The funniest, most satisfying film of 2008 may well be Mad About English, a skillfully-crafted and enormously entertaining film about the English-language fever that has captured China amid its preparation for the Beijing Olympics.

The film scores with its delicious cast of real-life Chinese who have set their minds on learning English so that they may interact better with the two million visitors set to arrive in China during the Games.

There's Li Yang, the hilarious English teacher who holds outdoor lessons to thousands of students at one time. There's the Chinese policeman who speak English in a bizarre New York Bronx accent. Then there's the well-meaning taxi driver who rote-learns a few choice English phrases but gets flustered by anything beyond that.

The parade of amusing and loveable characters continues — as will your memory of this terrifically warm and enjoyable documentary directed by Singaporean ex-newscaster Pek Siok Lian. We loved, looooved this film.

If you see only one movie this August, make this the one!