CheerupSilver Very Cool!!!

MamaGravity good back-story, and good acting

Beystiman It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

Mandeep Tyson The acting in this movie is really good.

The Couchpotatoes Still Life is not a movie to watch when you feel lonely or are a bit down because this movie oozes loneliness. There is not much happiness or joy, not in the characters nor in the job the main character has. Eddie Marsan did a good job playing the lonely meticulous civil servant, looking for relatives of deceased lonely people. He arranges the funerals of those ones that have nobody anymore in their lives, resulting in most cases in being the only one attending the funeral. The story is a bit monotone, but it fits the story well. Nothing wrong about the acting, you couldn't play loneliness better than this. The best part of the movie to me was the ending, very touching, and makes you think about how some people just have nobody in their lives.

johnalexander-38704 Set in modern day London - an uncaring and less than friendly city where lives carry on with their value unacknowledged. This is a film that is moving, thought provoking and causes ones own reflection on life. Loneliness is a dreadful affliction and you can never be more alone than in a crowded city. The character of May is that of someone who lives a meagre life and feels an affinity for the people he buries. A fear for his life to end in a similar way - a life ending with stories left untold or a life forgotten. The film is beautifully made with a haunting soundtrack. Marsan is one of few actors who can carry the message of a scene in without saying a word. He can convey sympathy, awkwardness, confusion etc in zero words and movement - yet tell the story nonetheless. Quite brilliant.

landy_mike It's difficult to find a film that touches many of the emotions that this one does. Billed as a comedy drama, I'm not sure that fits. There is drama and there is comedy, but not in any extreme way.The story is quaint. John May is a detective, but not in the usual sense: he is tasked by the local borough council to find relatives of deceased residents of the council. Eddie Marsden plays a dedicated, humble employee of the council who provides people with one last opportunity for dignity, by arranging their funeral - until one day he is told by his boss that he is no longer needed and has one last 'case' to investigate. Thus he is sent on one final quest - to find the relatives of Billy Stoke.It is a film about death, but it is not morbid. The film has a meandering pace, although this is not a criticism. The scenes unfold as if one were pausing to take in the enormity of what we are seeing, as if we were at a funeral observing, for the first time, the life being celebrated.However, what really excels is the way that all the elements of film-making work together to make this an enjoyable watch. The cinematography (I'm reminded of those great movies from the 1950s), the screen writing, the Art Direction, music, sound, all add to what is a well directed piece from a veteran of the cinema. There's a lovely subtle dialogue exchange in the morgue about a Dodo - you need to watch this to get it - that expresses so well the understated yet genius nature of this film.If you love Transformers, you'll hate this movie. I love this film. Each viewing reveals information that was missed. It's one, I should think, I shall watch a good number of times.

Tom Dooley Eddie Marsan plays Mr. May who worked for London Borough of Kennington as the man who traces the relatives of people who have died alone. He then arranges for their 'send offs' often being the only person in attendance. He has no family and struggles to understand those that have what he does not have and yet readily shun it. Then his obnoxious boss tells him they are 'downsizing' the department and merging with a neighbouring council. He is told to close the case on his last assignment and clear out. He decides he will find out who this lonely man was and he sets out on a journey to discover this man's past and in so doing he starts to live himself.This is just a wonderful film – full of hope, loneliness, pathos and even love. Marsan is always excellent and here he carries the film, but is supported by a cast who are all excellent too – Joanne Froggatt as Kelly Stoke brings real warmth and humanity to a role which sees her with limited screen time – so is all the more noticeable for it. This is a film for people who think, who care and who want to understand more about life and death – absolutely recommended.