside from that, he's ready to vent about everything else in life. What's irritating him? You name it. There are the snobby upper-crust rules and regulations of the city, the uber fast-paced lifestyle that seems to be in vogue, and that fact that good old fashion values, such as loyalty, seem outmoded these days. But you know what? Harry has a plan. He's saving up his money and he's going to retire in Perth, a resort-like Australian community that, as Harry describes it, is like paradise.

In an effort to pocket a little more cash, Harry and former army buddy Selvam get a job through their buddy Angry Boy Lee. The job seems easy enough, which pleases Harry. He and Selvam just drive some hookers around from appointment to appointment for a gruff thug, who pays in cash. Unfortunately for Harry, he's a natural screw-up who can't help but shoot himself in the foot time and time again, regardless the circumstances. He not only is a drunk and a loudmouth, but he botched his marriage and ruined his relationship with his son, and now he's getting too emotionally attached to one of the hookers that he's taxiing for the thug. This leads to more drunkenness and venting on Harry's part, more frustration, and finally to a showdown involving a third act filled with shocking violence.

Despite several scenes mimicking Scorsese's film (such as Harry talking to his reflection in a mirror much like Travis Bickle did), Djinn also concentrates on more localized issues. One of them is the danger and exploitation of migration between countries in Southeast Asia. For example, there is Mai, who has caught Harry's attention. He fails to realize that she is a prostitute that has illegally immigrated to Singapore solely because she's trying to make money for her family back in Viet Nam, a family that cannot even afford to eat. There are also socio-political comments regarding cultural and generational gaps in Singapore. These problems appear to be touching nerves in much of the population, though they grate even more severely on Harry, who exhibits more and more sociopathic behavior. After viewing the film, I have no problem feeling this is definitely Djinn's work. The tributes to Scorsese's great film come from inspiration, true enough, but the running commentary about Singapore's societal troubles are statements that Djinn feels he needs to make in his own way.

As for Djinn's directorial execution, it's good. He and cinematographer Meng Hing Goh effectively paint a harsh, dingy picture of the inner-city and its often corrupt, even ghastly, nature. If I do have any complaints, they would have to do with the redundancy of the themes. Sometimes Djinn beats the audience over the head with his viewpoints and the results are disappointing. Just when the suspense has me feeling like someone is pressing a razor blade against my wrist, Djinn goes overwrought with a topic and kills the drama. How bad is it? There are periods where the film drags to a near halt because of the soap-box overstatements. Quite honestly, I would love to see this film re-cut, with the deletion of about ten minutes of superfluous material.

The acting is sound. Lim Kay Tong portrays a mostly unlikable Harry, but he does it in a way that keeps the viewer wondering what will happen next. If Tong is guilty of any missteps, it's because his background is stage work. That means whenever director Djinn goes over the top, so does Tong, who occasionally plays results instead of moment by moment reactions. The rest of the cast is capable and believable, with Sunny Pang offering an absolutely engaging and lively performance as Angry Boy Lee. I'm not familiar with Pang's other work as an actor. In fact, according to the IMDB, he's only appeared in one other movie. Whatever the case, I hope to see him in more films.

Tartan presents a DVD with a decent transfer. Both the picture and sound quality are good but not great. The extras are outstanding. There are two interesting commentary tracks, one with director Djinn and the other with actor Tong. Also included are deleted scenes with more commentary from Tong, a good set design featurette, an original trailer, and teasers for other Tartan releases. The film itself is a dark, brooding character study about a mostly unlikable character. This is a movie that seldom, if ever, flinches when tackling societal issues. Unfortunately, sometimes the film over-amps its message where understatement would have been more effective. Even so, I'm impressed with Djinn's filmmaking abilities and I found PERTH to be a fascinating film. I recommend this one to genre fans.