A collection of three stories all happening on Valentine’s Day, this local sex comedy stars some pretty hotshot actors. Household names Marcus Chin (The Wedding Diary) and Catherine Sng (Growing Up) play an old married couple struggling to rekindle the spark. Golden Horse Award-winning actress Yeo Yann Yann (Ilo Ilo) plays a lonely thirty-something condom critic trying to seduce hot, young plumber Julian Hee (Heartlanders 3). Finally, there’s funnyman Alaric Tay (The Noose) who plays a playboy who wakes up one day to find a condom stuck to his penis.
It could have easily veered into slapstick territory, and though it does flirt with that, it stays firmly in the realm of good comedy, made funnier by its unrestrained language and relatable mix of Mandarin, English and Singlish. The natural acting and great chemistry between the actors went a long way, too. While there are no NSFW body parts on show, Rubbers still manages to make us squirm with only clever camera angles protecting the actors’ modesty. And what comedy is complete without a few unexpectedly touching moments? In Rubbers, this happens when Chin’s character flashbacks to meeting his wife in their early teens, and when Yeo’s adorably OTT seduction attempt turns into a heart to heart with the sexy plumber about the pains of involuntary celibacy.
All in all, it is an honest, if heightened, depiction of love and sex in Singapore. Kudos to director Han Yew Kwang (18 Grams of Love) for taking on sex head-on and with refreshing candor.
Rubbers opens in cinemas on Apr 30 and stars Yeo Yann Yann, Julian Hee, Alaric Tay, Catherine Sng, Martin Chin and Ooh Shu An.
