iLo iLo - A Beautiful & Relate-able Tale / Film by Anthony Chen

So I'm back... new day new post... !!.... I've already told you'll that my love and quest for movies surpasses languages ....So here's a review of a BRILLIANT !! short film by Anthony Chen ... By me The BUNNYMAN !! ;-) 

I got invited to the preview screening by the  Singapore Consulate - Mumbai on 31st of March 2015 @ NCPA , for the critically acclaimed short film ilo ilo by Anthony Chen .. 

ILO ILO 

The film festival marks the start of the celebrations lined up to commemorate Singapore’s 50^th year of independence and the 50^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Singapore and India. more on the festival will be written @ the end note of the blog (remember the social message always has to come LAST... hehehe).

At sharp 6:00 pm The little theater @ NCPA preview screened the movie...99 mins of no drama or hamming is what the film gave to it's viewers... ilo ilo is set in Singapore during the 1997 Asian financial crisis/ recession of a middle class family...and is primarily the tale of  a bond / friendship between a boy and his Filipino maid ...such close is the bond that it becomes the reason for igniting the mother's jealousy towards the maid , because she thinks her boy / son is getting more close to the maid than her ...  At the start the maid is new to the place and the family and the boy tries his best to harass the daylights out of her !...but her economic scene back home is not such that she can backtrack so her persistence with genuine care makes her win the boy's heart who now calls her auntie  :-) 

Anthony Chen

So this is the tale in a nutshell (I've avoided some parts of the story because I think when you write a review of / for a film you should leave something for the audiences to explore themselves)...where a  debutante director Anthony Chen  who's also very young himself ! (just 30) tries to tell the viewers that in today's world where working parents are a fact of life and an unsaid norm ...such a scenario is possible ...his treatment to the subject is very mature and at the same-time is not very heavy or taxing on the viewers, because this if not treated lightly could have easily become a film that would give the viewer a heavy heart but you leave the hall with a smile on your face and that's the beauty of this film ..must say he surely knows his work...and as they say when brilliance is an inborn trait the AGE doesn't matter ! ...If I was to compare it with an Indian film makers style then I'd say it comes very close to the styles of Sai Paranjpe and Basu Chatterjee...where cinematic treatment comes very close to REALISM ! ....which is why I say it's relate-able.

I was also placing and evaluating this in current times and to my surprise I think this is a universal phenomenon in all the so to say developing countries so yeah this is also a crossover film for me...I'm not a parent yet (at least of what I know..hehehe).... this can be the case with India's urban cities too ! ...  for all those working parents ...I ain't saying it's bad of course with the cost of living going up both the parents have to and should work...but try spending some golden/quality time(s) with your child in his / her's growing years (I'm aware it's easily said than done, but no harm trying) .. otherwise what you''ll end up doing is thinking of a situation / scene who's existence in reality is questionable, which the mother in this movie does.

Ms. Ankita Takle

A vote of thanks to Ms. Ankita Takle (Research Analyst International Affairs -  Singapore Consulate)  for inviting me to the preview screening  and to the whole team @ the The Singapore Consulate - Mumbai ...

Mr. Ajit Singh

This All would have never been possible if I did not thank this man !  A BIG BIG thank you to Mr. Ajit Singh (Consul -General).. You Sir are one of the most humblest , warm , open to ideas humans I've come across in a long long time , and your're a wonderful host as well ! ...To be in your company was / is my honor !  Sir :-)

P.S -   The film will be opened/ screened at the Singapore Film Festival, Mumbai on 20^th & 21^st of April 2015 at NCPA, Mumbai. 

I'd strongly recommend all the genuine world cinema lovers to attend it ...Kindly check with Ms. Ankita Takle on the same send her a msg on her FB account / LinkedIn and I'm fairly certain she'll touch-base with you guys... :-) ..point is if you want to attend I'm sure you'll find a way to get in touch with Ms. Takle...(by that I don't mean that you STALK her.. !! :-P ) 

I'm going to attend it on the 21st ( not that I'm the glamour quotient of it...just thought it's my blog so I'd let you guys know ...hehehe... naah I never STOP ! ;-)  .....

Cheers !

Bunny AKA Jeetendra Mehra.