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The Best Bet
Directed by Jack Neo
Produced by MediaCorp Raintree Pictures
Written by Jack Neo
Starring Richard Low, Mark Lee, Christopher Lee, Chen Liping, and Joanne Peh
Distributed by United International Pictures (UIP)
Release date(s) 9 June 2004
Country Singapore
Language Min Nan (Hokkien)
Gross revenue over S$2. Jack Neo Chee Keong ( born January 24, 1960 is a Singaporean Actor, host and Film-maker, most notably known for his MediaCorp Raintree Pictures ( is a Film production Company based in Singapore. Jack Neo Chee Keong ( born January 24, 1960 is a Singaporean Actor, host and Film-maker, most notably known for his Mark Lee Kok Huang ( born 16 October 1968 is a Singaporean Chinese Comedian and Actor. Christopher Lee Ming Shun (formerly 李 铭 顺 born 23 July 1971) also spelt Lee Meng Soon Chen Liping (b 1965,age 43 is a Singaporean -born actress Probably best known for her role as "Miss Ai-Yo-Yo" (哎唷唷老師 in the drama series Joanne Peh ( born April 25 1983 is a Singaporean Actress. Peh studied at Temasek Secondary School where she was head prefect and subsequently went United International Pictures (or UIP; now known as Paramount Pictures International) is a Joint venture of Paramount Pictures (owned by Events 53 - Roman Emperor Nero marries Claudia Octavia 62 - Claudia Octavia commits "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Singapore The Southern Min language or Min Nan ( POJ: Bân-lâm-gú or "Southern Fujian" language refers to a family of Chinese languages Dialects The dollar ( sign: $; code: SGD) is the Currency of Singapore. 5 million
Official website
IMDb profile

The Best Bet is a Singaporean film written and directed by Jack Neo, and produced by MediaCorp Raintree Pictures. Despite having a flourishing Chinese and Malay film industry in the 1950s and 1960s Singapore 's film industry declined after independence in 1965 Jack Neo Chee Keong ( born January 24, 1960 is a Singaporean Actor, host and Film-maker, most notably known for his MediaCorp Raintree Pictures ( is a Film production Company based in Singapore. It stars Richard Low, Mark Lee, Christopher Lee, Chen Liping and Joanne Peh. Mark Lee Kok Huang ( born 16 October 1968 is a Singaporean Chinese Comedian and Actor. Christopher Lee Ming Shun (formerly 李 铭 顺 born 23 July 1971) also spelt Lee Meng Soon Chen Liping (b 1965,age 43 is a Singaporean -born actress Probably best known for her role as "Miss Ai-Yo-Yo" (哎唷唷老師 in the drama series Joanne Peh ( born April 25 1983 is a Singaporean Actress. Peh studied at Temasek Secondary School where she was head prefect and subsequently went

Released in cinemas on 9 June 2004, The Best Bet earned over S$2. Events 53 - Roman Emperor Nero marries Claudia Octavia 62 - Claudia Octavia commits "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The dollar ( sign: $; code: SGD) is the Currency of Singapore. 5 million. The film was nominated for Best Original Film Song at the 2004 Golden Horse Awards. The Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards ( is a Film festival and awards ceremony held annually in Taiwan (the Republic of China) since 1962

The film portrays the lives, struggles and adventures of three friends who are addicted to gambling. They place a joint 4D bet; when they win, one is tempted to keep all the winnings to himself. 4-Digits ( Abbreviation: 4-D) is a Lottery in Singapore and Malaysia. This satirical comedy touches on gambling addiction and the consequences of one's actions. Satire is often strictly defined as a literary genre or form; although in practice it is also found in the graphic and Performing arts In satire human Comedy (from the Greek κωμωδίαkomodia has a popular meaning (any discourse generally intended to amuse especially in Television, Film, and Problem gambling (ludomania is an urge to gamble despite harmful negative consequences or a desire to stop

