Eric Khoo

To a Manga artist, or a comic book fan, the name Tatsumi conjures up adult themed comics. Tatsumi began his comic book career as a teenager, but it wasn’t until the late 1950’s that he coined the term gegika (dramatic pictures) which redefined the manga landscape. Gegika dealt with the grown-up, painful consequences of post war Japan and began to grapple with the darker aspects of life, this was the kind of comic definitely not aimed at children. TATSUMI is set over five tales, starting with the horror of the second world war and taking in sexual desire, murder, familial tensions, betrayal and consuming passion.Read More »

Quote:
In an impoverished Singapore slum, a shy noodle vendor (Joe Ng) becomes infatuated with Bunny (Michelle Goh), a prostitute he often sees working near his noodle cart. Bunny doesn’t respond to his advances, however, and instead becomes involved with Jonathan (David Brazil), a sleazy pornographer. Things shift when a car hits Bunny on the street, and the noodle vendor takes her to his apartment to nurse her back to health, opening up to his new friend along the way.Read More »

Synopsis:
In a high-rise, a young man jumps to his death. His ghost remains in the building, observing and consoling three households. San San, fat, silent, and alone, hears the ghost of her mother constantly upbraid her. She futilely seeks the friendship of a wealthy woman with whom she was raised. Ah Gu, a tofu soup vendor, is at odds with Lily, his materialistic wife, a Chinese immigrant who longs for something he cannot provide. Meng spouts every moralistic bromide of the striving middle class, wears a T-shirt reading “My block is the cleanest,” and is unhinged by his teenage sister May (“Trixie” to her boyfriend) who won’t study, parties all night, and seems doomed by youth culture.Read More »

Synopsis
Francis (Bosco Francis) is a man at the end of his tether. He has a 10-year-old son he loves desperately, but sorrow, guilt and constant inebriation have made him an ineffectual father. The son (Jathisweran) is a stoic ‘old soul’ who has learned to bury is affection for his old man and to cope with his chaotic life. A broken spirit and a single parent, Francis hopes to redeem himself and win his son’s love and respect. He makes a painful – and bizarre – return to magic. An unexpected incident one night sets father and son on the road. In dilapidated building, these two wounded souls come to terms with their love – a love which is as deep and acute as their grief.Read More »

IMDb Description: A painfully shy noodle-shop owner and a prostitute have a chance encounter when destiny arrives in the form of a car accident.

Variety Review:
In terms of raw power, the new Singaporean film “Mee Pok Man” can be described as “Taxi Driver” without the latter’s cathartic violence and Scorsese’s visual pizzazz. Eric Khoo makes an impressive directorial debut in a rather depressing tale of two alienated youths whose lives fatefully intertwine. Though damaged by a last reel that is unnecessarily long and a bit indulgent, pic deserves berths in festivals and perhaps even limited theatrical release if only for its novelty, being a rare export from Singapore.

The lead performers, Joe Ng as the slow-witted man and Goh as the world-weary prostitute, are decently credible if not totally engrossing. Still, pic’s overall impact is disturbing, showcasing a new director who is seriously intent on documenting the malaise of contemporary life in Singapore.Read More »