Critics ReviewsThe movie is a slow-burn that never accelerates but Bill Nighy's performance makes it a compelling experience. Content collapsed. The film itself is like eating a rich dessert: you marvel at all the constituent parts, but when it's over, you may have regrets.
It also celebrates youth and the memory of what it's like to be alive at a young age. The film is very slow moving and very evocative of the period. Due to the nature of the movie, it isn't recommended for children under 12 and parental guidance is recommended for 12 – 13 year olds.
A Great flim overall. The most important movie in the world for its message. Great action, Great Acting, and just a Great Flim. The design for the aliens is perfect, it shows a gross disgusting version of humans which is a great way of showcasing the message.
Living is a 2022 British period drama film directed by Oliver Hermanus. Its screenplay by Kazuo Ishiguro was adapted from the 1952 Akira Kurosawa film Ikiru. Set in 1953 London, it stars Bill Nighy as a bureaucrat in the public works department who learns he has a fatal illness.
Nighy's mellow portrayal of Mr. Williams's death made me more devastated than Mr. Williams himself. “Living” follows this elderly bureaucrat after his cancer diagnosis.
In the end, Michael only learns of his father's illness after his death. He's left without emotional closure, struggling to understand why Williams confided in his colleague Margaret (Aimee Lou Wood) but not his family.
Set in 1952 London, the film will follow Williams, a veteran civil servant, who has become a small cog in the bureaucracy of rebuilding post-WWII England. As endless paperwork piles up on his desk, he learns he has a fatal illness.
There are a couple moments in the film, especially near the end, where Nighy sings the beautiful Scottish folk song “The Rowan Tree,” and let me just tell you that for me the tears came as a flood.
Living is an English adaptation of Akira Kurosawa's film Ikiru, which itself was an adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's novel "The Death of Ivan Ilyich." Set in 1950s London in the midst of Britain's postwar reconstruction, Living tells the story of the final days of Mr. Williams (Bill Nighy) following a grim prognosis.
In the final minutes of Living, Wakeling reads a letter from Williams reflecting on the “modest satisfaction” of making “a small thing” that may not stand the test of time, but nevertheless brings a bit of happiness to others.
The MPAA rating has been assigned for “some suggestive material and smoking.” The Kids-In-Mind.com evaluation includes a couple of hand holding and hugging scenes, accusations of impropriety between a man and a young woman, an exotic dance with partial nudity, several arguments, discussions of the death of a loved one, ...
Rated PG: Parental guidance suggested – Some material may not be suitable for children. Rated PG-13: Parents strongly cautioned – Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. Rated R: Restricted – Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. Rated X: No one under 17 admitted.
Living is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for some suggestive material and smoking. Violence: There are references to a man's death from illness. There's a veiled reference to suicidal thoughts but they are not acted upon. Blood is briefly visible on a sick man's handkerchief.
Shortly after his diagnosis, Williams goes to a resort town where he meets a dissolute young playwright named Sutherland (Tom Burke, of The Souvenir) who specializes in smutty productions. “I came here to live a little, but I don't know how,” Williams confesses.
The song that should have won this year wasn't nominated. I guess the Academy has a problem with songs that break off before reaching the end. When Bill Nighy gets swamped with emotion singing “The Rowan Tree” in the fine and quiet film Living, he puts his head down and surrenders.
Kurosawa's 'Ikiru' is too good to just imitate, and 'Living' even takes place at the same time in history, so it adds little to the story. Why didn't the makers of 'Living' set the story in the present?
There are some lovely scenes all played with understated panache and whilst the storyline is undoubtedly a little sad the film leaves the viewer appreciative of what's really important in life.
Living, a drama movie starring Bill Nighy, Aimee Lou Wood, and Alex Sharp is available to stream now. Watch it on hoopla Digital, Netflix, Prime Video, Fandango at Home or Apple TV on your Roku device.
What's a film synopsis? A film synopsis is typically a one-page document that summarizes your film. It contains the film's title, genre, logline (a one-sentence summary), and a five-paragraph explanation of the film's storyline, major plot points, and key characters.
