Film & TV picks: Into The Night, Uncut Gems, Singapore GaGa

A still from Netflix's Into The Night featuring (from left) Jan Bijvoet, Mehmet Kurtulus and Pauline Etienne. PHOTO: NETFLIX

INTO THE NIGHT

Netflix/4 stars

This turbulent, white-knuckle ride of a series starts with the hijacking of a commercial airplane by Terenzio (Stefano Cassetti).

He is no terrorist, but an Italian Nato (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) officer who has learnt a terrible secret - sunrise will bring about death as something has gone wrong with the sun.

The pan-European cast of characters speaking French, English and Italian, among others, each have regrets and secrets. There are twists and turns - some decidedly improbable - and plenty of exciting moments to keep one glued to the six episodes.

Both Eurosceptics and Europhiles can find support for their camps as Into The Night is at once a send-up and celebration of Europe. National stereotypes are readily reached for by the characters, leading to bruised egos and even fisticuffs.

At the same time, only by working together do they have hope of somehow staying alive as they keep flying west, into the night.

UNCUT GEMS WATCH PARTY

A still from Uncut Gems starring Adam Sandler. PHOTO: NETFLIX

Uncut Gems (NC16, 2019, 135 minutes, Netlfix, 4.5 stars) is a black comedy about Howard (Adam Sandler), a New York jeweller who seems to find himself on the verge of either complete victory or utter disaster. He, like the audience, never knows till the last moment.

After the gambling addict gets his hands on the jewel of his dreams - the uncut opal of the title - he sees in its glow his last shot at breaking free. Nothing goes as planned, of course.

The post-screening group chat is organised by the Singapore Film Society and will deal with the topic of realism in the film.

When: Friday (June 5), 7.30pm, followed by a post-movie group discussion

Admission: Free, but the viewing of the film requires a Netflix subscription. The watch party requires the installation of the netflixparty.com browser plug-in.

Info: Links to the watch party and online group discussion will be shown on the Telegram group and Facebook page.

SINGAPORE GAGA (PG)

Still from the film Singapore GaGa showing Victor and Charlee. PHOTO: POINT PICTURES

55 minutes

This feature, which premiered at the 2005 edition of the Singapore International Film Festival, was the first Singapore documentary to get a theatrical release here.

In this essay about the island's sonic landscape, director-producer Tan Pin Pin looks at buskers, street vendors, cheerleaders and other local performers.

For a limited period, the film will bemadeavailable for streaming to raise funds for indie cinema The Projector during its closure. At 4.30pm on Saturday (June 13), there will be a Facebook Live question-and-answer session with Tan on their Facebook page.

When: Friday (June 5) to June 14 (preorder is available before June 5)

Admission: US$9.99 for a 24-hour streaming period (only in Singapore)

Info: The Projector's website

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