The promising ingredients of a juicy murder mystery are marred by weak plot and anemic drama in “Precious Is the Night.” Set among Singapore’s wealthy elite and their servants in 1969, this laborious story about a horny doctor involved with an hapless socialite and her two housekeepers is immaculately decorated and beautifully photographed, but doesn’t produce much tension or intrigue. . Celebrity advertising director Wayne Peng’s feature debut feature debut premiered in local cinemas in April and was selected as Singapore’s official entry into the 2022 international Oscar race.

The framing device of the film involves a contemporary writer (Chuando Tan) uncovering old newspaper articles about the violent deaths of rich woman Ku Yang and the handsome doctor Dr. Tan on a dark, stormy night. Intrigued by his eerie resemblance to Dr. Tan, the writer begins to denigrate a novel based on known facts from the case and its speculation about what may have sparked the tragedy. In a very strange and disorienting movement, the writer types her story in English while her voiceover narration is in Mandarin.

The opening sequences lay what appears to be fertile ground for a gripping story of lust, jealousy, and murder. Most of the action takes place in a fabulous mid-century modern mansion on Wilkinson Road in Singapore’s upscale Katong neighborhood. The lavishly appointed dwelling is more like a grave for Ku Yang (Taiwanese model Nanyeli, beginner), a depressed former movie starlet from a modest background in China. Married to Old Master (Tay Ping Hui), a bag of money who lives elsewhere and wants Ku Yang only for the purpose of producing an heir, the lonely lady spends her days waiting for handsome Dr. Tan’s home visits (also played by Tan). The Silver Tongue Lothario reads passages from “Madame Bovary” and injects Ku Yang with amphetamines on their scorching afternoon dates. Bi Xia (Chang Tsu-lei) listens at the bedroom door and peeks through the keyholes, Ku Yang’s longtime maid and who also sleeps the lewd doctor. Junior domestic helper Bao Cui (Chen Yixin), an 18-year-old innocent of sticks who suffers from epilepsy, is new to the family.

Instead of picking up the pace and adding layers of intrigue once the main story elements and murder suspects are introduced, Peng’s storyline slows down considerably and fails to deepen the mind. and the possible motivations of its characters. Repetitive, mechanical shots of the writer at his desk and close-ups of the keys on his typewriter do little to create mystery or generate tension. Portrayed as a cool and calm film noir-style detective trying to solve a fascinating puzzle from a long time ago, the writer does little more than provide background information until the film is almost finished. At this point, he turns into a nervous wreck as the characters in his mind start to respond. “I feel like I am the characters,” he says half-heartedly.

Aside from brief scenes in which the drama is spurred on by Old Master’s acid-tongue ex-wife (local royal Xiang Yun, mother of Chen Xiyin), Ku Yang’s arrogant English teacher (Wong Ruen Qing) and his dismissive etiquette teacher (Clare Law), “Precious” plays out more like a heavy chamber piece than the slow-burning thriller it claims to be. The character of Old Master is emblematic of his storytelling flaws. Although never seen properly and without dialogue, he is presented as a major suspect.

Written, directed and photographed by Peng, “Precious” is full of gripping shots, but too many of them fail to serve as narrative propulsion. Whenever a match is lit or a cigarette is lit, the camera lingers on extremely close shots of flames and smoke for much longer than necessary. The same goes for backdrops such as old transistor radios, rotary telephones and manual typewriters. By drawing attention so often to such accessories, the film sometimes gives the impression of a catalog of antiques that one flips through slowly.

Performances are generally good from a cast that doesn’t have a lot to work on. Lead actor Tan, a model-turned-photographer, famous for being at least 20 years younger than his 54 (at the time of filming) is doing quite well in a first screen with plenty of footage of his muscular physique. The soundtrack makes good use of old Singaporean songs, including “This Precious Night”, the 1967 classic from Mandopop star Ciu Ping, who was known as “the queen of expressive feelings”.