Jack Neo
Jack Neo
A very well-known filmmaker, Jack Neo is a commonly identified name that all Singaporeans will be able to relate to. Besides the 13 films that he has directed and some which he acted in, most Singaporeans will remember him deeply for his comedic cross-dressing role as Liang Po Po and Liang Xi Mei. His productions have certainly managed to capture the hearts of most Singaporeans as they are able to relate with his movies.
He is arguably the most successful filmmaker in terms of box office earnings with “I Not Stupid” earning S$3.8million, “I Not Stupid 2” earning S$4.6million and “Money No Enough” earning S$5.8million. Beyond earnings, he placed Singapore on the world map by clinching 6 international film awards for “Homerun” including Best Director at the Montreal Film Festival. The film also led to the Golden Horse Award being awarded to the first Singaporean, Megan Zhang, for Best New Performer. Adding to his tally are the Public Service Medal Award in 2004 and the Arts Cultural Medallion Award in 2005. His influence and achievements in the film industry in Singapore is undeniable and it is probably the most tangible and easily recognizable one.
Neo’s films have certain characteristics that audiences can often expect even without reading spoilers. On top of all the laughs and drama, there are usually a couple of hidden messages within the plot. These messages tend be critiques of the government policies. In “Money No Enough”, Keong who was a mandarin speaking local worker who perhaps was more deserving of a promotion got overlooked because of a new colleague who received overseas education and spoke English. This is an attempt by Neo to stab at the government’s policy of attracting foreign talents who are given preferential treatment. This is shown by the film where Keong, who is more industrious and sincere in the corporate society, was trumped by foreigners. This greatly reflects the struggles of the Chinese-speaking majority in Singapore who feel
A very well-known filmmaker, Jack Neo is a commonly identified name that all Singaporeans will be able to relate to. Besides the 13 films that he has directed and some which he acted in, most Singaporeans will remember him deeply for his comedic cross-dressing role as Liang Po Po and Liang Xi Mei. His productions have certainly managed to capture the hearts of most Singaporeans as they are able to relate with his movies.
He is arguably the most successful filmmaker in terms of box office earnings with “I Not Stupid” earning S$3.8million, “I Not Stupid 2” earning S$4.6million and “Money No Enough” earning S$5.8million. Beyond earnings, he placed Singapore on the world map by clinching 6 international film awards for “Homerun” including Best Director at the Montreal Film Festival. The film also led to the Golden Horse Award being awarded to the first Singaporean, Megan Zhang, for Best New Performer. Adding to his tally are the Public Service Medal Award in 2004 and the Arts Cultural Medallion Award in 2005. His influence and achievements in the film industry in Singapore is undeniable and it is probably the most tangible and easily recognizable one.
Neo’s films have certain characteristics that audiences can often expect even without reading spoilers. On top of all the laughs and drama, there are usually a couple of hidden messages within the plot. These messages tend be critiques of the government policies. In “Money No Enough”, Keong who was a mandarin speaking local worker who perhaps was more deserving of a promotion got overlooked because of a new colleague who received overseas education and spoke English. This is an attempt by Neo to stab at the government’s policy of attracting foreign talents who are given preferential treatment. This is shown by the film where Keong, who is more industrious and sincere in the corporate society, was trumped by foreigners. This greatly reflects the struggles of the Chinese-speaking majority in Singapore who feel