LIFE’S A BREEZE ***
If you are planning on renovating your mother’s bedroom for her birthday, it’s better to make sure she hasn’t been hiding large amounts of dough in the mattress, so you won’t be devastated learning, after throwing the old furniture away, that it carried 1 million Euros she collected throughout the years. That’s the situation happening in Lancy Daly’s (director of the wonderful coming of age story “Kisses”) debaucherous Irish comedy following the adventures of a family who gains national attention, after the oldest son, who still lives with his mother, turns the surprise into a disaster with his idea of changing the mattress. They go on a search for the mattress everywhere it could possibly be, and as the story attracts attention on a radio show, people all over the country gather to help them in exchange for a reward. The film is seen through the eyes of a young girl, Emma (Kelly Thornton) who observes the connections they’ve always shared, which becomes sort of inflicted with the effects the money brings on them. But that’s only a rapid observation, because the director feels comfortable enough to stick to the positivity of the plot of a family coming together as one. Supported by the hilariously weird characters, responsible for unpredictable laughs, Daly manages to entertain and create an uplifting sense of family-get-together with simplicity and honest to its humor. (Opens September 19th at Quad Cinemas, NYC)
ILO ILO ***
Anthony Chen’s directorial debut is a tender look into family standards and values set against the 1997 Asian financial crisis. The narrative examines the tumultuous situation affecting society and the uncertainty haunting their lives, through the individual struggles of members of a family and their immigrant maid. While the father is trying hard to hide his unemployment, the overwhelmed pregnant mother is bearing with their rebellious young son and trying to avoid the fear of losing everything, influenced by her duty at work, which is writing letters informing the lay-off of many co-workers. Hired to help on the house chores, the maid arrives at a turbulent time, especially when trying to develop a connection with the son, whom at first completely rejects her and puts her into risking troubles. Chen conducts the story as a mediator for his characters, pushing them to persevere into hope, focusing on the reaction they cause on each other, with the country falling apart as the core of the matter. As he discusses current social and political issues, such as immigration and unemployment, with accurate sensibility, he demonstrates a relevant and modern storytelling style. (On DVD by Film Movement)
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