Contents

Production

In 1996, director Jack Neo became a gambling addict and spent over S$1,200 a month on 4D bets. Frustrated with losing money and feeling dependent on the gambling, he successfully kicked the habit in 1999 with the support of his wife. As the release of the film coincided with an ongoing debate on whether to set up a casino in Singapore, Jack Neo commented that "we should warn people about the ills of gambling, because it is always a cycle. An Integrated Resort ( IR) ( is a Singaporean euphemism for a Casino -based development "[1]

When writing the script, Jack Neo decided to change his style, reducing the amount of comedy in the film, and adding more drama. However, after negative feedback from focus groups and concerns from the Board of Film Censors that The Best Bet promoted illegal gambling and the speaking of dialects, he reversed his decision. Censorship in Singapore mainly targets sexual political racial and religious issues as defined by an ever-shifting panoply of out-of-bounds markers. [1][2]

The Best Bet was produced by Raintree Pictures on a budget of S$1. MediaCorp Raintree Pictures ( is a Film production Company based in Singapore. 5 million. [3] Besides writing and directing, Jack Neo composed the songs, together with Mark Lee, who sang them. [1] The production crew included Daniel Yun as executive producer, Titus Ho and Chan Pui Yin as producers, Michael Chua as cinematographer and Mo Ju Li as music and sound director. Chan Pui Yin (陈佩然 is a Film producer. She has been with MediaCorp Raintree Pictures (星霖电影 from 2000 to 2008. [4]

Filming started on 4 March 2004 and finished on 28 April. Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Events 1192 - Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title On the first day of filming, Jack Neo, Daniel Yun and the lead actors participated in a prayer ceremony at the hawker centre in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10. Ang Mo Kio is a heartland New town located in north central Singapore, and is generally within the North-East Region. As 59 people had placed winning bets at nearby 4D outlets, Jack Neo commented that "this place is very wang (lucky) and this matches my movie. "[5]

Plot

The three main characters are Tan Chun Huang (Mark Lee), an illegal bookie and "super gambler" who leaves the running of his family's bak kut teh stall to his younger sister, Hui Min (Joanne Peh); Lee Yong Shun (Christopher Lee), an ambitious but unlucky man who abhors gambling; and Richard (Richard Low), a white-collar executive who is indecisive and easily influenced, but does not listen to his wife's (Chen Liping) pleas not to gamble. Mark Lee Kok Huang ( born 16 October 1968 is a Singaporean Chinese Comedian and Actor. A bookmaker, bookie or turf accountant, is an organization or a person that takes bets and pays winnings depending upon results and depending on the nature Bak kut teh (Hokkien 肉骨茶 is a Chinese Soup popularly served in Malaysia, Singapore, China and also cities of neighbouring Joanne Peh ( born April 25 1983 is a Singaporean Actress. Peh studied at Temasek Secondary School where she was head prefect and subsequently went Christopher Lee Ming Shun (formerly 李 铭 顺 born 23 July 1971) also spelt Lee Meng Soon Chen Liping (b 1965,age 43 is a Singaporean -born actress Probably best known for her role as "Miss Ai-Yo-Yo" (哎唷唷老師 in the drama series

A fake monk shows up near the bak kut teh stall and recommends the 4D number 3791, but Huang, who is skeptical of fake monks, refuses to buy the number. 4-Digits ( Abbreviation: 4-D) is a Lottery in Singapore and Malaysia. A fellow stallholder (Tony Koh) buys the number just then. Tony Koh is a Singaporean JTeam artiste who made his debut in the 2004 local film The Best Bet. When the number comes out, Huang lashes out at Hui Min.

After being sacked, Shun is caught beating a red light, and throws a rock at the red light camera. Termination of employment is the end of an Employee 's duration with an Employer. A traffic enforcement camera is a system including a Camera and a Vehicle -monitoring device used to detect and identify vehicles disobeying a Speed limit Shun has trouble paying the instalments for his condominium, and his girlfriend Evita compounds his financial woes by demanding he buy her expensive gifts. Huang suggests Shun rent out a room in the condominium to two of Huang's friends, who moved from China to Singapore. Although this causes a furious Evita to dump Shun, he is touched by the gesture, and suggests Huang and Richard start a business with him. They welcome the idea, and take a bank loan to fund the business.

