This has to be the most depressing job
planet.
In Still Life a man who arranges funerals
for people who have nobody
finds that his last case may just change
his life.
Now this is an odd, excellent film
that works as a wonderful light drama, but
it's not exactly light hearted.
John works for client services and it's
his job to investigate the backgrounds
of those who pass away
and don't have any immediate friends or
family. He searches for someone to claim
the bodies
or at least show up for the funeral. He
takes his job very seriously
but the city has decided to terminate
his position so his current case
is going to be his last. Billy Stoke died
with no one in his life nobody caring
about him
and by complete coincidence he lived in
the same apartment complex
as the main character. As John searches
for anyone who may care about this man's
passing, he learns a little bit more
about himself
and about living. Because of the tile I
expected this to be a romantic drama
maybe even a comedy
but it's not. Instead this is a very
close look into the life for the man
who gives his heart and soul to those
who have already died
but nobody was there to mourn them. This
is the type of guy
I think we all hope exists. Despite that
John is a depressing character. When we
first meet him
everything in his life has to be just so,
he gives his all for his job,
but he's not exactly exciting to watch. This
guy could be boring.
Yet the way he honors and cares about
people who have passed alone
just makes his strange story engaging.
The quest that he goes on to find somebody to
be there for Billy
had me hoping he would go out with a
bang. Eddie Marsan
blew me away. Now John should be an
off-putting character
but I grew to care about this quiet
little man. At the beginning I was
slightly interested
by the end of the movie I was fully
invested in his fate.
Marsan gives a subtle get emotionally
powerful
performance that you should not miss. This is a movie
about a man traveling around
asking questions, interviewing people,
the comedy comes off as an unintentional,
there's no real thrilling moments
and it gets pretty heavy at times. Director
Uberto Pasolini creates a story though
that had me asking questions about life,
death,
and making sure I always have people close
around me. Still Life is not a romance, it's not
a comedy,
but it is a sound drama about a man
trying to make sense of his life
after working for the dead. Now it can get
a little morbid
just think about the plot for a second
but if he had me smiling
and strangely uplifted me to see how John
was there for people
who had no one. Now if you need big
laughs in your drama
you don't need to see this, but you do
not want to skip this one if
grounded performances are your thing.
