Une belle fin

If I had to pick the most underrated actor in the whole of the movie business I would go for Eddie Marsan . A prolific actor who everyone has seen in one film or another and who never gives a bad performance and Still Life is the perfect example.

In this , Eddie plays a employee who dedicates his life to tracking down the next-of-kin and arranging funerals for his community's unclaimed dead.

It's a performance that is understated yet brilliant . You totally believe this man , who seems a little bit OCD and loves his job , that he will do what he can for these dead people and their families even though his own life outside of work is pretty non existent.

It's a very British film but I have no doubt it will appeal to any audience. It's obviously sad at times but it's also uplifting and thought provoking.

It's the best film I've seen in quite a while and I highly recommended it.

Absolutely brilliant little film that holds on to the small things in life in every aspect with superb subdued acting, colours and sound. Almost as a mime John May shows his compassion with his fellow human begins, no matter who they are, or rather were. There are several superb surprises along the way, among them fascinating encounters with relations to the deceased. For me as a Dutch Anglofile it is wonderful to see and recognize so many aspects of British life, London, brickwork, the sea, fish & chip shops, trains and many more. Just for that it is a joy to watch. For me it has an impact that couldn't be greater thanks to so many little gems. Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!

This is a movie that centers on loneliness and living a passive, uneventful life. The setting of the story is a bit unusual but simple, so what makes the movie interesting is the exaggerated sensibility of the main character. The main character is so compassionate and pitiful at the same time that viewers can't help caring about him and wanting to know what happens to him. The acting from all cast is convincing, the main actor especially did a superb job. The movie is slow paced but the mood is so nicely built that I didn't feel bored, on the contrary, I was amazed by the small details and the directors' sensitivity. There are many beautiful still shots of very ordinary things throughout the movie, like the title of the movie suggests. Some scenes are so pathetically real that they become funny. It is overall a good movie and it makes you want to do something about all the loneliness there is in the world.

A great movie about discipline, responsibility and the importance of performing at your best whatever task you have to carry out. An important message in times of complain, protest and nihilism. The director powerfully uses images more and better than the dialogue. In this respect, he stands aside the great masters of the past (one name: Alfred Hitchcock, quite explicitly quoted in the movie) and won't fail to please all the true movie lovers. All actors are great, but it is the compassionate eye of the director that wins the scene. The soundtrack is also adding to the atmosphere and does its job remarkably well. Should I add that I truly enjoyed this little masterpiece?

For me this was a film of two halves. The first half is setting the mood and pace. The music is lilting and swirls around the slow, deliberate focus on the lead charactor. This film is about attention to detail and compassion. What we are reminded of is how what may seem pointless or insignificant can be the a life's work for others. We are reminded of loneliness and contemplation. Our own families, connections and purpose. We follow John May in his journey, and we feel his heart.

About halfway through the emotion starts to build. The whimsical desperation of uncovering truth and trying to reach broken hearts and broken families. The stories that lie behind every person. The layers of charactor and how they present, to some a scoundrel to others a saint.

Finally, as the end of the movie approached, I cried.

Actually, I sobbed.

What was initially just something in my eye turned into streams of tears.

Although it could've stomped on my heart less, I loved the attention to detail, the acting and the cinematography. This film is one to remember for many reasons.