Movie Forums Top 100 of the 2010s - Group Watch

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Regardless, though I found it to be a lesser-tier Von Trier film, I still found it to be a worthy nomination for this thread and I'm glad I finally watched it.
I've liked the Von Trier films I've seen. But he seems to have a certain contempt for these demented women he puts at the center of his movies. Thinking about that applied to a woman who is a sex addict? I'm just imagining a lot of degradation, possibly sexual assault, and it's just not something I want to process right now. I'm sure I'll see it at some point. I quite like the cast.



I watched Still Life.



Still Life (Uberto Pasolini, 2013)

Still Life is the tale of a meticulous man whose job it is to find the family and friends of those who have died alone, while he himself is lacking in loved ones. When he loses his job due to budget cuts and downsizing, he throws himself into one last case and, while endeavoring to understand the man who has died, he discovers more about himself.

I'd never even heard of this movie until it showed up in the 2010s Group Watch thread and, except for a single sentence describing it on IMDb, I had no idea what to expect. What I got was a very quiet meditation on loss, forgiveness, and the importance of actually living your life. It's never showy or bombastic in any way and it never feels preachy or like it takes its sentimentality to any extreme. It features a great central performance from Eddie Marsan (an impressive actor who I don't think I've seen before), excellent use of color and light, and a beautiful and effective soundtrack. A very good movie that unfortunately probably won't get my vote.




You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
I might not be able to watch Still Life within the three days deadline, but I'll try to watch it this week.
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OPEN FLOOR.



Society ennobler, last seen in Medici's Florence
...
It features a great central performance from Eddie Marsan (an impressive actor who I don't think I've seen before), excellent use of color and light, and a beautiful and effective soundtrack.
...
I'm glad you've liked the movie.

Eddie Marsan has been noticed by the big filmmakers long before this film. He's been casted in productions by Scorsese, Spielberg, Guy Ritchie to mention a few.
Another important and cult role of his is in Happy-Go-Lucky (2008).
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I watched Still Life today. I liked it, but it won't make my ballot. It's a well made film anchored by an excellent performance from Eddie Marsan. For me, it is a
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I enjoyed Still Life and am very glad it was put forth for this because almost guaranteed I wouldn’t have seen it otherwise. I don’t have a whole lot to say about it unfortunately. It’s pretty straightforward but definitely works really well on a thematic level, so it’s a nice meditation on mortality and loneliness. Maybe not recommended by yourself on a Sat night with a pint of Ben And Jerrys. Not that I have any reference for that scenario. 😀

I was excited when I saw Marsan on the poster. Recognize him from some Leigh films. He’s a very interesting character actor. He carries this whole movie really well. It’s his show and I was never bored or annoyed.

One minor misstep I wanted to point out. The film has multiple funerals and there is a point when a character, who is quite a doofus, tells our protagonist, who is the opposite of a doofus, that funerals aren’t for the dead that they are ultimately for the living. Our protagonists response is “I never thought of it like that”. Never thought of it like that? It’s the only way to think about it. Kind of a silly interaction in a movie that doesn’t really have missteps with its characters.

Good choice, glad to have seen it.



Just finished Still Life. I generally dig movies about loneliness and this one was no exception. Granted, I'd probably put it in the category of films I enjoyed thinking about later more than actually watching, but I still enjoyed it to a degree and especially liked how John's state of loneliness was similar to that of the deceased people whose cases he worked on. Perhaps why John enjoyed his job was that 'helping out' people in the same boat as him was a major part of it. I also appreciated the final act and the great closing shot. Stylistically speaking, this isn't the kind of film I could see myself watching again, nor do I think it'll make my ballot, but I still had a good time with it and I'm glad it was nominated as I might not have ever heard of it otherwise.



I enjoyed Still Life and am very glad it was put forth for this because almost guaranteed I wouldn’t have seen it otherwise. I don’t have a whole lot to say about it unfortunately. It’s pretty straightforward but definitely works really well on a thematic level, so it’s a nice meditation on mortality and loneliness. Maybe not recommended by yourself on a Sat night with a pint of Ben And Jerrys. Not that I have any reference for that scenario. 😀

I was excited when I saw Marsan on the poster. Recognize him from some Leigh films. He’s a very interesting character actor. He carries this whole movie really well. It’s his show and I was never bored or annoyed.

One minor misstep I wanted to point out. The film has multiple funerals and there is a point when a character, who is quite a doofus, tells our protagonist, who is the opposite of a doofus, that funerals aren’t for the dead that they are ultimately for the living. Our protagonists response is “I never thought of it like that”. Never thought of it like that? It’s the only way to think about it. Kind of a silly interaction in a movie that doesn’t really have missteps with its characters.

Good choice, glad to have seen it.
I saw that as being the whole point of the movie.



I saw that as being the whole point of the movie.
I guess I just felt that philosophy was coming from the wrong person. John doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would think the preservation of memory does the dead any good. I don’t know. Might be projecting my own feelings onto him.



I guess I just felt that philosophy was coming from the wrong person. John doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would think the preservation of memory does the dead any good. I don’t know. Might be projecting my own feelings onto him.
You could be right, just not how I saw it



You could be right, just not how I saw it
How did you see it? Because I was thinking later maybe I read it wrong and he just said that but didn’t really feel that way. Maybe he was being sarcastic?



I guess I just felt that philosophy was coming from the wrong person. John doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would think the preservation of memory does the dead any good. I don’t know. Might be projecting my own feelings onto him.
I think that it coming from him is very fitting. He put quite a bit of effort into getting an idea of who each person was and trying to represent them well in the funeral services he arranged, even if he was the only one in attendance. I think the photo album he kept of all those he'd served in his job and the lengths he went to find Billy Stoke's daughter and present her with the mementos from her father speak very much of his take on the preservation of memory.



I think that it coming from him is very fitting. He put quite a bit of effort into getting an idea of who each person was and trying to represent them well in the funeral services he arranged, even if he was the only one in attendance. I think the photo album he kept of all those he'd served in his job and the lengths he went to find Billy Stoke's daughter and present her with the mementos from her father speak very much of his take on the preservation of memory.
I agree, but I think he is doing that for the people who are still living, not for the dead. Like I said that could be my bringing own mentality to it though. As I’m working through it I am realizing that may be more of a Christian perspective.



Still Life (2013)




Had never heard of this before, kept expecting some dark comedy to kick in because it says drama/comedy when I Google it. Obviously that never happened. My first impression is that John is very noble and thorough with his job. Then I noticed how conservative he was, with the way he eats and how he waits for a walk signal to cross the street. And then I noticed that he has something in common with the deceased who he's trying to help, and I see that as the heart of the movie. He subtly develops different ways of doing things, including how he crosses the street. Eddie Marsan is an interesting actor, and one I always think of as somewhat awkward. That awkwardness suits the character perfectly as awkward people are more likely to be lonely. I could see the first part of the ending coming a mile away, not a bad thing since it's not a thriller. It was just fitting. The last part of the ending was a great final touch. A very good movie, it was moving but not devastatingly so. I'm glad to have watched it but I believe it will fade from my memory before long.



I agree, but I think he is doing that for the people who are still living, not for the dead. Like I said that could be my bringing own mentality to it though. As I’m working through it I am realizing that may be more of a Christian perspective.
I don't know, I'm an atheist and I firmly believe that funerals are for the living, but I feel like it's a pretty common sentiment to think they're for the dead.



I agree, but I think he is doing that for the people who are still living, not for the dead. Like I said that could be my bringing own mentality to it though. As I’m working through it I am realizing that may be more of a Christian perspective.
I thought he was completely doing everything for the deceased