The Best Bet
Encyclopedia
The Best Bet is a Singaporean film
as well as a Singaporean
television series. The film was written and directed by Jack Neo
, and produced by MediaCorp Raintree Pictures
. The film, with a different cast than the television series 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.
The success of the film spawned a 14 episode Singaporean
television series "The Best Bet" which aired on Mediacorp
Channel 8
on April 2005. Four of the five lead actors except Joanne Peh
continued to star in the television series. Several other new actors were added to the leading cast including Dai Qianyun as Mark Lee
's idolizer, and Cheryl Chin
as Mark Lee
's and Christopher Lee
's love interest.
in Singapore, Jack Neo commented that "we should warn people about the ills of gambling, because it is always a cycle."
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.
The Best Bet was produced by Raintree Pictures on a budget of S$1.5 million. Besides writing and directing, Jack Neo composed the songs, together with Mark Lee, who sang them. 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.
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."
), 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.
Huang is first introduced into the movie, with two of his fellow bookie friends drinking at a coffeeshop. He then shares his thoughts about the gambling issues in Singapore, in which his sister then enters trying to lecture him, which he refuses to heed her advice. Shun and Richard are then introduced in a phone call Huang makes to Richard, where it is shown Shun goes beyond the speed limit and is caught. They later rush to work, late for a meeting. The latter in which results in a disgraced Richard unwanted of his proposal and Shun fired from his job.
While clearing his desk, Shun, together with Richard are approached by their colleagues. A woman named Coffee-Lady wishes to ask for digits, which exasperates Shun who tries to tell her about her addiction. While Shun leaves, the colleagues and Richard talk about benefactors as a way to pick numbers, which ridicules the way how even the worse people can be a benefactor to one. The discussion goes on later back in the coffeeshop with the three friends just as they offer prayings.
Before Shun meets back with his friends, he is caught beating a red light, and throws a rock at the red light camera. Unknown to him, a van also beats the red light and catches him attempting to destroy the camera.
The three friends return to the stall, with Hui Min wishing to lend an encyclopaedia to her brother which enrages him, making her think that it will ruin his luck to win in his gambles. 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, especially after the feud with his sister. A fellow stallholder (Tony Koh) buys the number just then. When the number comes out, Huang lashes out at Hui Min, blaming her that the number came out and he she had supposedly ruined his luck.
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.
Things go well with the business as they prepare everything for a stall and even a grand opening ceremony. Everything goes fine at the opening ceremony until the official opening where the trio cut the red ribbon.
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 hired lion dance troupe had illegal immigrants as well, which causes a big scuffle. A fight with the police and a fellow lion dance troupe artiste results in the shop blown. The situation results in the business goes bankrupt, landing Huang, Shun and Richard heavily in debt. Worst, Richard's company goes bust, and he witnesses a neighbour's home, once rich from a first place stike in lottery now vandalised by loan sharks. Richard now worries of the bank doing the same.
Richard and Huang visit a remote Chinese Fortune God shrine in the wilderness, which Huang manages to ask for good numbers, turning out to be the numbers 7272. Somehow, others also get the number.
Thus, Huang and Richard try to clear their debts by borrowing from a loan shark
, but the police ambush them at the coffeeshop. While Huang hides in a public toilet, he refuses to comply with a policeman and beats him up, but he is later succumbed to. Huang is arrested and sentenced to jail for illegal bookmaking
and causing hurt to a public servant, but he was temporarily bailed out to settle family matters. Richard is now left alone.
Coincidentally, Huang, Shun and the fake monk are incarcerated in the same cell. The fake monk recommends the number 7272, exactly the same number Huang had received in the wilderness. 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 by Huang after his release, which prospers.
The trio handle their business well, setting up many branches islandwide. Shun makes up with Hui Min, and everyone becomes happy.
170,000 during its sneak preview, and over S$2.5 million during its cinematic release, breaking the record for the largest opening day gross for a local film in the process.
The film screened at the Asian Film Festival and received a nomination for Best Original Film Song at the Golden Horse Awards 2004, losing to Splendid Float.
Cinema of Singapore
Despite having a flourishing Chinese and Malay film industry in the 1950s and 1960s, Singapore's film industry declined after independence in 1965. There were a few films that featured Singaporean actors and were set in Singapore, including Saint Jack and They Call Her Cleopatra Wong...
as well as a Singaporean
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
television series. The film was written and directed by Jack Neo
Jack Neo
Jack Neo Chee Keong , PBM, credited as Jack Neo on screen, is a Chinese Singaporean film and television actor, host and director...
, and produced by MediaCorp Raintree Pictures
MediaCorp Raintree Pictures
MediaCorp Raintree Pictures is a film production company based in Singapore. The company, a division of MediaCorp Group, was established in 31 March 1996. The company occasionally ties up with other film companies to produce Asian or Western films...
