Living

In the new drama film Living, Bill Nighy shines on the big screen and delivers an exceptional performance of a public servant rendered apathetic by routine, stacks of paperwork, bureaucratic red tape and the monotony of oppressive office life. Staring mortality in the face, he decides to make the most of his life and injects his reclaimed passion and fire to achieve something wonderful and lasting.

A reimagining of Akira Kurosawa’s 1952 Japanese film Ikiru, Living is a captivating and moving portrait of a melancholic, lonely man who reaches the end of his years in post-World War II London. Rodney Williams (Bill Nighy) is a veteran public servant, who is moulded to become just another cog in the machinery of government. Steering a team of subordinates, Rodney plays by the rules, often sentencing citizens’ applications to paperwork purgatory – or worse – careening it to a different department only to get it back. This empty and meaningful way of life comes to a screeching halt when Rodney is given a shocking medical diagnosis prompting him to seek fulfilment.

The journey of fulfilment takes Rodney to a seaside village where he dabbles with hedonism and pleasure, taking cues from Mr. Sutherland (Tom Bourke). Returning to London, Rodney forges a bond with his former employee Margaret (Aimee Lou Wood), a young woman with aspirations and the vitality he so lacks. The path of happiness leads Rodney to enlist the help of Peter (Alex Sharp), an idealistic new recruit to his department, to convert an abandoned space into a children’s park.

Directed by Oliver Hermanus (Moffie, The Endless River), Living is a beautifully poignant film that deserves the credit it’s due. It was nominated recently for Best Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay at the 2023 Academy Awards. Much of the film’s success is due to the fascinating on-screen chemistry between Bill Nighy and Aimee Lou Wood. Nighy’s subdued yet powerful portrayal of Mr. Williams perfectly matches Aimee Lou Wood’s characterisation of bright-eyed Miss Margaret Harris. When the two share scenes, you can’t help but want more.

On the whole, Living may be considered too drab and slow for some, but if you’re a fan of the slow burn, a Japanese classic, and the gusto of Bill Nighy, then it might be the movie for you.

Living is in cinemas now.