Mee Pok Man

Hard to say if Khoo's splendid debut feature is an authentic tragedy of erotic obsession or the blackest of black comedies; either way, it scores brownie points for demolishing the vision of Singapore life put about by the island's tourist board. The Mee Pok Man (named after the flat noodles he makes and sells from a market stall) lives in the stern shadow of his late father and dotes from afar on the world-weary hooker Bunny. He gets his chance to 'save' this tarnished angel when he finds her bleeding after a hit-and-run accident and takes her home to nurse her. The plot may be The Collector with a twist, but the style is all Khoo's own: cool, tender and stoic, even in the face of extreme perversity.