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Everyone must watch Ilo Ilo for the following significant reasons. Initially, I didn’t really want to watch it as it’s just another family drama with no action or no fighting. It’s also not a Hollywood blockbuster with special effects etc.
If I want to watch drama, I prefer to watch television or those Taiwanese soap operas. But then again, below are 5 strong reasons why all Singaporeans must watch Ilo Ilo:
1) Director Anthony Chen is an underdog.
Based on his biography, he is actually from The Chinese High but choose to disappoint his parents and school teachers by enrolling in Ngee Ann Poly Mass Comms to study film making.
He had the guts to follow his heart rather than listen to what most his teachers would say. Many Chinese High teachers will be ashamed that he, being a Hwa Chong calibre, chose to a less ‘stellar’ path to study in a polytechnic and go on a road less travelled of being a director. How many people become Steven Spielberg or Ang Lee? And we know that Ang Lee had suffered unemployment and setbacks before he even made it in Hollywood.
2) The lead actor Chen Tianwen is another underdog.
Mediacorp actor Chen Tianwen has been in Mediacorp for more than 30 years since 1985. He was the leading actor in 1980s and early 1990s and was very popular.
However, due to Mediacorp’s focus on grooming younger and good looking male actors, he was downgraded to acting supporting roles with a lower income.
He also suffered setbacks in his personal life such as divorce in early 1990s and could not find a suitable wife due to his low income status in Mediacorp. This role in Ilo Ilo is his comeback and getting back at Mediacorp.
Hopefully, Mediacorp will realise that what you need is a good script and good direction to make money, rather than just relying on good looks.
3) The plot was about dual income families, retrenchment and also marriage break-ups due to unemployment in the Asia Financial Crisis. Something which many of us can relate to.
4) Ironically, PM Lee congratulated Anthony Chen for winning a Cannes prize. If PM Lee would read between the lines, Ilo Ilo is a back-handed compliment for saying that PAP didn’t really do a good job and that many families suffered whenever there is job loss, high costs of living and 2 spouses working together and so their quality time suffered.
5) Last but not least, this film has nostalgia mood to this. Many Singaporeans have lamented that they would prefer Singapore’s GDP to suffer so that we can slow down the pace and be less stressful and have lower expectations.
1990s, things were much simpler and less sophisticated but many people were glad that it stayed that way.
- http://www.tremeritus.com/2013/09/03/5-reasons-why-we-should-watch-ilo-ilo/
If I want to watch drama, I prefer to watch television or those Taiwanese soap operas. But then again, below are 5 strong reasons why all Singaporeans must watch Ilo Ilo:
1) Director Anthony Chen is an underdog.
Based on his biography, he is actually from The Chinese High but choose to disappoint his parents and school teachers by enrolling in Ngee Ann Poly Mass Comms to study film making.
He had the guts to follow his heart rather than listen to what most his teachers would say. Many Chinese High teachers will be ashamed that he, being a Hwa Chong calibre, chose to a less ‘stellar’ path to study in a polytechnic and go on a road less travelled of being a director. How many people become Steven Spielberg or Ang Lee? And we know that Ang Lee had suffered unemployment and setbacks before he even made it in Hollywood.
2) The lead actor Chen Tianwen is another underdog.
Mediacorp actor Chen Tianwen has been in Mediacorp for more than 30 years since 1985. He was the leading actor in 1980s and early 1990s and was very popular.
However, due to Mediacorp’s focus on grooming younger and good looking male actors, he was downgraded to acting supporting roles with a lower income.
He also suffered setbacks in his personal life such as divorce in early 1990s and could not find a suitable wife due to his low income status in Mediacorp. This role in Ilo Ilo is his comeback and getting back at Mediacorp.
Hopefully, Mediacorp will realise that what you need is a good script and good direction to make money, rather than just relying on good looks.
3) The plot was about dual income families, retrenchment and also marriage break-ups due to unemployment in the Asia Financial Crisis. Something which many of us can relate to.
4) Ironically, PM Lee congratulated Anthony Chen for winning a Cannes prize. If PM Lee would read between the lines, Ilo Ilo is a back-handed compliment for saying that PAP didn’t really do a good job and that many families suffered whenever there is job loss, high costs of living and 2 spouses working together and so their quality time suffered.
5) Last but not least, this film has nostalgia mood to this. Many Singaporeans have lamented that they would prefer Singapore’s GDP to suffer so that we can slow down the pace and be less stressful and have lower expectations.
1990s, things were much simpler and less sophisticated but many people were glad that it stayed that way.
- http://www.tremeritus.com/2013/09/03/5-reasons-why-we-should-watch-ilo-ilo/
