12 Storeys
{{short description|1997 film}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox film
| name = 12 Storeys
| image = 12_storeys_poster.jpg
| caption = French film poster
| director = Eric Khoo
| producer = Brian Hong
| writer = {{plainlist|
- Eric Khoo
- James Toh
}}
| starring = Jack Neo
| music = Kevin Mathews
| cinematography = Yoke Weng Ho
| editing = Jasmine Ng Kin Kia
| distributor =
| released = {{film date|df=yes|1997|6|12}}
| runtime = 105 minutes
| country = Singapore
| language = English
Mandarin
}}
12 Storeys (十二樓 or Shí'èr lóu in Mandarin) is a 1997 Singaporean drama film written and directed by Eric Khoo. It features an ensemble cast of Jack Neo, Koh Boon Pin and Quan Yi Fong. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival.{{cite web |url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/4847/year/1997.html |title=Festival de Cannes: 12 Storeys |access-date=25 September 2009|work=festival-cannes.com}}
Plot
The film follows a day in the lives of several households living within the same HDB block.
A soup vendor called Ah Gu is having a hard time dealing with his Mainland Chinese wife, Lily. San San, an overweight loner, is haunted by her feelings of isolation and the memory of her deceased mother. Meng, Trixie and Tee are siblings left to their own devices when their parents go on holiday.
Cast
- Jack Neo as Ah Gu{{Cite web |date=2020-08-04 |title=Grasping at Singaporean Malaise, ‘12 Storeys’ Is an Outstanding Family Drama Still Relevant 20 Years On |url=https://www.sinema.sg/2020/08/04/12-storeys-review/ |access-date=2023-01-09 |website=Sinema.SG |language=en-GB}}
- Koh Boon Pin as Meng
- Quan Yi Fong (credited as Chuang Yi Fong) as Lily
- Lum May Yee as Trixie
- Lucilla Teoh as San San
- Ritz Lim as Spirit
- Roderick Lim as Tee
- Ronald Toh Chee Kong as Eddy
- Loy Lok Yee as Mother
- Tan Kheng Hua as Spirit's Mother
- Neo Swee Lin as Rachel
- Lim Kay Siu as Hawker
- Lim Kay Tong as Mark
Reception
Derek Elley of Variety wrote that the film's has "genuinely funny" moments, but its slow pacing "blunts the humor".{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/1997/film/reviews/12-storeys-1117341592/|title=Review: '12 Storeys'|last=Elley|first=Derek|work=Variety|date=13 June 1997|access-date=2 April 2016}} Time Out called it "witty and sophisticated stuff".{{cite web|url=http://www.timeout.com/london/film/12-storeys|title=12 Storeys|work=Time Out|access-date=2 April 2016}}
Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it "is widely regarded to have contributed to the revitalisation of local cinema".{{cite news|url=http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/diplomatic-missions-screening-singapore-films-in-cultural-push|title=Diplomatic missions screening Singapore films in cultural push|last=Heng|first=Janice|work=The Straits Times|date=21 December 2015|access-date=2 April 2016}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|id=0120116|title=12 Storeys}}
- [http://zhaowei.com/12-storeys-1997%20 Zhao Wei Films]
{{Eric Khoo}}
Category:1997 comedy-drama films
Category:Singaporean comedy-drama films
Category:1990s English-language films
Category:Films directed by Eric Khoo
Category:English-language comedy-drama films
{{Singapore-film-stub}}
{{1990s-comedy-drama-film-stub}}