Synopsis: A Singapore family hires a Filipino maid who bonds with Jiale the young son which makes the mother jealous. Tensions in the family are heightened when the father loses his office job in the recession and tries to hide he menial factory job from his wife.
Stan's thoughts: Jiale isn't nice boy and is quite cruel to Terry the maid in the beginning. Their developing friendship is very slow and gradual. The reaction from the mother is equally gradual heightened by her husband's increasing distance and drinking as he struggles to cope with his change in fortune and status and keeping it from his wife.
In the end Terry does have quite a dramatic effect on the family but again it is all very subtly played out and makes for a refreshing change.
Ilo Ilo is a gentle film that is just as much interesting as a family drama as an insight in life for a middle class family living in Singapore in the 1990s. It probably isn't going to stand out among a sea of quality foreign films but was enjoyable and interesting enough.
Ratings
- Stan’s 60%
- IMDB 73%
- Metascore 87%
- Rotten Tomatoes No consensus
- RT Audience Rating* 84%
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* Based on number of people who rated the film 3.5/5 and higher
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