ILO ILO, a
film analysis by Wan Zhong Wei (U1030286D)
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| Ilo Ilo (2013) |
Ilo Ilo has
been widely reviewed by many critics, it helps a lot when the film won Camera d'Or for the best first feature
film in Cannes 2013, the hype generated during the month of June was enough to
propel more critics to write about the film objectively, and lots of social
media platforms to talk about it. The publicity efforts from the producing team
were strong as well. Ilo Ilo is a very well marketed film in Singapore, closing
following behind Jack Neo. Family ties, kinship, remembering the past, these
are the sure recipes right now in making a good local film, as everyone is kept
busy remembering the past, lamenting upon how fast paced the society is. I
would like to put Ilo Ilo through my personal perspective and will rather dwell
less on the synposis and progress of the film. Go watch it!
Anthony
Chen received his education in Ngee Ann's Film Sound and Video, before taking
up a scholarship from MDA to enroll into National Film and Television School in
UK, having a Masters in Film Directing. If one would take a look at Chen's
filmography, we notice that a particular number of his past works had Benoit
Soler credited as the cinematographer, a French based DP, which explains the
French style of handheld cinematography, the use of one takes and the use of voyeuristic
perspectives from the lens to communicate Chen's director vision to the big
screen.
In Chen's
recent work Karang Guni, he explores the relationship between a rag-and-bone
man and a runaway Chinese maid. Based on the recent works, Chen loves to
explore stories based on maids, foreign workers and everyday life. It is
intriguing because these workers are just everyday people that goes pass the
lives of the busy Singaporean, un-noticed, however the stories that evokes from
it is usually intimate. Chen's experience with his domestic helper in the past
has propelled him to make the film Ilo Ilo, basing on his own real life
experience and adding in bits and pieces of the local flavour into the film to
essentially create a masterpiece onto the big screen.
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| Karang Guni (2012) |
The Camera
d'Or might come as a big surprise to some, and many were quick to be cynical
about Chen's achievement, the sense of the art house filmic look which appealed
to the jury, and the topic on maids, family issues with a bit of conflict has
always tipped well with the jury in the past. However, with all these
pre-conceived notions behind, Ilo Ilo did well, and Singaporeans loved it, the
grand premiere back in town was well received and it performed rather well in
the local box office, slightly over $500,000 till date (from box office mojo)
I
really enjoy how Ilo Ilo has been shot, credits goes to cinematographer Benoit
Soler for pulling off the one-takes in most scenes of the film. Bigger credit
goes to director Anthony Chen to be able to set the talent into the mood for
the scene, long takes are not easy, dialogues and performances are all crucial,
a slight mis-cue and a loss in attention span will result in a wasted take.
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| Cinematographer Benoit Soler |
The use of
the handheld one takes might at first look jittery to some, as most audiences
are used to well crafted blockbuster hits, amazingly choreographed shots on the
dolly, crane, green screen, what not. It is the "ultimate cinema
experience" complete with a star studded cast and great sound design, Ilo
Ilo has none of it. Instead, Ilo Ilo gets intimate with the audiences, with the
camera pointed right at the action, holding pauses when there's drama between
the characters to allow the audience to feel the uneasiness of watching
something unfold.
The natural performances from the lead characters take credit
in allowing Ilo Ilo to be told so beautifully from camera, being able to hold an emotional scene for an
extended duration, without the cuts and different lens coverage is challenging.
The blocking of the scene to determine where the character stands also exemplify
Chen's intention in the shifting of power of authority between the maid Teresa
and Jia Ler in some scenes. In all, it is a 3rd person viewing the life of a
family, the voyeuristic perspective the lens offer gives the innate nature of
an individual taking a peek into a stranger's life. The sense of awkwardness
when one gets during a sequence without a cut keeps the attention going, and the
thoughts from the audience, "when is this going to end, I am feeling a bit
uneasy watching this" puts the story through the paces, allowing them to
accept it truthfully to the director's intention.
There are
many local elements in the film, some subtly implanted, some albeit more tongue
in cheek. The constant 4D element in the film is pretty funny, like how Mum
takes the numbers off from Terry's passport in hopes to strike lottery, for the
"Singapore dream for the quick buck" through 4D or Toto, especially
during the Asian Financial Crisis, where any additional income might come in
handy for the rainy days. How Jia Ler lures his disclipine master with his
detailed analysis of how "0238" will be the winning number is also
very interesting, showcasing a different side of teachers, they are human too.
The winning 4D scene in my opinion that really made Ilo Ilo a true local film
is where Jia Ler was patiently waiting for 7pm to the very second where he
rushed off from the dinner table to wait for the reporting of the winning 4D
numbers from the radio. It can relate closely to the audience, which is what
makes the elements work.
The
introduction of the success-career speeches is also very apt, as we see
tricksters making use of the loom of the poor economic period to play mind
games and psychological challenges into tricking them into paying for a bogus
course.
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| In the caning scene, we reminisce on the use of corporal punishment, now often frowned upon in modern schools. The strict manners of how the principal explained discipline was also exemplified in the movie. It is also a remarkable effort to find a school that looked like it was set in the 1990s, complete with the brown wooden flooring and aged red draw curtains at the side. |
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| Cutting hair at home, something that my father has done for me as well when I was young, complete with the ghetto newspaper outfit. It is rare for a maid to be able to help in the haircut, it also emphasize on the idea that the parents are often not there when the child needs them most, and the child's relationship grows stronger with a foreign maid instead, which is apparent in Ilo Ilo |
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| This scenes evokes many memories for myself as well, as there is a tradition for me to go Mandai Crematorium every year to offer our respects to our ancestors. The car breaks down and it requires a pushing jumpstart, Jia Ler and Terry couldn't push it by themselves, Father later realises that Terry could drive, and hence asked her take the wheel. This scene is particularly memorable to me as it represents the power play between Terry and Mum, as Mum, as she feels "useless" when pitted against Terry in this situation. (Mum couldn't drive) The additional shot of Mum as she looks into the direction of the car during the film was very apparent to this point, and it also questions the role of a maid in the household and the influences that one foreign worker might bring into a family. |
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| Jia Ler shares his bowl of shark's fin soup with Terry when she was forced to seat outside during their relative's birthday. It shows a sense of isolation between the maids and their families during bigger celebrations, well, they are not family after all. However in this scene we see a close relationship building between Jia Ler and Terry, and Terry's appreciation of Jia Ler's kind gesture, for she had never tasted shark's fin before. |
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| A typical birthday celebration of the past, with a simple birthday cake and KFC fast food would have been considered a luxury to most 1990s kids. The sense of cheerfulness depicted despite the parents' trouble at work goes to show how close knitted this family is. |
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| In this beautifully crafted angle, we see the relationship between Terry and Jia Ler blossoms as they enjoy a light hearted conversation, while Mum just looks with a strange gaze of envy, and Dad is probably too stressed out with his work to be bothered by this relationship. While Mum is happy to know that Jia Ler manners and behaviours have changed for the better with the introduction of Terry into the family, she is also concerned whether her role of a Mother will not be as impactful and influential to her son in the future, and we can read it from the gaze of her eyes. |
Ilo Ilo is
a periodic film of Singapore set in the 1990s, the subtle acting, wonderful
production design and brilliant cinematography makes it a benchmark in
Singapore cinema for years to come.
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