Money Not Enough

This film (drama)Also known as钱不够用，is aSingaporeProducerwomen sex，At1998Released in year 。The dialogue language isMandarin Chinese, Cantonese, Min，Current Douban rating7.1(For reference only)。

[Plot Summary] The Singaporean movie "Money Not Enough" is set against the backdrop of the experiences of three Chinese compatriots (Ah Qiang, Ah Hui, and Ah Huang) in Singapore. The story begins by describing the middle-aged lives of these three men, who lack formal education and struggled in Singapore since their youth. By the time they reach middle age, "Ah Qiang" is a company employee, married with a child, owns his own house, and frequently borrows money to speculate in stocks. He also enjoys buying daily necessities in bulk through installment payments, during which he receives a promotional gift of a family gaming console when purchasing a large LCD TV (this gaming console is a foreshadowing in the film). "Ah Hui" is a broker, often involved in buying and selling businesses, and has borrowed money from loan sharks for business ventures. "Ah Huang" is somewhat mentally challenged, working as a servant in an outdoor restaurant and has a habit of betting on horse races every week. He not only bets with his own salary but also borrows money from acquaintances (Ah Qiang and Ah Hui) to gamble. The three middle-aged men frequently meet at the outdoor restaurant where Ah Huang works to discuss financial matters while feeling proud of their current achievements. They continue to weave dreams of "making money through money," with their "ambitions" (or "greed") growing increasingly larger, leading them to play bigger "money games" that exceed risk control, ultimately resulting in problems. Ah Qiang, due to his poor English skills, fails to get promoted at work and ends up in conflict with others, resigning out of anger. Following that, he incurs losses when speculating in stocks, racking up a debt of 120,000 Singapore dollars (around 2.4 million New Taiwan dollars), facing financial institution demands, property seizures, and even his wife and child leaving him. Ah Hui borrows 40,000 Singapore dollars (800,000 New Taiwan dollars) from loan sharks for a real estate venture that fails, his debts escalating to 50,000 Singapore dollars (1 million New Taiwan dollars), suffering from the violent pursuit of loan sharks. Both Ah Qiang and Ah Hui try borrowing from various sources but cannot find enough money to fill their financial gaps, even borrowing from their compatriot Ah Huang (or rather, seeking to recover the money they initially lent him), only to discover that Ah Huang always loses when betting on horses and has not saved any money for emergencies. In a desperate situation with no means for borrowing, someone, while refusing to lend money to Ah Qiang and Ah Hui, offers business advice and introduces the concept of a "membership system." This concept involves opening a company and asking customers to prepay a sum of money (the so-called "membership fee") that allows the owner immediate access to funds for emergencies, with the customers enjoying discounted prices when they shop later. Thus, Ah Qiang, Ah Hui, and Ah Huang start a car wash business together. Shortly after starting, Ah Huang's mother, who is dependent on him, suffers from blood cancer, and he is forced to stop working to take care of her in the hospital. Ah Hui, pressured by frequent debt collections from the loan sharks, is forced to flee to Johor, Malaysia, leaving only Ah Qiang to struggle with the car wash business and deal with financial institution claims. In that moment of despair, it seems that a turning point arises; with bad luck seemingly reaching its limits, good luck comes about. Ah Huang's mother passes away, and he receives condolence money, leaving him with 10,000 Singapore dollars (200,000 New Taiwan dollars) after funeral expenses for financial turnover. Furthermore, during the funeral, Ah Hui sneaks back to Singapore to pay his respects and unexpectedly encounters the loan sharks. In a chase and tussle, Singapore police arrive and apprehend the loan sharks, revealing that the loan sharks' debt collection methods in Singapore involve spraying warnings at residences, which is a serious offense under Singapore law, punishable by up to eight years in prison. Therefore, the police decide to arrest the loan sharks, allowing Ah Hui to escape from this debt. The day arrives when the LCD TV comes with the family gaming console, and Ah Qiang, Ah Hui, and Ah Huang go to Sentosa to participate in the family game. The organizers insist that Ah Qiang's wife and daughter participate, refusing to let Ah Hui and Ah Huang substitute for them. Just then, Ah Qiang's wife and daughter surprisingly show up. Since the prize money for the family game is as high as 100,000 Singapore dollars (2 million New Taiwan dollars), Ah Qiang and his family put in all their effort to win the game, even as his wife injures herself and bleeds heavily. Nevertheless, to secure the substantial prize money to pay off debts, she perseveres, and because they are more dedicated than the other competing families, they finally win the highest prize! Next, while washing cars, a white man arrives in a luxury car and, in English, says he needs a quick car wash to reach the airport, offering to pay double. Ah Hui and Ah Huang do not understand English and can only smile foolishly, while Ah Qiang showcases the English skills he has worked hard on since resigning and is able to converse fluently with the white man. He not only secures the business but also earns the white man's approval for the efficient car wash. As it turns out, the white man is from the company management, so he decides to entrust Ah Qiang and the others with the company's long-term car washing business. After landing this sizable deal, Ah Qiang and his partners become wealthy and even appear on television, with Ah Hui lying, denying that he fled to Malaysia to hide from debts, instead claiming that he went there to collect debts, which provided him with the startup capital for their current successful venture. After Ah Hui and Ah Huang become wealthy, they indulge in a lavish lifestyle, borrowing money from Ah Qiang before the month even ends. The story concludes with Ah Qiang reflecting on his feelings about money.