classicsoncall Review of Stillwater

Stillwater (2021)

"The last thing you want is to give your daughter false hope."

[7/10 · 5 May 2024]

I was really stunned by the movie's ending. Not so much by the reopening of the case based on the DNA evidence Bill Baker (Matt Damon) entrusted to a retired French policeman, but to the culpability of Bill's daughter (Abigail Breslin) in the death of her roommate and lover. Yes, technically she might have been innocent, but even if she meant for Akim (Idir Azougli) to throw a scare into the roommate, it seems to me that living with that guilt and remorse would have outweighed her profession of innocence. You could tell Bill Baker was deflated by Akim's utterance of the Stillwater necklace given to him by Allison. At that point, Bill might have considered that Akim was lying in order to be set free from the basement, but the effect on him was palpable. When the truth came out there was disappointment, even if the love for his daughter merited the sacrifice he endured with French authorities and the opaque legal system he encountered. I felt bad that Bill's actions destroyed his relationship with Virginie (Camille Cottin) and especially her daughter Maya (Lilou Siauvaud). Real life consequences and the sobering impact of the truth marred what could have potentially been a happy ending.