‘ It’s never too late to start.’ This sums up the underlying message from the lovely but bittersweet film – Living, starring beloved actor, Bill Nighy. This film was nominated for a best actor and best adapted screenplay at the Oscars and it is easy to see why. Its themes are universal and will tug at the heart strings of the most life hardened human. Nighy plays the role of his career as the staid and stiff upper lip British civil servant in this post war drama.
She Society were lucky enough to attend a full house screening of this fabulous film at the Palace Barracks here in Brisbane and I’m sure everyone was sad but a little uplifted by the end of the film. I know it certainly encouraged this writer to keep living her best life. Our time on earth is finite and our legacy will be the memories people carry in their hearts.
Living has been adapted from Akira Isogawa’s 1952 film Ikuru (To Live). The screenplay was developed by Nobel Laureate, Kazuo Ishiguro and it shows. It is a sad film, but there are moments of quiet, of pure joy and wry humour. It’s set in 1953 in a Britain just recovering from war and shows the British character of the time. Coming from an English mother I feel I know these characters well. The costumes are magnificent, as was the setting which had me immediately booking my trip to London.
Bill Nighy plays the main character, Mr Williams, a senior civil servant who lives with his grown up son and his son’s wife. Mr Williams lives an orderly and predictable life until he is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Much to the puzzlement of his colleagues he disappears from his office where he has slogged away day in and day out for most of his life.
What he has really done is to try and start living. Encounters with a playwright played superbly by Tom Burke, who you might know as Cormoran Strike from the C. B. Strike series and a platonic , but still scandalous friendship with the vibrant Margaret (Aimee Lou Wood), who once worked in his office, give him a glimpse into a different life, a more joyful life , one that he might embrace with the time he has left.
A standout for me was the affable young clerk, Mr Wakeley, played by Alex Sharp, who recognises himself in Mr Williams and determines to find a way not to trudge the same path. Sharp’s character lightened the mood with his wonder and affability. It was the perfect foil for Nighy’s staid and lonely character.
The story takes a sharp turn in the latter half and we see the real Mr Williams through the eyes of others: his kindness, determination and tenacity in the time he has left and in the memories and achievements he has left behind. One hopes it does not take a terminal illness for us to make our mark and begin living, but this film reminds us of what is important in life.
Living is not a fast paced blockbuster but a pitch perfect snapshot of life. I know it will become a classic piece of cinema and a Masterclass in the paring back of words when storytelling. Nighy will gradually draw you in with his quiet, nuanced performance. It’s an old fashioned movie but one that is just perfect for the uncertain world we are living in now. It’s about the power of small things to make a difference.This movie is one of those small, great things. Living is in cinemas from March 16.
Michelle Beesley is a Brisbane born and bred former primary school teacher. A wife, proud grandma and mother of three grown sons, Michelle is thrilled to have recently published her debut contemporary romance novel, It Happened in Paris, with Serenade Publishing. Her novella – Escape to D’ Amour was published in 2019. Michelle’s work can be found in the anthologies – Destination Romance and Short & Sweet. When not reading or writing Michelle can be found at a coffee shop chatting with friends, front row at a fashion show, or beside a rugby union field cheering on her favourite teams.
Michelle is a reluctant traveller, Francophile, keen walker and avid yoga enthusiast plus a book, film and theatre lover who loves everything pink and sparkly (including champagne). You can find Michelle on instagram @michellebeesley_writer and her website: michellebeesley.com.
Leave a Reply