Still Life (2014)

Loved this film until the bus accident, I couldn't take it seriously after that. A bus knocks somebody down and kills them in the UK for every 27 million miles travelled. How likely is it that somebody as meticulous as John May would be standing there at the time? 66% of people in the UK don't believe in ghosts, so like me they won't buy into the final scene. Take the ghosts away and all you are left with is a cruel irony, a lonely man spends his life trying to get people to care enough to go to the funerals of other socially isolated people who died alone, probably because of his fear of this happening to him, and then nobody goes to his. I watched a beautifully acted, nuanced, poignant film for 1 hour 20 minutes followed by a load of rubbish for the last 10 minutes. Don't think I've ever been so disappointed by the ending of a film.

Perfect movie! Easily 5 stars. From watching the trailer i knew it would be a dark/emotional film, and it was flawlessly executed and delivered (written/directed/edited)! Do not expect a happy feel-good movie! This is a masterpiece for the thinking/intellectual/soulful human, not your average idiot moviegoer.Themes include: family, estrangement/reconciliation, empathy, loss, life, death, loneliness/isolation, personal/spiritual journeys, and ultimately finding peace/happiness and freeing the soul).If you liked this movie and aren't the type of moron who calls it "depressing" because it's not your Hollywood feel-good bubblegum nonsense, you'll probably also enjoy some other great dark films that explore similar themes: "About Schmidt", "Leaving Las Vegas", and "My Girl". I highly recommend all 3 films.p.s. You also may need to turn on the subtitles to catch some of the slang in just a couple of key/funny scenes if you're not a Brit or really good with UK dialect (90% of the movie is perfectly intelligible to an American ear, but i definitely had to google some of those great local euphemisms in a few fast-spoken lines), but well worth it... I'm ready to watch it again. Definitely needs a few repeated viewings to catch all the metaphors and inside jokes.Watch it. :-)

Still Life is a surprising little film brought to us by writer- Directer Uberto Pasolini, it was shot in 2013 and finally made its way to me and I'm glad that I decide to see it. The film depicts the life and work of John May (Eddie Marsan) a council worker looking for the living relatives of those found dead and alone. I know, it sounds fun, but trust me this film is much more than what it seem.At the first, it looks like it's about death and funerals, which it is, but it's in no way depressing, it's more a tale of life, love, and the afterlife. Still Life is quirky and exotic in its unusualness. John May is a bit weird, socially awkward, and very much feel out of touch with the modern world but he's also a sweet and caring man, who is meticulous at his job easily making the people he interacts with seem even sweater, or worse depending on how they behave around him.Despite its heavy themes Still Life has moments of relief, it's funny at times and gets uplifting. It's a movie that sneaks up on you to reach into your heart. Eddie Marsan gives a quiet but poignant performance in this film, I was drawn to his authentic portrayal of John May, a compassionate character you can't help but love. Uberto Pasolini delivered a thought-provoking film with limited camera, letting the story take a life of its own.Still Life is a thoughtful little film shining a light on a peculiar job but also on human relationships, the people we knew and lost touch with, those who sometimes are forgotten and need to be remembered. @wornoutspines

What a surprise this film was. Found it to be so poignant and moving. A simple story about a lonely man who creates meaning in his own life - and the lives of others - through honoring their story. It's a real statement about how limited acting awards selections are when a performance as beautifully realized as Eddie Marsan's doesn't get recognized. Yes, its slow - patient as the character was in finding the nuance in every life he sought to piece together. Hang in there. The ending was a surprise. Like several reviewers, we were emotionally blind- sided and deeply moved. Still Life is a gem!