One of my favorite films at this year’s Sundance Film Festival was directorOliver Hermanus’Living. Based on theAkira KurosawafilmIkiru, the reimagined version was written by Nobel Prize and Booker Prize winning novelistKazuo Ishiguroand produced byStephen Woolley. LikeIkiru,Livingfocuses on a veteran civil servant (Bill Nighy) who’s been doing the same job for decades and has been living on autopilot for many years. But when he’s given a terminal medical diagnosis, he decides, after watching and becoming friends with a young woman (Aimee Lou Wood) who once worked under his supervision, to turn the page on his lonely and empty existence and work towards creating something for the next generation. Led by Nighy’s tremendous performance, and exceptional direction by Hermanus, I can’t recommend the film enough.Livingalso starsAlex SharpandTom Burke.
Shortly after seeing the film, I had the chance to speak with Bill Nighy. During the fun conversation, Nighy talked about how the project happened (which involved a late-night dinner and some drinks), why he loved Kazuo Ishiguro’s script, what it was like filming the scene where he had to sing and then break down emotionally in the middle of the song, how he prepares for a tough scene, what people would be surprised to learn about the making ofLiving, and more. In addition, he talked about when he knew he wanted to be an actor, the visual effects on Davy Jones in thePirates of the Caribbeanmovies, and why he loves working withRichard Curtis.
Finally, Sony Pictures Classics announced today that they have acquired the rights toLivingin North America, so I’d imagine they will release the film later this year in award season. In the press release they said:
“From the dazzling screenplay by Ishiguro, to the visual storytelling by Oliver Hermanus, to the spectacular performances led by Bill Nighy, to the evocative score and the perfection of the movie‘s design and costumes, Living is that overwhelming, emotional movie audiences are hungering for in their return to theaters. We are thrilled to embark on this adventure with these artists and our producer friends Stephen Woolley, Liz Karlsen, Daniel Battsek, and Rocket Science.”
Watch what Bill Nighy had to say in the player above, and below is exactly what we talked about.
