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Freda Dowie, Pete Postlethwaite, Angela Walsh, Dean Williams, Lorraine Ashbourne ... see more see more... , Debi Jones , Marie Jelliman , Sally Davies , Nathan Walsh , Susan Flanagan , Michael Starke , Vincent MaGuire , Antonia Mallen , Chris Darwin , Andrew Schofield , Anne Dyson , Chris Benson , Jean Boht , Carl Chase , Roy Ford , Judith Barker , Alan Bird , Ina Clough , Frances Dell , Matthew Long , Terry Melia , Lorraine Michaels , John Michie , Jeanette Moseley , Pauline Quirke , John Thomalla , John Carr

Set in 1940s England, Distant Voices/Still Lives is a compassionate look at a radically dysfunctional family. The son and his mother must endure the casual and overt cruelties of the bull-necked fathe... read more read more...r. The ongoing abuse takes its toll in the form of failed marriages and misguided attempts at seeking security outside the family unit. As was the case with his earlier short subject trilogy (The Children, Madonna and Child, Death and Transfiguration), director Terence Davies based much of the material on his own life, combining rheumy-eyed cynicism with soft-edged nostalgia (the musical track, drawn from popular wartime songs, is particularly evocative). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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88% liked it

734 ratings

Critics

87% liked it

15 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 27 min.

Directed by: Terence Davies

Release Date: September 11, 1988

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Flixster Reviews (77)

  • matertenebraum
    February 10, 2011
    matertenebraum
    Terence Davis moving, harrowing and elegantly artistic masterpiece is one of the few Britsh films of recent years to embody a distinctly British identity. The plot involves a family wedding in working class Liverpool just after the second world war and the various episodes in the... read more family's past dealing with their sometimes brutal and disturbed father. The beauty of the film lies in the deeply artistic composition of various shots, coupled with Davis' enduring compassion and understanding for the chararcters, especially the father played brilliantly by Pete Postlethwaite. It is an incredible evocation of family life and even though at times it makes for hard viewing, this is a film that must be seen.
  • littlecharmer1959
    January 26, 2009
    littlecharmer1959
    Terence Davies's autobiographical film of working-class life in 1940s/50s Liverpool.
    A brilliant, emotional and powerful film full of great acting. The story is told through memories and switches between childhood and adulthood.
    Unique and highly recommended.
  • columbiatch
    January 15, 2009
    columbiatch
    Poetic, evocative and enormously affecting, Davies's autobiographical film is one of the most formally fascinating films I've seen. The atemporal narrative is reminiscent of The Mirror and the shots of empty hallways as well as the shot-reverse-shot sequences of characters lookin... read moreg directly at the camera evokes Ozu. The ghostly voiceovers recalls Duras' India Song.

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Critic Reviews

Amber Wilkinson
December 7, 2007
Amber Wilkinson, Eye for Film

A rich tapestry, which delves into how our reminiscences work. Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
May 21, 2007
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Brilliant, unique and poignant autobiographical drama. Full Review

April 20, 2007
Daily Telegraph

It appears impossibly mannered, a cross between knock-off Dennis Potter and an episode of Bread. Full Review

Andrew Pulver
April 20, 2007
Andrew Pulver, Guardian [UK]

This film is a masterpiece. Full Review

Ian Johns
April 20, 2007
Ian Johns, Times [UK]

If there's such a thing as anthropological poetry, this is it. Full Review

David Parkinson
April 20, 2007
David Parkinson, Empire Magazine

Exposing the bleak reality of a supposedly more innocent time, this inspired blend of musical and melodrama succeeds in being both fond and forlorn, artistic and authentic. Full Review

Stella Papamichael
April 17, 2007
Stella Papamichael, BBC

Truly evocative. Full Review

Fernando F. Croce
June 4, 2006
Fernando F. Croce, Slant Magazine

Not the least among its achievements, Terence Davies's wondrous Distant Voices, Still Lives offers a crystallization of the appeal of the musical. Full Review

Dave Calhoun
January 26, 2006
Dave Calhoun, Time Out

Davies is unflinching in his hunt for truth and full of nothing but love and understanding for his characters. Full Review

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
August 28, 2004
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice

A fine film revolving around the memories of a working-class family. Full Review

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