. The film, with a different cast than the television series stars Richard Low
Richard Low
Richard Low , also known as Richard Low Qianyi or Richard Liu Qianyi; also spelled as Richard Loh, is a Singaporean Chinese veteran MediaCorp TV Channel 8 actor. He used to be typecast as villains or characters with unruly behaviour...
, Mark Lee
Mark Lee (comedian)
Mark Lee Kok Huang is a Singaporean Chinese comedian, actor and film director. He works in MediaCorp and J Team Productions with Jack Neo. He is famous for, amongst others, playing the title role in Singapore's MediaCorp TV Channel 5 television sitcom Police & Thief as Lee Tok Kong, Phua Chu Kang...
, Christopher Lee
Christopher Lee (Singaporean actor)
Christopher Lee , born Lee Meng Soon, is a Singapore-based Malaysian Chinese film and television actor, host and singer.-Early life:Lee studied up to form 5 in Sekolah Menangah Seri Kota, Air Leleh, Malacca, Malaysia...
, Chen Liping
Chen Liping
Joyce Chen Liping is a Singaporean-born actress. Probably best known for her role as "Miss Ai-Yo-Yo" in the drama series Good Morning, Sir!, it earned her a "Most Unforgettable TV Character" Award for that role in Star Awards 2003. In the same year, she also took the Best Actress award for her...
and Joanne Peh
Joanne Peh
Joanne Peh is a Singaporean actress.Peh studied at Temasek Secondary School where she was head prefect and subsequently went on to Victoria Junior College then to Nanyang Technological University...
.
Released in cinemas on 9 June 2004, The Best Bet earned over S$
Singapore dollar
The Singapore dollar or Dollar is the official currency of Singapore. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively S$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
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
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
. They place a joint 4D
4-Digits
4-Digits is a lottery in Singapore and Malaysia. Individuals play by choosing any number from 0000 to 9999. Then, 23 winning numbers are drawn each time. If one of the numbers matches the one that the player has bought, a prize is won. A draw is conducted to select these winning numbers...
bet; when they win, one is tempted to keep all the winnings to himself. This satirical
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
touches on gambling addiction and the consequences of one's actions.
The success of the film spawned a 14 episode Singaporean
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
television series "The Best Bet" which aired on Mediacorp
MediaCorp
Media Corporation of Singapore, better known as MediaCorp, is a group of commercial media companies in Singapore, with business interests in television and radio broadcasting, interactive media, and, to a lesser extent, print publishing and film-making....
Channel 8
Channel 8
Channel 8, as a television channel, may refer to*MediaCorp Channel 8, Singapore*TVB8*Channel 8 Australia, a now defunct erotic TV channel*Canal 8 de Tucumán, a television station in San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina...
on April 2005. Four of the five lead actors except Joanne Peh
Joanne Peh
Joanne Peh is a Singaporean actress.Peh studied at Temasek Secondary School where she was head prefect and subsequently went on to Victoria Junior College then to Nanyang Technological University...
continued to star in the television series. Several other new actors were added to the leading cast including Dai Qianyun as Mark Lee
Mark Lee
Mark Lee may refer to:*Mark Lee , Australian actor and director*Mark Lee , American novelist, playwright and journalist*Mark Lee , former NFL player...
's idolizer, and Cheryl Chin
Cheryl Chin
Cheryl Chin is a Singaporean television and film actress. She was formerly known as a Singapore television actress and fashion model who competed in and won the Star Search Singapore finals in 2003. She also received the best actress award.She has appeared mostly on Singapore's television drama...
as Mark Lee
Mark Lee
Mark Lee may refer to:*Mark Lee , Australian actor and director*Mark Lee , American novelist, playwright and journalist*Mark Lee , former NFL player...
's and Christopher Lee
Christopher Lee
Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee, CBE, CStJ is an English actor and musician. Lee initially portrayed villains and became famous for his role as Count Dracula in a string of Hammer Horror films...
's love interest.
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 casinoIntegrated Resort
An integrated resort is a resort with a wide variety of leisure and entertainment attractions, all housed in one resort property. The first known integrated resort began in early 1980s in Malaysia, when Resorts World Genting was developed from a single hotel with casino facility to a variety of...
in Singapore, Jack Neo commented that "we should warn people about the ills of gambling, because it is always a cycle."
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.
