Drama

Music

Distant Voices, Still Lives

Film Four International

United Kingdom

English

Freda Dowie

Pete Postlethwaite

Angela Walsh

Lorraine Ashbourne

Dean Williams

Sally Davies

Susan Flanagan

Nathan Walsh

Michael Starke

Debi Jones

Vincent Maguire

Marie Jelliman

Antonia Mallen

Anne Dyson

Jean Boht

Chris Darwin

Andrew Schofield

Pauline Quirke

Carl Chase

Alan Bird

Matthew Long

Frances Dell

Roy Ford

Terry Melia

John Thomalla

John Carr

John Michie

Jeanette Moseley

Ina Clough

Bill Moores

George Moss

Terence Davies

Colin Nicolson

William Diver

Patrick Duval

Priscilla John

Elizabeth Moss

Jocelyn James

Jenny Shircore

Monica Howe

Jan Archibald

Geraldine Jones

Lesley Sanders

Aileen Seaton

Jennifer Howarth

Colin MacCabe

CinemaSerf

This film is a little like an LP. It has two distinct sides. One "Distant Voices" focuses on just what makes the father of a small family tick. Two - "Still Lives" dwells more on the lives of the children. Unlike on the vinyl though, once we are on that side of the record there are no tracks. The story flits about with a non-consistent chronology to bring us the happy, the sad, the brutal and the gentle and it really does showcase well the acting talents of Pete Postlethwaite as the father. A man of the times, who treats women with scant regard. Not, perhaps, because he is inherently cruel or nasty, but because he knows no better? Even his wife (a strong, if sparing, contribution from Freda Dowie) has to tread on eggshells much of the time. There are three children - "Eileen" (Angela Walsh); "Maisie" (Lorraine Ashbourne) and "Tony" (Dean Williams) and their lives, loves and wartime experiences feature potently in the second stage of this drama that tells us much about the societal influences - and expectations - of families, of men, of soldiers and it's quite thought-provoking. It's about love, too, but not in much of a sentimental manner. Relationships have to have a gritty, pragmatic, aspect to them - and it falls to the youngsters to try and change these entrenchments from varying degrees of success and happiness themselves. There is very little dialogue, here. Most of the narrative relies on the glorious photography and the use of contemporaneous songs from the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Johnny Mercer and some beautifully performed choral works that prove to be truly effective at setting and maintaining a sense of the struggles and joys of this working-class, sometimes unpromising, existence. It's certainly well worth a watch - a few times, I'd say.

4K Re-Release Trailer

Mark Kermode reviews Distant Voices, Still Lives

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Distant Voices, Still Lives

Cast & Crew

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Cast

Freda Dowie

Pete Postlethwaite

Angela Walsh

Lorraine Ashbourne

Dean Williams

Sally Davies

Susan Flanagan

Nathan Walsh

Michael Starke

Debi Jones

Box office

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