What a wonderful film! Even with an expected yet sudden death of a principal character, the story is more life affirming than tragic, though it's bound to have your eyes welling up from time to time. I admire what the filmmakers did here, reworking Akira Kurosawa's "Ikuru" at nearly two and a half hours by trimming it down to the essential story in a little over an hour and a half. It involves an elderly man in a bureaucratic position at a County Hall in England who learns he has cancer and is given between six and nine months to live. Seen at his job, Mr. Williams (Bill Nighy) and his staff are caught up in a routine pattern of shuffling paperwork to other departments, only to have much of their forms and letters return to the point of origin. It can be disheartening for those making legitimate requests, as in the case of three women who become determined to convert an unkempt and dangerous part of the city into a children's playground. After Williams learns of his condition, he tries to take a new approach to life with the little bit of time he has left, but after spending a night on the town with a new found acquaintance (Tom Burke), he finds it isn't enough, and becomes resolute in making things happen at his job.
What struck me most about Kurosawa's version was his acknowledgment of the strangling bureaucracy in government seventy years ago. While for most anyone today, the paper shuffling and lack of accomplishment in government bureaucracy is virtually expected. In "Living", Williams resolves to get the playground project moved from his 'in box' holding pattern and on its way through the various departments needed to attain approval of the project. Unwilling to accept further delays, he stations himself in offices as long as it takes to get sign-offs on the playground, and is not above begging a final approval from the top bureaucrat in the county hierarchy. With his passing, those in his orbit acknowledge his effectiveness, while his own son (Barney Fishwick) laments the fact that his father never shared his condition with him. That was saved for young Margaret Harris (Aimee Lou Wood), who spent a short time working in Williams' department; her lively outlook on life helped him reorient his own viewpoint during his final days.
I really wish this film would gain more attention by the general public. While Oscar nominated films like "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" and "Avatar: The Way of Water" measure their viewership in the hundreds of thousands here on IMDb, a film like "Living" has only managed to attract less than four thousand (as I write this). That's kind of a shame really, and demonstrates that real quality in story telling is easily overshadowed by flashy CGI and unremitting action set pieces. For anyone who wants to enjoy and be moved by a heartwarming and life affirming story, this one is definitely a must see.
What struck me most about Kurosawa's version was his acknowledgment of the strangling bureaucracy in government seventy years ago. While for most anyone today, the paper shuffling and lack of accomplishment in government bureaucracy is virtually expected. In "Living", Williams resolves to get the playground project moved from his 'in box' holding pattern and on its way through the various departments needed to attain approval of the project. Unwilling to accept further delays, he stations himself in offices as long as it takes to get sign-offs on the playground, and is not above begging a final approval from the top bureaucrat in the county hierarchy. With his passing, those in his orbit acknowledge his effectiveness, while his own son (Barney Fishwick) laments the fact that his father never shared his condition with him. That was saved for young Margaret Harris (Aimee Lou Wood), who spent a short time working in Williams' department; her lively outlook on life helped him reorient his own viewpoint during his final days.
I really wish this film would gain more attention by the general public. While Oscar nominated films like "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" and "Avatar: The Way of Water" measure their viewership in the hundreds of thousands here on IMDb, a film like "Living" has only managed to attract less than four thousand (as I write this). That's kind of a shame really, and demonstrates that real quality in story telling is easily overshadowed by flashy CGI and unremitting action set pieces. For anyone who wants to enjoy and be moved by a heartwarming and life affirming story, this one is definitely a must see.