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Poster for Still Life

Still Life

Seen it?

2006 | 108 min | Drama, Romance

Sunday Safe Betearly rating

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

Critics loved it (91% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had little lasting buzz. A safe bet when you want something reliable.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for romantics. If you loved Atonement, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood
Warm and romantic.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 48 min.
What might put you off
  • It's in Chinese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
  • Audiences were cooler on it than critics.

A town in Fengjie county is gradually being demolished and flooded to make way for the Three Gorges Dam. A man and woman visit the town to locate their estranged spouses, and become witness to the societal changes.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsVery strong

    91% on Rotten Tomatoes, 81 on Metacritic

  • AudiencesSolid

    7.2 out of 10

  • AwardsSolid

    Won 1 Venice award: Golden Lion.

  • Reach & staying powerSolid

    Streaming release that reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactBelow par

    About 34K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Jia Zhangke

  • Han SanmingHan Sanming
  • Zhao TaoShen Hong
  • Wang HongweiWang Dongming
  • Li ZhubinGuo Bin
  • Xiang Haiyu
  • Zhou LinBrother Mark
  • Ma LizhenMissy Ma
  • Lan Zhou
  • Huang Yong
  • Li Jinsheng