Amongst the rather dry, sappy cine-scape of Singapore, Ilo Ilo sticks out like a sore thumb of talent, great acting and brilliant camera-work on the part of Anthony Chen.
Nevertheless, it's a flawed film.
The story is loose-hinged - which suits the atmosphere which the film is trying to create. It engages us with the enigmatic character of Terry, the maid, who stumbles her way into the Lim family only to encounter a world of foreign hostility and bizarre drama.
The influences are easy to catch on. Ozu's pillow shots - Terrence Malick's bright light set-ups and atmospheric shots - Ingmar Bergman's face shots and chamber quartet direction - as well as Kurosawa. (The easiest way to note Kurosawa's influence is through Chen's use of door- shots - mainly popularized through Ikiru by Kurosawa)
But Ilo Ilo picks up too much and plays too little. It explores the maid's psyche to some extent but her character nevertheless feels like it was tossed in and thrown out of a washing machine without much thought put into it. We see her come in fine - and somehow go away fine with no change whatsoever in terms of her personality and views towards her life in Singapore.
Thematically it is confused. It plays with many different "dramas" at once - trying to handle the numerous strings pulled by the script - only to be let go of them halfheartedly through the film. Anthony Chen brings up the idea of smoke and alcohol addiction and subsequent marital tension - but just leaves it hanging in the air without much resolution. Furthermore he adds the concept of deceptive appearances and prejudices against the maid - but none of these blossom into completion. The theme of pregnancy is weaved into the film's script - yet the film's only reference to the gestation is the physical presence of large belly. What we get in the end is a half-film, thematically.
Furthermore, plot-wise it is weak and incomplete as well. What happens to the maid's job as a hair-dresser? What does she do there? Does she simply ditch the job? What was up with the sleeping pills? What about the money she had? What of her child and the problem with the Sister she was grumbling about over the phone? What happens to Jia Le after he is caned? There are so many unresolved plot lines - only simply hidden by a conscious attention to speeding up time, thereby streaming away from the incomplete parts of the script. It seems absurdly unfinished.
The characters also are weak. At her fundamentals, the Mother of the house-hold seems to have a bipolar disorder. At one point she hates the maid's presence in the house and doubts her - and yet all of a sudden cares about her and is grateful to her. The Father from time to time is upset, and temperamental - yet is gentle and calm towards his family occasionally. The characters possess uneven, odd personalities that only weaken their on-screen potency.
Nevertheless, the film does boast some solid acting, pushing my rating for it up to a 6. Angeli Bayani does a tremendous job as the maid struggling to survive in Singapore - and I would like to specially acknowledge her for I believe that her performance is a master-class in indie-acting for females. Never does Bayani condescend to her role - always treating the character of the Maid with elegance and eloquent motion. "Yes ma'am, good ma'am".
I am impressed - don't get me wrong. Despite the numerous flaws, Chen's sensitive direction makes the flaws forgettable and the film otherwise. So is it worth a DVD? Yes. Theatre? Perhaps - maybe not.
Nevertheless, it's a flawed film.
The story is loose-hinged - which suits the atmosphere which the film is trying to create. It engages us with the enigmatic character of Terry, the maid, who stumbles her way into the Lim family only to encounter a world of foreign hostility and bizarre drama.
The influences are easy to catch on. Ozu's pillow shots - Terrence Malick's bright light set-ups and atmospheric shots - Ingmar Bergman's face shots and chamber quartet direction - as well as Kurosawa. (The easiest way to note Kurosawa's influence is through Chen's use of door- shots - mainly popularized through Ikiru by Kurosawa)
But Ilo Ilo picks up too much and plays too little. It explores the maid's psyche to some extent but her character nevertheless feels like it was tossed in and thrown out of a washing machine without much thought put into it. We see her come in fine - and somehow go away fine with no change whatsoever in terms of her personality and views towards her life in Singapore.
Thematically it is confused. It plays with many different "dramas" at once - trying to handle the numerous strings pulled by the script - only to be let go of them halfheartedly through the film. Anthony Chen brings up the idea of smoke and alcohol addiction and subsequent marital tension - but just leaves it hanging in the air without much resolution. Furthermore he adds the concept of deceptive appearances and prejudices against the maid - but none of these blossom into completion. The theme of pregnancy is weaved into the film's script - yet the film's only reference to the gestation is the physical presence of large belly. What we get in the end is a half-film, thematically.
Furthermore, plot-wise it is weak and incomplete as well. What happens to the maid's job as a hair-dresser? What does she do there? Does she simply ditch the job? What was up with the sleeping pills? What about the money she had? What of her child and the problem with the Sister she was grumbling about over the phone? What happens to Jia Le after he is caned? There are so many unresolved plot lines - only simply hidden by a conscious attention to speeding up time, thereby streaming away from the incomplete parts of the script. It seems absurdly unfinished.
The characters also are weak. At her fundamentals, the Mother of the house-hold seems to have a bipolar disorder. At one point she hates the maid's presence in the house and doubts her - and yet all of a sudden cares about her and is grateful to her. The Father from time to time is upset, and temperamental - yet is gentle and calm towards his family occasionally. The characters possess uneven, odd personalities that only weaken their on-screen potency.
Nevertheless, the film does boast some solid acting, pushing my rating for it up to a 6. Angeli Bayani does a tremendous job as the maid struggling to survive in Singapore - and I would like to specially acknowledge her for I believe that her performance is a master-class in indie-acting for females. Never does Bayani condescend to her role - always treating the character of the Maid with elegance and eloquent motion. "Yes ma'am, good ma'am".
I am impressed - don't get me wrong. Despite the numerous flaws, Chen's sensitive direction makes the flaws forgettable and the film otherwise. So is it worth a DVD? Yes. Theatre? Perhaps - maybe not.