Unfortunately, at the opening ceremony of their business, Shun is arrested and sentenced to jail for breaking the red light camera and housing Huang's friends, who turn out to be illegal immigrants. Illegal immigration refers to Immigration across National Borders in a way that violates the Immigration laws of the destination Country Consequently, the business goes bankrupt, landing Huang, Shun and Richard heavily in debt. Huang and Richard try to clear their debts by borrowing from a loan shark, but the police ambush them. A loan shark is a person or body that offers illegal Unsecured loans at high Interest rates to individuals often backed by Blackmail or threats Huang is arrested and sentenced to jail for illegal bookmaking. A bookmaker, bookie or turf accountant, is an organization or a person that takes bets and pays winnings depending upon results and depending on the nature

Coincidentally, Huang, Shun and the fake monk are incarcerated in the same cell. The fake monk recommends the number 7272, and as the fake monk had previously recommended the number 3791, which came out, Huang and Shun are determined to buy the number. After a discussion with Richard, who also wishes to buy the number, they agree that Richard will place a joint bet, paying S$100 for each person.

When the number comes out, Richard's wife tempts him to keep all the winnings, because Huang and Shun had not paid for their bets. That night, Richard and his wife dreamt that they kept all the winnings to themselves, but had difficulty keeping the money safely and preventing others from knowing that they had won 4D, and that Huang and Shun took revenge on them after coming out of prison. Eventually, they decide not to keep the winnings to themselves. They decide to invest their winnings in a bak kut teh business based on an innovative business model, which prospers.

Cast

The main characters of the movie were played by the following actors:[6]

Actor/Actress Character
Richard Low Richard
Mark Lee Tan Chun Ong
Christopher Lee Lee Yong Shun
Chen Liping Richard's wife
Joanne Peh Tan Hui Min

Reception

The Best Bet earned S$170,000 during its sneak preview,[1] and over S$2. Mark Lee Kok Huang ( born 16 October 1968 is a Singaporean Chinese Comedian and Actor. Christopher Lee Ming Shun (formerly 李 铭 顺 born 23 July 1971) also spelt Lee Meng Soon Chen Liping (b 1965,age 43 is a Singaporean -born actress Probably best known for her role as "Miss Ai-Yo-Yo" (哎唷唷老師 in the drama series Joanne Peh ( born April 25 1983 is a Singaporean Actress. Peh studied at Temasek Secondary School where she was head prefect and subsequently went The dollar ( sign: $; code: SGD) is the Currency of Singapore. 5 million during its cinematic release,[7][8] breaking the record for the largest opening day gross for a local film in the process. [9]

The film screened at the Asian Film Festival[10] and received a nomination for Best Original Film Song at the Golden Horse Awards 2004, losing to Splendid Float. The Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards ( is a Film festival and awards ceremony held annually in Taiwan (the Republic of China) since 1962 [11][12][13][14]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Sherwin Loh, "Money Never Enough", The Straits Times, 9 June 2004.
  2. ^ Ong Sor Fern, “Scream king”, The Straits Times, 22 August 2005.
  3. ^ http://www.sfc.org.sg/docs/1991to2006.pdf
  4. ^ The Best Bet
  5. ^ Stephanie Hua, "Best Bet on Jack Neo's latest movie", The Straits Times, 5 March 2004.
  6. ^ The Best Bet
  7. ^ http://www.sfc.org.sg/docs/1991to2006.pdf
  8. ^ Tu ran fa cai (2004) - Box office / business
  9. ^ Firecracker | At the hub: A brief look at the Singapore film industry
  10. ^ http://www.asiancinema.it/calendario_proiezionieng.asp?year=2005&t=c
  11. ^ Tu ran fa cai (2004) - Awards
  12. ^ Raintree Pictures
  13. ^ » Golden Horse Awards 2004 - Alternative Film Guide
  14. ^ LoveHKFilm.com - 41st Annual Golden Horse Awards

External links


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