Living (2022)
Determined civil servant in post-war London seeks meaning after a terminal diagnosis. Ideal for fans of character-driven dramas.
Genres: Drama
Cast
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Living(2022)
Overview
London, 1953. Mr. Williams, a veteran civil servant, is an important cog within the city's bureaucracy as it struggles to rebuild in the aftermath of World War II. Buried under paperwork at the office and lonely at home, his life has long felt empty and meaningless. Then a devastating medical diagnosis forces him to take stock, and to try and grasp some fulfilment before it passes permanently beyond reach.
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Cast
Full Cast & Crew
Bill Nighy
Williams

Aimee Lou Wood
Margaret Harris

Alex Sharp
Peter Wakeling

Tom Burke
Sutherland

Adrian Rawlins
Middleton

Oliver Chris
Hart

Hubert Burton
Rusbridger

Zoe Boyle
Mrs. McMasters

Barney Fishwick
Michael

Patsy Ferran
Fiona

Michael Cochrane
Sir James

Lia Williams
Mrs. Smith

Anant Varman
Singh

Jessica Flood
Mrs. Porter

Jamie Wilkes
Talbot

Richard Cunningham
Harvey

John Mackay
Jones

Ffion Jolly
Mrs. Button

Celeste Dodwell
Mrs. Matthews

Jonathan Keeble
Doctor Matthews
Featured Comments/Tips
This is a movie that is somehow made to match the demeanor of Nighy's character. It is such a delicate film that I felt like I had to put it back in a case after finishing it. The story is extremely well-told and the last few minutes of the movie are extraordinary. I hope Nighy has many more movies left in him. Follow me at htts://IHATEBadMovies.com or facebook IHATEBadMovies
Very touching film happening in a beautiful scenery of post war England. The old, straight, a little harsh man changes himself and started to make good things after he has a knowledge he is seriously ill... The script writer is a writer! So film is very very good wrote. Perfect. Touching. Incredible.
Some would call this a slow burner, but it's more like a smolder for much of the movie. Still, it ends on a nice note and I'd highly recommend putting in the time to watch this gem. Solid acting and writing. Nice story. 8/10
"Living" is an English-language remake of Akira Kurosawa's 1952 film "Ikiru", but since I haven't seen the original myself, I can't draw a comparison. Overall, though, I definitely liked the new version. "Living" is a very sensitive and thoughtful film, with a brilliant Bill Nighy in the lead role. Especially the opening is executed perfectly by director Oliver Hermanus. You feel directly transported to 1950s England. All the important characters are quickly introduced, particularly Nighy's Mr. Williams. The intro then culminates in a very moving song performed by Nighy. It was probably one of the main reasons for his Oscar nomination. In the second and third acts, the film unfortunately loses its momentum considerably. However, because Nighy is so convincing throughout, I would call the film good even in the more boring parts. Still, I had to downgrade it a bit.
The shadow of a masterpiece is long, but the intelligent adaptation written by Kazuo Ishiguro carried out a skillful transfer to the England of the sixties, that of the striped suits for gentlemen whose lives seem like endless repetitions of the same habits. It is a version that is both enjoyable and beautifully melancholic and makes us want to return to the original film. And above all it contains one of the best performings to date by the actor like Bill Nighy who expresses so much inner emotion with a simple look.
there's something about a 4:3 aspect ratio in a film that instantly makes me like it even a little bit more; the score was beautiful, story wholesome but melancholic and sad in its own way, and truly serves as a reminder of how short life can be
It looks gorgeous but it's too close to the original. They just changed the setting.
Cinematographically fine, Nighy is good as always. Beautiful role by the charming Aimee Lou Wood. The story didn't captivate me the way I had hoped it would.
A beautiful story, told so well. And a reminder to us all to cherish every day...and to smile
Bill Nighy rarely disappoints and in Living, he gives one of his best performances. A masterfully made film.
Bill Nightly was terrific. Such the tragedy of life. It’s over just as you begin to truly appreciate how precious it is.
I didn't know the book or the first film version of the novel, so it was with neophyte eyes that I saw this film. It is a little gem of a lesson in life, in feeling, in time. From beginning to end, everything is simply true.
While it doesn’t possess Kurosawa’s bubbling rage at pointless bureaucracy, it does have Bill Nighy in a role he seems born to play. Really good whether you’ve seen Ikiru or not.
a delicately told and deeply moving story.
A lovely story, it really teaches you to live your life for a cause. It was very poignant though so beware of you are wanting to watch an 'uplifting' movie
It’s ok, but far away from the original. England doesn’t fit the story.
A bit too self-conscious and stagey for my liking, I’m afraid. More of a fable than the realist psychological trauma that I was expecting, but if that’s what you’re after it is certainly watchable. Less than the sum of its parts. Now I have to go and see Ikuru to compare and contrast I guess…
This movie is brilliant and beautiful, it is one of my best purchases movie tickets so far. The acting is amazing, blended with the music is heartbreaking, it is a guarantee recipe for crying and getting emotional. The movie isn't just about being emotional, the story is amazing with an end goal for us. [spoiler]Just do your best everyone in setting an example for others and to make their life easier, you don't need to wait till the end[/spoiler]...
Like Oxford shoes: quintessentially English, classic and flat. This remake of Ikiru (Akira Kurosawa) -- which I haven't seen, but made me think of Dolan's It's Only the End of the World -- is about a man keeping a secret. Overall, it succeeds brilliantly... in making me want to see the original.
Remake, by Kazuo Hishiguro, of a classic by Kurosawa. Pleasant, literary and melancholy, probably the original needs to be watched before it is possible to have a final say here.
Featured User Reviews

