SIFF Sighting: STILL LIFE (Drama; United Kingdom)

John May (Eddie Marsan) lives a solitary life, quietly going about his business as a government worker tasked with finding the loved ones of the recently deceased.

He takes great care to honor each of the dead: He plans funerals (though sometimes he's the only one in attendance); saves cremains longer than rules dictate just in case a friend or family member turns up; and keeps a book of photographs to memorialize those he has helped (though they'll never know).

John is a pleasant man, but doesn't appear to have any friends—and that may be why his compassion runs so deep for the loners he's helping.

When his new boss tells him that his work is too "slow," and they're downsizing him to provide a more efficient service, he just has one more case to solve before he departs.

His research leads him to meet Kelly Stoke (Joanne Froggatt), a next-of-kin who appreciates his kindness during a time of great shock and sadness. Their journey is a story in itself, twisting and turning with unexpected developments.

Eddie Marsan gives an Oscar-worthy performance as the heroic May, representing the ultimate professional in a career that not many would want. Downton Abbey's Froggatt is a welcome surprise late in the film, and their chemistry is delightful.

From the simplicity of the scenes to the hollow sets, the vibe of the film is masterfully executed by director Uberto Pasolini. The quiet pauses allow the audience time to digest the weight of confronting death while still keeping everyone engrossed in the story.

This one is not to be missed, folks.

STILL LIFE will screen at the 40th Seattle International Film Festival (fittingly) on Memorial Day, May 26. For tickets, go here.

SIFF Sighting: EVERY BLESSED DAY (drama; Italy)

Guido (Luca Marinelli) and Antonia (Thony) are a couple very much in love. He works the night shift as a porter in a hotel; she is stationed at the front desk for a rental car agency. What they want together is simple: a baby.

They make love enthusiastically and often. They test and re-test for positive results. They seek advice from friends and help from doctors. They try fertility treatments. Nothing works.

As all of this is going on, they begin to lose sight of what's magical about their connection and bond. They forget why they even want a child so badly. Their compatibility is simply a casualty of the failure that Antonia can't get past in her depths of depression.

Guido tries everything to comfort her and emphasize that whatever is preventing them from producing offspring doesn't matter as long as they have each other. But it's too sad for her, and that sadness consumes.

Their story is one that will ring true for thousands of couples who have both been successful and unsuccessful trying to start a family of their own. It will also feel familiar to couples who have endured painful breakups as a result of one key thing they can't get past.

In the midst of this scenario, both of the characters are quite likable and sympathy will come easy for their situation.

It unfortunately represents a slice of life that is all too common.

EVERY BLESSED DAY will screen at the 39th Annual Seattle International Film Festival on May 20  & 30. For tickets, click here.

Cinebanter #97 - THE AMERICAN

The mp3 of this show can be found here.

In this episode, Michael and Tassoula admire the Italian landscapes as they review Anton Corbijn's THE AMERICAN. In the Last Five®, Michael enjoys a comedy that Tassoula recommended, while Tassoula gets angry at a current documentary. Then, the hosts respond to two Listener Last Fives from two different continents. The breakdown is as follows:

• 00:00 Intro
• 00:32 Discussion of THE AMERICAN
• Break
• 17:16 To Sum It Up
• Break
• 18:12 The Last Five®
• Break
• 45:24 Listener Last Fives (Miss Piggy in Germany and Peter in Virginia)
• 1:03:31 Credits & Outtakes

Michael's Last Five in this episode were: THE TILLMAN STORY, GOING THE DISTANCE, SUGAR, THE OTHER GUYS and TERMINATOR SALVATION. Tassoula's Last Five were: THE LAST EXORCISM, CAIRO TIME, BLUE STATE, A HARD DAY'S NIGHT, I'M STILL HERE.

Want to donate to the show and help with production costs, server fees, etc.? Click on the "Make a Donation" button to the left of this blog.

Special thanks to Brad Daane and Mark Cummins for providing the original music in this episode.

Tassoula has reviews, musings and movie-related product links at Tassoula's Movie Review Blog.

Reviews and/or notes of every movie Michael sees can be found at his MichaelVox website.

Feedback is always welcome - you may leave comments here or e-mail the hosts at cinebanter@gmail.com.

We hope you enjoy the show!