The Best Bet was produced by Raintree Pictures on a budget of S$1.5 million. Besides writing and directing, Jack Neo composed the songs, together with Mark Lee, who sang them. The production crew included Daniel Yun
Daniel Yun
Daniel Yun is a veteran Singaporean film producer, presenter and managing director for MediaCorp Raintree Pictures. He has gone on to co-produce and finance over 20 films made in China and Hong Kong.-Biography:...
as executive producer, Titus Ho and Chan Pui Yin
Chan Pui Yin
Chan Pui Yin is a film producer. She has been with MediaCorp Raintree Pictures from 2000 to 2008. She has produced Raintree’s movies like I Not Stupid , I Not Stupid Too , Homerun , The Maid and involved in collaborations like The Eye , The Eye 2 , Turn Left Turn Right , Infernal Affairs II and...
as producers, Michael Chua
Michael Chua
Michael Chua is a film producer, film director and poet from Singapore. Michael graduated from the Film, Sound and Video department of Ngee Ann Polytechnic in 1997. His talents were evident from the start when he won numerous accolades during his academic life...
as cinematographer and Mo Ju Li as music and sound director.
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
Ang Mo Kio
Ang Mo Kio（宏茂桥） is a heartland new town located in north central Singapore, and is generally within the North-East Region. It contains many of the common features of the island nation's neighbourhoods, e.g. hawker centres, wet markets and HDB housing blocks. Singapore's Prime Minister, Lee Hsien...
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."
Plot
The movie focuses on the three main characters - Tan Chun Huang (Mark LeeMark Lee (comedian)
Mark Lee Kok Huang is a Singaporean Chinese comedian, actor and film director. He works in MediaCorp and J Team Productions with Jack Neo. He is famous for, amongst others, playing the title role in Singapore's MediaCorp TV Channel 5 television sitcom Police & Thief as Lee Tok Kong, Phua Chu Kang...
), an illegal bookie
Bookmaker
A bookmaker, or bookie, is an organization or a person that takes bets on sporting and other events at agreed upon odds.- Range of events :...
and "super gambler" who leaves the running of his family's bak kut teh
Bak kut teh
Bak-kut-teh is a Chinese soup popularly served in Malaysia, Singapore, Mainland China and Taiwan and also, neighbouring regions like Riau Islands and Southern Thailand.The name literally translates as "meat bone tea", and, at its simplest, consists of meaty pork ribs simmered in a complex broth...
stall to his younger sister, Hui Min (Joanne Peh
Joanne Peh
Joanne Peh is a Singaporean actress.Peh studied at Temasek Secondary School where she was head prefect and subsequently went on to Victoria Junior College then to Nanyang Technological University...
); Lee Yong Shun (Christopher Lee
Christopher Lee (Singaporean actor)
Christopher Lee , born Lee Meng Soon, is a Singapore-based Malaysian Chinese film and television actor, host and singer.-Early life:Lee studied up to form 5 in Sekolah Menangah Seri Kota, Air Leleh, Malacca, Malaysia...
), an ambitious but unlucky man who abhors gambling; and Richard (Richard Low
Richard Low
Richard Low , also known as Richard Low Qianyi or Richard Liu Qianyi; also spelled as Richard Loh, is a Singaporean Chinese veteran MediaCorp TV Channel 8 actor. He used to be typecast as villains or characters with unruly behaviour...
), a white-collar executive who is indecisive and easily influenced, but does not listen to his wife's (Chen Liping
Chen Liping
Joyce Chen Liping is a Singaporean-born actress. Probably best known for her role as "Miss Ai-Yo-Yo" in the drama series Good Morning, Sir!, it earned her a "Most Unforgettable TV Character" Award for that role in Star Awards 2003. In the same year, she also took the Best Actress award for her...
) pleas not to gamble.
Huang is first introduced into the movie, with two of his fellow bookie friends drinking at a coffeeshop. He then shares his thoughts about the gambling issues in Singapore, in which his sister then enters trying to lecture him, which he refuses to heed her advice. Shun and Richard are then introduced in a phone call Huang makes to Richard, where it is shown Shun goes beyond the speed limit and is caught. They later rush to work, late for a meeting. The latter in which results in a disgraced Richard unwanted of his proposal and Shun fired from his job.
While clearing his desk, Shun, together with Richard are approached by their colleagues. A woman named Coffee-Lady wishes to ask for digits, which exasperates Shun who tries to tell her about her addiction. While Shun leaves, the colleagues and Richard talk about benefactors as a way to pick numbers, which ridicules the way how even the worse people can be a benefactor to one. The discussion goes on later back in the coffeeshop with the three friends just as they offer prayings.
Before Shun meets back with his friends, he is caught beating a red light, and throws a rock at the red light camera. Unknown to him, a van also beats the red light and catches him attempting to destroy the camera.