This is one of the better “quiet” movies, as I call them, that I have watched in a long time. Bill Nighy seems to excel in restrained roles, where he speaks quietly and shows emotion subtly. I am thinking especially of The Girl in the Cafe, where he oddly enough also plays a civil servant. Nighu is wonderful and methodical (in a good way) as a man who is thawing out from a repetitious, paralyzed life after he receives life-altering news. He even impresses when he sings a song in the same quiet, restrained manner. A flashback is applied in an odd way nearer the end of the movie, but it works as an imaginative way to fill in the details of the ending. I fully expect to watch this again.

Now I am not usually a particular fan of Bill Nighy but in this he is very much at the top of his game. An adaptation of Kurosawa's "Ikuru" (1952), the setting is shifted to London where Nighy is the fastidious "Mr. Williams". A local civil servant heading up the public works department of the London County Council. His small team has some new blood in the form of "Mr. Wakeling" (Alex Sharp) whose baptism in the department is to accompany three ladies (and the audience) on a revelative journey through the pillar-to-post red tape that "Williams" himself facilitates - all guaranteeing that very little actually ever gets done! Leaving early one day, we discover that this erstwhile precise and predictable individual is seriously ill. Unable and/or unwilling to divulge this information to his son, he absconds to the seaside where he encounters "Sutherland" (Tom Burke) who gives him a relaxing tour of the local hotspots before he return to London and happens upon one of his team "Miss Harris" (Aimee Lou Wood). A posh luncheon ensues and the elderly gent and his young colleague start to bond. This bond soon has - unbeknown to either of them - tongues wagging, but when she gets a new job he finds himself drawn to her. Drawn to her joie de vivre and general enthusiasm for a life he knows he will not have for too much longer. That becomes contagious as he decides to apply himself, and his team, to achieving at least one more thing in a professional capacity! It is a gently paced and evocative story that deals with that sense of re-prioritisation faced by anyone when faced with a profound change in circumstances. Nighy has a delightfully understated manner to his performance here, Wood is also effective as his increasingly valuable confidente and Oliver Hermanus manages to retain much of the charm and subtly potent impetus of the original Ishiguro story. It is beautifully scored by Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch who incorporates original and powerful themes with established classical ones. The costumes and overall aesthetic of the film complements well the classy and impressive performances that resonated in quite a thought-provoking, and multi-layered fashion as I watched it. I was engaged by this from start to finish and I really quite enjoyed it.

"I don't have time to get angry." I was weary going in since I loved the original 1953 movie, but I thought the remake was good. With this being an English remake, it feels like the plot beats of the original, but I think it mirrors the similarity of obsession in different cultures. I think the British setting does serve a purpose with society's rules for men in the workplace, the gender roles, clocking in, clocking out, and then starting again. Every man in this movie wears an almost identical suit and business hat, all blending in together, fitting a dress code for working men. The pressure of making a living to stay a life, provide for loved ones, serve a business that will easily replace you, and keep a roof over your head rather than live. To live a life without having no thoughts, no feelings, or just not taking it all in, you're a walking zombie. But that's what I got from it. Bill Nighy is fantastic. He makes it look so effortless. He does so little, and yet it's so much more. There were plenty of times during the movie I thought to myself, "Man, Bill Nighy is so brilliant." The scenes between him and Aimee Lou Wood, who is also fantastic, were so sweet and playful. Her character does ignite his inner youth again. It's the rare special moments you get in life. It's very 1950s Britain, but I like the way it looks. All the colours are a bit muted but weirdly still colourful and stick out. The score was used appropriately, the production/costume design looked superb, and the cinematography was great. And yes, I cried. It's a sad movie but not to the point where it gets depressing. This movie (and the original) is more than sadness but hopefully to inspire others to start living, to take notice of what's around you, and make the most of the little time we got. The atmosphere in the room when the movie ended was unusual. Everyone was silent, and not many got up to leave. It struck the audience at the core and made everyone reflect a bit. I could feel it in the air. That's what cinema is all about. It's been a while since we had that.
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