Top 20 Films of 2008: #4 Still Life

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  Top 20 ioncinema.com

#4. I caught this early-in-the-year-film-release at the very end of the year and I’m almost ashamed that I didn’t the Venice Golden Lion sooner. Truth is, I consider myself a fan of
Jia Zhang-ke‘s work despite having only seen a pair of his films from a filmography that must be at a five or six count. I love how the frame sometimes trails off into the distance, I love how the filmmaker inserts a little wry humor confirming that life is a series of banal moments shared with strangers, and the parallel storylines which feature themes of search and abandonment.

 
Eric Lavallée
Eric Lavalléehttps://www.ericlavallee.com
Eric Lavallée is the founder, CEO, editor-in-chief, film journalist, and critic at IONCINEMA.com, established in 2000. A regular at Sundance, Cannes, and Venice, Eric holds a BFA in film studies from the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema. In 2013, he served on the narrative competition jury at the SXSW Film Festival. He was an associate producer on Mark Jackson’s "This Teacher" (2018 LA Film Festival, 2018 BFI London). He is a Golden Globes Voter, member of the ICS (International Cinephile Society) and AQCC (Association québécoise des critiques de cinéma).

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