The Best Bet

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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$2.5 million
Official website
IMDb profile

The Best Bet is a Singaporean film written and directed by Jack Neo, and produced by MediaCorp Raintree Pictures. It stars Richard Low, Mark Lee, Christopher Lee, Chen Liping and Joanne Peh.

Released in cinemas on 9 June 2004, The Best Bet earned over S$2.5 million. The film was nominated for Best Original Film Song at the 2004 Golden Horse Awards.

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. This satirical comedy touches on gambling addiction and the consequences of one's actions.

Contents

[edit] 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."[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.[1][2]

The Best Bet was produced by Raintree Pictures on a budget of S$1.5 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.[4]

Filming started on 4 March 2004 and finished on 28 April. 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. 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]

[edit] 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.

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. A fellow stallholder (Tony Koh) buys the number just then. 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. 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. 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. Huang is arrested and sentenced to jail for illegal bookmaking.

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.

[edit] Cast

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

 To meet Wikipedia's quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup because it is in a list format that may be better presented using prose.
You can help by converting this section to prose, if appropriate. Editing help is available. (February 2008)
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

[edit] Reception

The Best Bet earned S$170,000 during its sneak preview,[1] and over S$2.5 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.[11][12][13][14]

[edit] 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

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Films by Jack Neo
Money No Enough (1998) • That One No Enough (1999) • Liang Po Po: The Movie (1999) • I Not Stupid (2002) • Homerun (2003) • The Best Bet (2004) • I Do I Do (2005) • One More Chance (2005) • I Not Stupid Too (2006) • Just Follow Law (2007) • Ah Long Pte Ltd (2008)


v • d • e
Cinema of Singapore
Actors · Cinematographers · Composers · Directors · Editors · Producers · Screenwriters · Writers
Films A-Z · Chronology of films · Films by gross takings · Films set in Singapore · Cinemas · Festivals · Studios
Films by year:
1990s · 2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008