One Leg Kicking

Take a group of tried and tested comedy actors, throw a few local celebs into the mix, poke fun at every stereotype in the book and then some and have your story revolve around a beloved obsession and national pastime. Not since FOREVER FEVER has a local film been this funny, entertaining or heartwarming. Despite pushing all the obvious emotional buttons and covering familiar ground, ONE LEG KICKING is a winner. The plot - which revolves around ne'er-do-well Taipo and his efforts to have his half-baked football team from topping the local amateur league and winning a trip to the World Cup - is the FULL MONTY revisited and set on the soccer pitch. ONE LEG KICKING's strength lies in its irrepressible cast. There's Gurmit, who can play comedy with his eyes closed and also managed to surprise with his quiet dramatic abilities. His cronies include Moe Alkaff, a wannabe lounge singer who hasn't a whit of talent; Hossan Leong, an anal-retentive bureaucratic type; crater-faced Mark Lee as a Bruce Lee-worshipping former gangster inaptly named Hamsom and resident cheerleader Sharon Au. These new talents go up against some of the best veterans of the local scene: Siva Choy, as an ex-football legend Sammy Best (sorry, George!); Moses Lim, as a gay dance instructor; and Brian Richmond, as Alkaff's abusive father. There are two notable discordant notes: Robin Leong and Lim Kay Tong. Khoo's insistence at throwing darker elements into the mix - Leong's got a thing for his sister (a la 12 STOREYS) and Lim is a Lolita-loving cad who steals his son's girlfriend - doesn't sit well with the film's overall mood and tone. It disrupts the flow and is needlessly jarring. Despite these minor flaws, One Leg Kicking's well-meaning spirit prevails.