Still

Sobering tale of inner city anarchy set amidst the mean streets of modern day London. Tom is the Everyman faced with horrific choices and propelled forward by a family tragedy. Superb lighting and crisp dialogue illuminate this modern day fable of a good man reaching and becoming aware of his limitations. The dystopian depiction of London is an effective narrative device, the acting solid and capable and a mood of menace is maintained throughout. The director Simon Blake shows himself to be a capable auteur and it will be interesting to see how his muse evolves.

I'm honestly surprised that this movie has such a relatively low rating. Okay, it maybe starts a little slow but then the movie completely captivated me and it stayed with me long after the credits rolled. It shows a very gritty, twisted and cruel side of the world that's shockingly realistic and all the actors do a great job. Especially Aidan Gillen was brilliant and his character development was interesting to see as he is facing a very difficult situation and has to make some difficult decisions. I'm highly recommending this movie for every thriller fan who likes to get his morals tested by a thought- provoking movie.

Still wants to be a dark and painful drama at it's core, of which there is no shortage in contemporary cinema. It tells the story of a father broken in spirit after the accidental death of his only son, who we only know through memory and photographs throughout the film. They seemed very close, his previous marriage has ended by the time we are introduced to him, and he turns to drink and drugs to dull the emotional pain.

There is no shortage of that angle in recent cinema but the truth is many films have done it much better than this. There is a real depth of character that Aidan Gillen brings to the screen. He's a talented actor, and of course deserving to be the center of this film, but I don't think anyone could save this movie from it's lack of real storytelling. It's a very serious topic, however the direction is very A to B to C and misses some of the most important subjects it brings to the screen. This includes gang violence in North London of which, these children portraying a violent gang seem nothing more than... well children. However, any sense of danger is missing from every scene they are in. The mother, portrayed by Amanda Mealing, tries to maintain a somewhat cordial relationship with her ex-husband, but her grief and struggle are so incidental that she may as well not have been in the film at all.

The worst crime in this film however was the lack of any real depth in what should have focused on the most heinous act in the entire movie. In it, a sexual assault occurs of such violation, that it simply dwarfs anything else that happens throughout the film. An event that drives the father to the breaking point, was used as a simple plot device designed to change directions of the main character, but should have been the main focal point of the film. The director decided to go another direction and make that terrible crime so superfluous, that it barely has any screen time at all and the viewer is not invited to see what happened to the victim by the end of the film.

An unforgivable act, but more so, unforgivable direction. You may think the plot was dark and gritty, but I think it barely touched on these themes.

5/10

Love Gillen so I gave this a watch, he just barely makes this movie watchable with his own performance but aside from that the story is weak and nearly a lost cause.

What makes British films British? I'm not articulate enough to write it down. I think I know what it's not, sub- Hollywood without the money and the glamour. But, I know it when I see and hear it. 'Still' is good British Filmmaking. It deals in tropes that could be in any film from anywhere, personified especially in Aidan Gillen's central character. But, there's enough charisma and wounded male pride for one to believe that women would find him attractive and that there's enough to pull you through the story to a unexpected and quietly devastating end. I'm glad I watched it. I'm intrigued to see what the director/ writer does next.