"Stillwater" The story we need most right now, a prescription for this complex world

not giving answers to the world

conservative Americans and liberal French. A father who believes in his daughter's innocence and a daughter who cannot believe her father. Families connected by blood and pseudo-families that are not related. Support and non-support, ethics and unethics. sin and forgiveness. And The Truth and lies. The story of ``Stillwater'' is woven into countless ``reasons'' that tear apart relationships between people. If a decisive event were to occur there, human relationships would crumble, albeit fragile. However, Tom McCarthy does his best to avoid providing answers, sometimes expanding the imagination of opposing sides, and trying to connect people at the very limit.

In the first half of the article, I wrote that this work is a story of "investigation" similar to " Spotlight ." However, this story depicts a process that is the exact opposite of the previous one. In contrast to ``Spotlight,'' where The Truth is uncovered through investigation, in ``Stillwater,'' as the investigation progresses, people surrender to the complexity and ambiguity of the world. They cannot necessarily be said to The Truth, and sometimes cannot be said to be correct based on conventional wisdom. In other words, this film is a story about whether people can accept the gray areas. On the contrary, it is also a story about ``what we cannot accept.''

Therefore, this time, McCarthy maintains an equal distance from conservatives and liberals, reason and emotion, justice and evil, and maintains an attitude of looking at them calmly. He neither speaks loudly about his ideals nor despairs over social problems. When a person talks about ideals and justice, there is always a perspective that relativizes them.

“Stillwater” © 2021 Focus Features, LLC.

Cinematographer Masanobu Takayanagi uses a fixed camera and a hand-held camera, delicately controlling the height of the viewpoint to express the urban landscape and people's thoughts. This is also related to the title, but the motif of "water" that appears many times in the play is also beautiful. Additionally, Tom McArdle's editing leaves a strong impression with his ability to focus on the facial expressions of the characters while also ensuring that the lingering impressions of scenes and cuts are conveyed. Best of all, Matt Damon's performance as Bill, who is so immersed in his role that you can't really feel himself, is superb.

The title ``Stillwater'' is the name of the place in Oklahoma where Bill and his mother live, but it has a double meaning with ``still water.'' The calm, sometimes humorous brushwork of this work seems to symbolize the title. McCarthy's penetrating eye for people and storytelling that does not allow for excessive tension or relaxation are so fertile that you can't help but stare at the screen forever.

However, despite its gentle tone, this film is clearly Tom McCarthy's firm prescription for the world's growing divisions. After experiencing the thrilling suspense of ``Is my beloved daughter a murderer or an innocent?'' in today's society, where answers are urgently demanded, the story that is most needed today is felt.

[Reference materials]

“Stillwater” press materials

Text: Takatoshi Inagaki

Writer/editor/dramaturg. His writing activities span across fields such as movies, dramas, comics, theater, and art. Contributes to theater programs such as the movies ``Tenet'' and ``Joker,'' edits web media, edits exhibition catalogs, and appears on radio. Major stage works include dramaturg for PARCO's productions of ``Kengyo Yabuhara'', Tristone Entertainment's ``Shoujo Kamen'', prosthetic assistant for Kinoshita Kabuki's ``Tokaido Yotsuya Kaidan'', ``Sannin Kichizo'', ``Kanjincho'', and KUNIO's ``Greeks''. ”Literature.

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"Stillwater"

January 14, 2022, TOHO Cinemas Chante, Shibuya Cine Quinto and other nationwide releases

Distribution: Parco Universal Pictures

© 2021 Focus Features, LLC.