The three friends return to the stall, with Hui Min wishing to lend an encyclopaedia to her brother which enrages him, making her think that it will ruin his luck to win in his gambles. A fake monk shows up near the bak kut teh stall and recommends the 4D
4-Digits
4-Digits is a lottery in Singapore and Malaysia. Individuals play by choosing any number from 0000 to 9999. Then, 23 winning numbers are drawn each time. If one of the numbers matches the one that the player has bought, a prize is won. A draw is conducted to select these winning numbers...
number 3791, but Huang, who is skeptical of fake monks, refuses to buy the number, especially after the feud with his sister. A fellow stallholder (Tony Koh) buys the number just then. When the number comes out, Huang lashes out at Hui Min, blaming her that the number came out and he she had supposedly ruined his luck.
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.
Things go well with the business as they prepare everything for a stall and even a grand opening ceremony. Everything goes fine at the opening ceremony until the official opening where the trio cut the red ribbon.
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
Illegal immigration is the migration into a nation in violation of the immigration laws of that jurisdiction. Illegal immigration raises many political, economical and social issues and has become a source of major controversy in developed countries and the more successful developing countries.In...
. Consequently, the hired lion dance troupe had illegal immigrants as well, which causes a big scuffle. A fight with the police and a fellow lion dance troupe artiste results in the shop blown. The situation results in the business goes bankrupt, landing Huang, Shun and Richard heavily in debt. Worst, Richard's company goes bust, and he witnesses a neighbour's home, once rich from a first place stike in lottery now vandalised by loan sharks. Richard now worries of the bank doing the same.
Richard and Huang visit a remote Chinese Fortune God shrine in the wilderness, which Huang manages to ask for good numbers, turning out to be the numbers 7272. Somehow, others also get the number.
Thus, Huang and Richard try to clear their debts by borrowing from a loan shark
Loan shark
A loan shark is a person or body that offers unsecured loans at illegally high interest rates to individuals, often enforcing repayment by blackmail or threats of violence....
, but the police ambush them at the coffeeshop. While Huang hides in a public toilet, he refuses to comply with a policeman and beats him up, but he is later succumbed to. Huang is arrested and sentenced to jail for illegal bookmaking
Bookmaker
A bookmaker, or bookie, is an organization or a person that takes bets on sporting and other events at agreed upon odds.- Range of events :...
and causing hurt to a public servant, but he was temporarily bailed out to settle family matters. Richard is now left alone.
Coincidentally, Huang, Shun and the fake monk are incarcerated in the same cell. The fake monk recommends the number 7272, exactly the same number Huang had received in the wilderness. 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 by Huang after his release, which prospers.
The trio handle their business well, setting up many branches islandwide. Shun makes up with Hui Min, and everyone becomes happy.
Cast
The main characters of the movie were played by the following actors:| Actor/Actress | Character |
|---|---|
| Richard Low Richard Low Richard Low , also known as Richard Low Qianyi or Richard Liu Qianyi; also spelled as Richard Loh, is a Singaporean Chinese veteran MediaCorp TV Channel 8 actor. He used to be typecast as villains or characters with unruly behaviour... |
Richard |
| Mark Lee Mark Lee (comedian) Mark Lee Kok Huang is a Singaporean Chinese comedian, actor and film director. He works in MediaCorp and J Team Productions with Jack Neo. He is famous for, amongst others, playing the title role in Singapore's MediaCorp TV Channel 5 television sitcom Police & Thief as Lee Tok Kong, Phua Chu Kang... |
Tan Chun Ong |
| Christopher Lee Christopher Lee (Singaporean actor) Christopher Lee , born Lee Meng Soon, is a Singapore-based Malaysian Chinese film and television actor, host and singer.-Early life:Lee studied up to form 5 in Sekolah Menangah Seri Kota, Air Leleh, Malacca, Malaysia... |
Lee Yong Shun |
| Chen Liping Chen Liping Joyce Chen Liping is a Singaporean-born actress. Probably best known for her role as "Miss Ai-Yo-Yo" in the drama series Good Morning, Sir!, it earned her a "Most Unforgettable TV Character" Award for that role in Star Awards 2003. In the same year, she also took the Best Actress award for her... |
Richard's wife |
| Joanne Peh Joanne Peh Joanne Peh is a Singaporean actress.Peh studied at Temasek Secondary School where she was head prefect and subsequently went on to Victoria Junior College then to Nanyang Technological University... |
Tan Hui Min |
Reception
The Best Bet earned S$Singapore dollar
The Singapore dollar or Dollar is the official currency of Singapore. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively S$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
170,000 during its sneak preview, and over S$2.5 million during its cinematic release, breaking the record for the largest opening day gross for a local film in the process.
The film screened at the Asian Film Festival and received a nomination for Best Original Film Song at the Golden Horse Awards 2004, losing to Splendid Float.