It is hard to imagine Moses Lim going beyond
his familiar comedian role.
From playing the wacky father in Under One Roof to the blabbering
co-host of Comedy Night, there were times when even he wondered
if he could ever break out of the stereotype.
But the seasoned actor, 53, reckons he has just taken a quantum
leap in acting, 33 years into his career.
In the new local Mandarin movie, Twilight Kitchen, Moses plays
a master chef whose life is wrecked by a stroke, rendering him
wheelchair-bound and eventually forsaken by his family and friends.
At a press conference yesterday, Moses, who wore a bright orange
tie typical of his on-screen persona, said in Mandarin, "This
is a very big challenge, and a new experience for me.
"I am playing someone who, from a highly-regarded master
chef, became a stroke victim who is ridiculed and ostracised
by friends and family.
"By knowing that I can do well in a serious role, it gives
me a good starting point and the confidence I need."
He revealed that he is happy with his breakthrough performance
and is looking forward to more such challenges.
But does that mean we will be seeing less of the affable artiste
as a comedian, a part he has mostly played and excelled in all
these years?
"I'll not give up all my usual roles.
"It's like being a cook, If you don't have the courage
to prepare that very first dish, you'll end up not knowing whether
you can cook.
"But I'm not just a comedian anymore," he added.
Initiated by the Singapore Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprises
(SCORE) and produced by Gateway Entertainment, Twilight Kitchen
aims to portray the struggle faced by ex-convicts upon their
release from prison.
SCORE is a statutory board that runs in-prison training programmes
and helps offenders gain employment after their release, thus
helping them reintegrate into the community.
In the movie, Mai Zhihao (Zhang Wenxiang) is an ex-offender
recommended by SCORE to be a kitchen assistant at Min's (Moses)
restaurant. But Zhihao's life turns topsy-turvy when his colleagues
start to ridicule him and he mixes with bad company once more.
The scriptwriter, Zhu Houren, who plays a prison officer, told
Streats that the 90-minute movie took about three months and
$250,000 to complete.
Recounting an incident he experienced while researching for
this film, he said "I went to a drug rehabilitation centre
on last year's Children's Day, and only 33 of the 100 inmates
whose children were allowed to visit them on that day asked
their children to do so.
"This shows that many still have low self-esteem and need
all the help we can give for them to lead a normal life outside
of prison."
Also in the film are Chen Jianhui and Tang Miaoling, who play
Min's son and daughter respectively.
SCORE has yet to decide how to distribute the film.
