Chicken Rice War

Chicken Rice War is a contemporary adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet or possibly a Singapore adaptation of Romeo + Juliet by Baz Luhrman. The rival Montagues and Capulets are, in this version, the Changs and Wongs, Singapore chickenrice sellers, whose stalls stand sidebyside at the market. The families have been enemies since living memory and are jealous of each other’s secret recipe. Nevertheless, Fenson, the son of the Wongs, falls in love with Audrey, the vain and spoilt daughter of the Changs. When Fenson finds out that Audrey is playing the role of Juliet in a school show, he manages to outwit her handsome boyfriend for the role of Romeo. As a result, the two kids also experience a steamy love affair in real life. When they try to solve the family feud for good with a trick, terrible things happen.CheeK, who is also programme director of MTV Singapore, has made a very idiosyncratic film version of the merry script, bursting with Shakespeare jokes but also with Singapore satire. His style radiates energy and visual pleasure. The sparkling performances by top model Lum May Yee and Pierre Png is a pleasant contrast with the richer acting of the more experienced actors who play the families.