By the time i saw this movie, it had already won several awards from the industry. But even though i knew it was going to be good, it still turned out to be better than expected. This first feature by writer-director Anthony Chen is unpretentious and honestly down to earth. Its characters are not crazy rich Singaporeans, but those living in the heartlands who are desperately trying to make ends meet. It is a fact that we enjoy having our breaths taken away by those whose lives are all glitz and glamor, and escape with them into their fabulous world, so why would we want to pay and watch simple folk with problems that remind us of our own? The beauty of this film is that nothing is exaggerated or rings a false note. Decisions that the husband and wife make include how much to give as a birthday present and also giving their son money for his birthday to be saved in the bank. The acting by the four leads is uniformly excellent. Yeo Yann Yann is compelling to watch because she does not come across as putting on an act; her Hwee Leng is the wife, mother and office worker that we all know and are familiar with. Chen Tianwen as Teck gains our sympathy as the hapless father who loses his job and at the stock market, yet does not over-indulge in self-pity. Angela Bayani as Terry the maid and Koh Jia Ler as Jiale the son are both delightful to watch together. Their relationship does not start off well but over the course of the movie, they slowly bonded, and their progressive friendship is believably developed. This simple and straightforward yet engaging movie is exactly what i have for years been hoping young filmmakers would make, in place of the usual derivative horror, slapstick comedy or tragic romance. With Ilo Ilo, Anthony Chen brings new hope to Singapore's film industry.
Ilo Ilo
(2013)
Story of an unexpected friendship that's worth telling and well-told
20 November 2019