Rice Rhapsody

Aroview: Light, good-natured familial farce about a sturdy single mother who, fearing a drought of grandchildren, plots to ‘straighten’ the yet-to-be-determined sexuality of her youngest son.

Though dovetailing towards a conventional message of acceptance via a cultural minefield of customs and traditions, this manages to complement an already lively sub-genre in Asian family dynamics, gaining an extra point of difference through its sino-western Singaporean setting. Other interesting diversions include the introduction of an attractive French exchange student (acquired to awaken the son’s latent heterosexuality), and the mother’s best friend (Yan, of cult cooking show YAN CAN COOK), who rather typically, is a master exponent of Chinese cuisine.