{"id":23258,"date":"2021-07-29T11:08:49","date_gmt":"2021-07-29T18:08:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=23258"},"modified":"2021-07-29T11:08:49","modified_gmt":"2021-07-29T18:08:49","slug":"stillwater-makes-a-lasting-impression","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=23258","title":{"rendered":"STILLWATER Makes a Lasting Impression"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/24_0009_B-merged.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14439\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>This film from Focus Features opens in cinemas on Friday,\nJuly 30<sup>th<\/sup>. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over the years, there have been plenty of movies about\nfamily members giving their all to try and prove a loved one innocent of a\ncrime. In many of these stories, the leads take extreme measures to try and uncover\nthe truth. By definition, \u201cStillwater\u201d is one these films, but this tale is\nhandled differently from others of its ilk. This character-focused drama takes focuses\non the characters and takes many unique turns along the way, asking questions\nof its protagonist and addressing bigger themes in the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Stillwater-06-fixed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-23259\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bill Baker (Matt Damon) is an Oklahoma oil-rig roughneck\nwith a sketchy history. However, his focus has turned to helping his estranged\ndaughter, Allison (Abigail Breslin). After traveling to France, it is revealed\nthat she has been arrested and sentenced to prison in Marseille for murdering\nher partner. Allison insists that the responsible party was must have been a\nfigure whom she and her girlfriend met at a party. When legal all avenues fail,\nBill decides to hunt down the mysterious figure himself. He doesn\u2019t speak the\nlanguage, but is taken in by a kind local named Virginie (Camille Cottin) and\nher young daughter, Maya (Lilou Siauvaud). As his search begins to stall, the\nprotagonist finds himself making a new start with his hosts. However, when a\nlead develops, Bill is faced with the dilemma of whether to continue in his\npursuit or leave the job to authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Stillwater-05-fixed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-23260\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the story isn\u2019t unusual, writer\/director Tom McCarthy\n(\u201cSpotlight\u201d, \u201cWin Win\u201d) handles the material with far more complexity than most\nHollywood dramas. Initially, the film addresses the lead\u2019s difficulty\ncommunicating with residents, as well as with his own daughter. Bill\u2019s\ndetermination and impulsive mindset is in some respects relatable. There are\nalso some interesting exchanges between the protagonist and Allison, who\nbecomes infuriated by her dad\u2019s independent efforts to find the responsible\nparty. His actions also lead to an intriguing conversation about the flaws in\nthe family character and how the best of intentions can sometimes lead one down\na dark path. But as he spends more time with Virginie and Maya, we begin to see\na more thoughtful and considerate figure emerge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Obviously, this narrative does not want to make a mockery of legal processes in other countries or show the protagonist getting the job done easily. Instead, the methods his employs are frequently blunt and ineffective. The lead finds himself in grave danger because of some lunkheaded actions. And as he ultimately gets closer to the person he is targeting, his acts threaten not only his daughter\u2019s potential case, but his new life in France. As things take an even more extreme turn in the latter third, the movie builds on these ideas and maintains a great deal of tension. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Stillwater-04.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-23261\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The climax and resolution don\u2019t disappoint either. While it\nmay not shock all viewers, there are some interesting twists as some of the\nprimary relationships are forever changed. It seems that there is always a\npersonal cost to the decisions made and this drama isn\u2019t afraid to examine them\nin detail. Naturally, as one might have guessed by now, a bigger metaphorical\nmessage eventually looms over the film about the detrimental and destructive effects\nof an American entering a foreign nation and aggressively intervening in their law\nand regulations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The somber approach, serious tone and final message may not\nplease all viewers, but it drew this viewer in. Additionally, the performances and\nrelationships on display have a believable and authentic feel. And this is also\na story that, by the close, delivers plenty of food for thought. \u201cStillwater\u201d ultimately\nstands as a unique and enlightening drama and will make a lasting impression to\nthose looking for a little more meat in their crime pictures.&nbsp; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This film from Focus Features opens in cinemas on Friday, July 30th. Over the years, there have been plenty of movies about family members giving their all to try and prove a loved one innocent of a crime. In many of these stories, the leads take extreme measures to try and uncover the truth. By [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":23262,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[206,647,3798,4910,6251,7699,7700,7798,13291,13424,19115,19116,19117,19118,23027],"class_list":["post-23258","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-movie-reviews","tag-206","tag-abigail-breslin","tag-camille-cottin","tag-crime","tag-drama","tag-focus","tag-focus-features","tag-france","tag-marseille","tag-matt-damon","tag-stillwater","tag-stillwater-film-review","tag-stillwater-movie-review","tag-stillwater-review","tag-tom-mccarthy"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23258","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=23258"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23258\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23258"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23258"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23258"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}