Although understated, Still Life asks some profound questions. What happens to those who are alone after they die? How should they be treated? Do their memories matter? Once life ends, is it OK to throw common decency out of the window?
To any right-minded person, the answers are obvious. But for the boss of Eddie Marsan’s John May, none of them matter when life is over. The dead are dead: they don’t care. Mister May, as he is often referred to in the film, works for a south London local authority. He's in charge of dealing with the affairs of the deceased who have no obvious relatives or have left no will. According to his boss, he is too slow, too expensive and surplus to requirements, so he is to be made redundant. Yet May is a decent man, deliberately following up on all the leads he is presented with, treating his cases diligently and, above all, with respect. Still Life charts his last case. It takes him into the orbit of Kelly Stoke (Joanne Froggatt), whose father had died. Each senses the other is a lost soul, and they bond.
Its glacial surface should not be mistaken for lethargy
Still Life is incredibly sensitive and its glacial surface should not be mistaken for lethargy. It is rich and poignant. As the reserved May, Marsen is deeply affecting. In time, it is easy to see how it could become as respected as Powell and Pressburger's A Matter of Life and Death. It’s that good and needs to be seen alongside Carol Morley’s Dreams of a Life.
This DVD release includes the trailer and interviews with Froggatt, Marsan and director-producer-writer Uberto Pasolini (who previously produced The Full Monty). Don't watch any of these before the film as they reveal too much, but take in the exceptionally interesting one with the eloquent Pasolini first (this though is very, very carelessly presented – it is punctuated by messing with mobile phones). He characterises his film as about “loneliness and solitude”, “the importance of every single life” and a “damning portrait of our society”. Those intent on directly or covertly destroying the welfare state behind the figleaf of austerity should see this and hang their heads in shame. Still Life is an absolute gem.
Overleaf: Watch the trailer for Still Life
Watch the trailer for Still Life
