Still Bill (2010)

Thanks for the memories!

Sadly Over-hyped

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

I saw this in a New York independent film theater when it was first released. I knew Bill Wither's hit songs of era but knew nothing of his private life. He comes across in this doc as a laid back southern gentleman. He left the music business, seemingly by choice. He is content to spend time with his family and occasionally dabble in making music when the mood hits him. Some of the best moments show him visiting his old home town in West Virginia and reminiscing with a childhood friend. A funny scene shows him talking about his job making toilets for 747s, which he speaks about with as much pride as he did his songwriting. What is refreshing about this is that he seems to be saying take pride in your work no matter what. There is an encounter with Dr Cornell West and Tavis Smiley, two black commentators and activists. They try to get Withers to talk about not "selling out", but Bill will have none of that, he just says even if you own a furniture store, the best sign you can have is "Sold Out". Withers also mentions that women did not find him handsome until he became famous, he wasn't able to get women while making 3 dollars a hour! Withers reveals he was a stutterer when he was young, and there is a moving sequence where he speaks to children with the same problem. There is later a wonderful scene where his daughter sings a hypnotic blues song she composed herself, she clearly inherited his musical talent and has a lovely voice. By this time, we are wondering if we will get to hear Withers himself sing again, and the last scenes finally show him on stage at a tribute where he gives us his classic "Grandma's Hands"Definitely a must see for anyone interested in 70's music and if you want to see a nice guy not finish last for once.

"Still Bill" is pretty straightforward and to the point. Taking its title from Bill Withers' second album, this documentary builds a subtle, deeply human portrayal of an incredibly wise and honest individual. By the time the film ends, you feel as if you've walked beside the man, seen and felt everything that ever really meant something to him. Bill feels at home with the camera. Not in the sense that he plays to it, but in the way he approaches it without so much as acknowledging its presence. "Still Bill" leaves you with a sense of pure observation. You're walking with him, sitting there and talking with him, and listening to him speak. This film is perfect for what it is.

I'll make it short and simple: If you want to watch a well done documentary, you've come to the right place. This film is very delicately crafted and grades highly on many aspects. First of all, the soundtrack of the movie is, as expected, simply beautiful. As a musician myself, I can only admire some of the scenes where you can just see the pure talent Bill possesses. Asides from that, it is an inspiring film about the human nature and the struggling journey of one individual through life, seeking recognition and later on - knowing just when to stop. I didn't know Bill Withers' biography prior to watching this and was very intrigued to learn about his life and insights (lets just say that he was a very very late bloomer). I give it a 9 out of 10, if only because it was such a delightful surprise, as I didn't know what to expect.

There is plenty of sunshine when this film is on. We have all heard his music, no matter what age you are, and sing along to his songs. This film is about the life of 70's musician, Bill Withers. I really loved this film because it gives a history of this mans life. In other words, its not all about his music. But more about the after math of a successful music career gone limp after a few years. The film captures Bill as he is now and then takes you back to when he was most famous. Sting makes a guest appearance in the film. Sting is always nice to see. I really liked the archival footage. I felt like the images really took me back to the moments of the 70's/80's. I mostly liked watching the way Bill interacted with his daughter who, by the way, is a talented singer like her dad. Still Bill is clean fun and such an important film to see because singers from his time will not be around forever.