Attending JIFFEST (Jakarta International Film Festival) 2013 might be one of the cinematic highlights of the year. Before I regularly blog about movies, I always wanted to go until they announced that the festival was short of fund, so it can’t longer held. They once showed 500 Days of Summer (2009), one of my favorite movies that I unfortunately missed. But this year, they are back, collaborated with other medias (largely by Muvila.com). They have several programs; Pop Up Cinema, Retrospective Bong Joon-Ho, World Cinema and Open Air Cinema (will be held 29-30 November). I missed the first week, but last Saturday I attend to the World Cinema program. Perhaps I came for the very best thing; watching 12 Years a Slave (2013) and also one excellent Singapore film, Ilo Ilo (2013). Other movie line-ups were The Bling Ring (2013) and The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2013). Won’t waste anymore of your time, here’s my impression of the two films : 12 Years a Slave (2013)
“I don’t want to survive. I want to live.”
Earlier this year, we’ve been introduced to a slavery & revenge themed movie, Django Unchained (2012). While Tarantino made the movie with style and a little goofiness, the movie focused on getting back on the slavers, with lots of blood bath here and there. Steve McQueen picked Solomon Northup real story to be made to his third feature-length movie, called 12 Years a Slave (2013), based on Solomon’s book with the same name. I wondered though, much like anyone else, what’s the difference with this one with another slavery movies. Because like I always said, I do not fond of movies with a lot of cruelty. But there’s something more from this movie.
Tricked on a circus job offer as a violinist, Solomon (Chiwetel Ejiofor) wake up being handcuffed in a dark cell. A group of white people forced him to be sold as a slave, even though Solomon said he is a free man and have his free certificate. Being named as Platt, he met a lot of his own kind being tortured and treated as ‘property’. He’s bought by one kind master, Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch) but having troubles with his worker, Tibeats (Paul Dano) makes Solomon being handed to Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender), one cruel and mad master. Solomon’s skills in playing violin and his smart thinking makes him stand out than other slavers. Solomon meet Patsey (Lupita Nyong’o), a young hard worker girl and Epps favorite, which sometimes he paid visits at night. Epps wife (Sarah Paulson) often jealous of her husband’s special attention to Patsey. His only hope is writing a letter to his relatives, to send his master his free certificate. It’s a small hope, but it’s the only way to get him out. Solomon lived everyday as a slave but never stop thinking to get his freedom back, even when slaves around him have lost their hopes.
After contemporary theme of Shame (2011), McQueen seem to expand his range to more of classic history by raising a story of Solomon Northup. He still collaborated with his favorite choice of actor, Michael Fassbender. While it’s impossible for Fassbender as the lead, if not I think the he still be his first choice. The movie seem to mark McQueen’s expertise to show human dealing with a long-term pain and torture as in Hunger (2006). Fassbender, as usual, was very total as the drunken authority master and was the antagonist in Solomon’s life as a slave.
One thing obviously showed in 12 Years A Slave was the difference of behavior between the person treated as slave since their early age and the one who already holds his freedom before. When you felt the mistreatment since child to you and your own kind, you get used to it and you lived with it, because you see the same races is treated the same way. It’s the only way of living you know. But not with the man who already felt his freedom and know that he’s been victimized. Through Solomon, we can see that even when you are free before, you must not let the pressure and sorrow get to you. You must focus on all the efforts to escape or get back your freedom back. And he never pretends, while being a good servant, who he really is.
12 Years A Slave is not only being supported by the charismatic lead, Chiwetel Ejiofor and solid actor, Fassbender. Many supporters like Lupita Nyong’o as Patsey, Sarah Paulso as Mistress Epps, quite strengthen the story, even Brad Pitt who appear in the last few scenes (also being the producer). Paul Dano was among the antagonists, quite annoying bullier as he should be, but felt quite mediocre from his usual freakish roles (like in Prisoners). There’s also Alfre Woodard as the black slave woman who ended up living fancy as her master’s acknowledged mistress.
Easily being one of the today’s classics, 12 Years a Slave provides the amazing story of survival and attempt to get freedom back. One’s faith is surely tested, when every of your kind being treated unfairly and no one is making effort to fight back. When dealing with injustice in human rights that spread like a bad disease, when dealing with people who thinks their own kind is better and when dealing with people who have thirst for authority.
This film seems about right to win an Oscar. Will McQueen and the rest of the team get it? I surely hope they will.
Movie Score :
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Ilo Ilo (2013)
“I am your maid, …but I didn’t come here to be bullied.”
Set in Singapore year 1997, Ilo Ilo (2013) is a debut feature by Antony Chen. The debut was impressive enough, it won Camera d’Or award in Cannes.
Pregnant and also working, Hwee Leng (Yeo Yann Yann) decided that she needs a maid to help her running errands. When Teresa (Angeli Bayani) started working as her maid, she didn’t have the best welcome by Hwee Leng’s naughty son, Jiale (Koh Jia Ler). Dedicated and want Hwee Leng to trust her, Teresa tries hard to be patient dealing with Jiale. But after a while spending time together, especially after Jiale have his arm injured, Jiale starts to feel close to Teresa that it makes his mother jealous. Mean while, Jiale’s father, Teck (Chen Tianwen) got fired but doesn’t let his wife know. Instead he tries several jobs but can’t get enough money. It’s the time when the Asian recession hits the region.
In the family, Hwee Leng holds the power and the dominant voice. She’s a typical hardworking mom in Asian, lots of responsibilities makes her tough and perhaps forget to be sensitive on her husband and son’s feelings. Perhaps she’s more of a father figure than a mother. When Teresa comes in the house, it slowly changes the flat’s energy. Teresa is far more mellow and sensitive, and indirectly her figure might be what Jiale feel lacks from his mother. It shows a classic case of how nanny or maid who spends more time with the kid ended up being closer than the kid’s mother. But Ilo Ilo tells it more realistically and simpler, not forgetting the Singaporean social cultures.
I don’t watch a lot of Singapore films, that’s why the cultures impressed me. But lots of their social habits are the same in Indonesia. It’s interesting that having a different religion in the family makes Teresa must ‘pretend’ she’s the same as theirs. Through Teresa, we know how maids survive and suffer in their daily work. They sometimes must use their only day off in a month to get extra cash. For Teresa, it’s all for her baby boy who lives in Philipphines. But the most interesting part is when Jiale, the stubborn kid who bullied Teresa actually starts to care for her.
Often the presence of a stranger shows what lacks in our daily lives, and that’s what Teresa is to me. When Teck told her not to tell Hwee Leng he smokes, we know there’s a big pressure in the family. Ilo Ilo tells a small phase of Teck’s small family, who seems tough but it’s what only appears from the outside. When Hwee Leng herself cracks and cries, you thought, wow it’s a pretty harsh life.
Ilo Ilo have an excellent cast, minimum emotions aside from Teresa, occasionally few scenes makes us laugh. Overall it’s a pretty decent and simple family drama, and I love how it candidly showing Asian cultures. It’s the kind of drama that showed actions speaks louder than words. And about a boy who finally thinks outside himself. Maybe the simplicity of the story makes it not strong enough to stay in mind. But I admire how it dared to be simple and true to its roots.
Movie Score :
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I am very grateful that I got the tickets at the very last minute. Thank you, JIFFEST for providing these two excellent films! Readers, any thoughts? Do you love/want to see these films?
