By David Baldwin
Mr. Williams (Bill Nighy) is dying. He has been given six months to live, nine if he is lucky. More than enough time to get affairs in order, but what does Williams need to figure out? He is a widower, he is estranged from his son and daughter-in-law (despite their living in his home), he has no friends or confidants, and his only joy is going to the Pictures on Tuesdays. Williams, filled with grief and regret, decides immediately to make some changes – and start living instead of simply going through the motions.
Nighy, a brilliant Character Actor who rarely gets his due, is outstanding from the very moment he appears on-screen in LIVING right through until the bittersweet ending. His cadence and charisma is unparalleled and his delightfully dry wit had the audience around me laughing aloud. That same audience hung on every tragic word and moment Nighy delivers, where he does not command the screen so much as he burns a hole in the centre, practically daring the supporting cast to try to make a stronger impression on the Film. They are all uniformly good (especially Aimee Lou Wood of Sex Education), though they are well aware that they cannot match up to Nighy’s powerful turn.
And while the sumptuous art design and booming score are exquisite, I wish LIVING was slightly less episodic in nature. Worse, its real issue is the final 20-30 minutes of the Film. It lands on multiple perfect ending moments, only to pivot and move onto something else. Frustrating to say the least, though the tradeoff is more time for Nighy to light up the screen in his own magical, mythical way.
LIVING screens as follows at TIFF ’22:
Sun, Sep 11 IN-PERSON TIFF Bell Lightbox 3:45pm
Mon, Sep 12 IN-PERSON Scotiabank Theatre 6:30pm
Fri, Sep 16 IN-PERSON TIFF Bell Lightbox 12:15pm
By Amanda Gilmore
Williams (Bill Nighy) is a veteran civil servant and bureaucratic cog in the rebuilding of Britain post-WWII. He spends his days pushing paper and simply existing until he is diagnosed with a terminal illness. With an estimated six-months remaining, Williams goes on a quest to feel what it’s like to live again.
This Film is a British remake of Akira Kurosawa’s Ikiru (To Live) and is exquisitely adapted by Nobel and Booker Prize-winning Author Kazuo Ishiguro. Ishiguro’s precisely-crafted Screenplay is set in a postwar London and Director Oliver Hermanus uses the era’s cinematic aesthetic to bring this story to the screen. However, even though Living is set during this period Ishiguro, Hermanus and Nighy make it resonate today.
Nighy brilliantly portrays Williams as a man who stopped living due to the repetitiveness of his life and simply began existing. He’s powerful in quiet moments of contemplation about his remaining days. These moments are contrasted with the vibrant scenes Williams shares with Margaret (Aimee Lou Wood). In her, he sees someone who lives life every day. Lou Wood is a bright and energetic force and commands the screen.
Overall, Living is a touching film about a man staring at death and evaluating what he wants to do for his remaining days. Additionally, it touches on the impact we leave on our family and society. It manages to accomplish this while never becoming overly sentimental. There are times were it drags but it makes up for it with a powerful Cast, an expert screenplay and a directing style that’s unique and innovative.
Living screens virtually at Sundance:
Premiere: Jan. 21 at 2PM EST
Second Screening: Jan. 23 at 10AM EST (available for 24hrs)
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