STARRING: Bill Nighy, Alex Sharp, Aimee Lou Wood
DIRECTOR: Oliver Hermanus
DURATION: 1:42
RATING: PG
The expertly realised reimagining of the masterful 1952 Akira Kurosawa film Ikiru, stars Bill Nighy in a soul-baring performance that rightfully earnt him an Oscar nomination for best actor. Filmmaker Oliver Hermanus has achieved a rare feat in crafting a quietly powerful remake from a script by prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro that only enriches the original.
Mr. Williams (Nighy) is an ordinary man, reduced by years of oppressive office routine to a shadow existence. In 1953, London shattered by WWII is still recovering and Williams is an important cog within the city’s bureaucracy as it struggles to rebuild. Buried under paperwork at the office, lonely at home, his life has long felt empty and meaningless. When Williams receives a terminal diagnosis from his doctor, he makes a supreme effort to turn his dull life into something wonderful with the help of idealistic Margaret (Aimee Lou Wood) and Peter (Alex Sharp).
In what has been praised as a ‘career-best’ performance by critics, Nighy delivers a tour de force of understatement and masterfully captures the inevitable questions as Williams ponders his mortality, his life, loves, and legacy. Having also been nominated for an Oscar and Critics Choice Award for best-adapted screenplay, LIVING tenderly readdresses the timeless message of living life to the fullest.
REVIEWS
"Bill Nighy puts in a career-best performance in an emotionally searing redo of Kurosawa’s Ikiru."
- TIME OUT
"Really quite something: a rare remake that only augments and enriches the original. For Bill Nighy, meanwhile, it feels in every sense like the role of a lifetime."
- EMPIRE MAGAZINE
"An absolutely gorgeous, heartbreaking piece of work."
- ROLLING STONE
"Tender, humane and anchored by a master-class performance from Bill Nighy."
- SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS
"The beautiful outcome in both form and spirit makes "Living" an instant classic. Get out your handkerchiefs!"
- TORONTO STAR