I'm Still Here

Excellent film from the get go! Filled with interesting characters and meaning behind it. Dan Burman is flawless as the loner Matt. I can't recommend this feature film enough! Loads of great cast members involved and packed with drama that keeps you on the edge of your seat! Soundtrack was moving (by the talented Asche & Spencer) and the cinematography was great to follow. Nothing jarring about it! Quite a long film though. Heard there was meant to be a 3 hour director's cut 😳 so I'm glad it's this version! Great work from the TV Bandits crew for pulling off such a great film. Well done to everybody!

I was lucky enough to witness this feature on the Norwich University of the Arts MA degree showing about a week ago, and I was incredibly impressed by it's sheer amount of detail, it's storytelling and great portrayal of death told on screen. I'd like to think of the film as a journey of self-discovery, finding out who you are and what you mean to people. It sets out such a horrific way of showing terminal illnesses in the UK and that's something not many people are daring to express at the moment, such as Matt's violent coughing, the cancer patients' ill look in bed and the icey-cold look of hospitals. I myself took the film very personal due to the fact that a loved one passed away to cancer and this film really captured my emotions in my own experiences in life, dealing with knowing that someone I cared about is going to die in only a matter of weeks. I think people can identify and relate to that very well and people's responses will be great. What "I'm Still Here" really did was a huge achievement in my eyes was that I actually cared about the characters, every single one of them. It was because they were simply realistic and convincing in their performances and you can easily sympathise with them (including the ones that make mistakes such as Ben) and I seriously didn't want any of this to go away during the two hours of watching this. But like always, all good things might come to an end. Not only is it a story based on life and death, but it's a story on redemption. To change the errors of your ways because life is too short and we should make everything matter. Leaving a mark in the world in which the characters live in was integral to the plot and Matt sure does that in the finale. All I can say is watch it and enjoy it for what it is. As much as it is depressing, you will never see another film quite like this. Effective and enjoyable till the very end.

OK I have to say something straight away. Paused it an hour and a half in while writing this - the film is beautifully shot and superbly acted. If there was ever a way to explore the less comfortable side of healthy young adult desire -- to explore the world, to test boundaries, to take big risks, to live a little dangerously -- without the usual fear of worst-case scenarios or squeamishness, I'M STILL HERE is it, if only because the presence of terminal illness makes such risks seem like a quaint and necessary part of having lived. The movie shows a confrontational and sometimes dark but often humorous and wildly tender look at what it means to be alive, and, ultimately, what it means to die, all through the eyes of a young man and those closest to him.

Matt's quest to fulfil his bucket list -- at first filled with wild and predictable thrills, but eventually shifting to the sweeter, quiet moments only nature and family provide -- offers an excellent source of discussion with our generation about the things that matter most in life at a time when imagining past the next hour is often difficult. It's a brutally direct film that's hard to watch because it never pulls its punches about dying, but this makes it especially beautiful -- not to mention a near-constant tearjerker, even when it's upbeat. Full box of tissue required.

I'm Still Here is an interesting, thought-provoking movie. It contains great acting from the main characters especially. I'm Still Here has an original story-line and it is very moving. I would recommend this film to anyone! I like how down-to-Earth and realistic the characters and the plot are and I like the way it has been filmed. I also liked how the subject matter challenges its viewers. You get very emotionally involved in the story and captured by the suffering of the characters. I'm Still Here has important themes that captures the audience. If you're looking for an interesting movie, go and watch this one.

I'm Still Here by Kris Smith is a must see!!! Bittersweet, it takes you on a roller coaster of emotions. It is hard hitting from the start. There's no time to catch a breath, you simply trust, go with it and allow it to take you on an exquisite journey cinematically. The powerhouse of talent from Dan Burman and Lucy Russell will blow you away. Their chemistry is electrifying. These artists know how to deliver and make it look effortless. I savoured their scenes together. Dan Burman gives a sensitive, subtle, engaging performance that holds your breath from start to finish. You are on his side routing for him, willing a happy ending. Lucy Russell reminds me of a younger Dame Maggie Smith, both physically and performance. Incredible nuance and highly skilled artistry. Awe-inspiring. My thanks to Smith and his crew for making this inspirational, thought provoking film. Brilliant job.