The protagonists of Still Time are Dante and Alice, a close-knit couple in love. She is an artist, painter and illustrator; he works for an insurance company and manages to devote very little time to her. Even on his birthday, when Alice has prepared a surprise party for him with all his friends, Dante arrives late because he has other things to do. When he wakes up the following day, he realizes it has been a year. And another will pass the next day. And the day after that. Because time is precious, but it is easy to let it slip through your fingers.
Alessandro Aronadio is a director and screenwriter who knows how to deal with genres, comedy in particular, which, however, is never a seld-seeking exercise but is a tool to unhinge important existential themes. Orecchie and Io c’è are both proofs. Still Time is the third clue, a nonexistent remake, because of the original Australian film from which it is based, Long Story Short, only the basic idea remains.
Aronadio rewrites everything by making it his own film.
Through the story of the protagonist couple, he talks about a subject that may seem trivial but is actually trivialized by ourselves daily. Time and how to use it. To find oneself one-day regretting moments one did not experience because there were seemingly more important things to do. Because so much of it is wasted or used in the wrong way or with the wrong people.
Through the simplest of subterfuges, because there is no need to make something impossible complicated, Still Time tells the story of a man who did not give time its proper importance, a contemporary Christmas Carol interwoven with a romantic comedy structure worthy of the best Richard Curtis (who is a proudly stated source of inspiration).
But like all self-respecting comedies, there is much more. Amidst the laughter and smiles lurks drama, loss, and remorse, with some situations bordering on horror, that fear that comes from those who are staring at the abyss and are as drawn to it as terrified.
Still Time is a complex film made simple by careful writing, dry but rich direction and refined narrative choices, from focal points to frame composition. And enhanced by a near-perfect lead pair. Barbara Ronchi is increasingly a magnificent actress who holds the stage with the lightness of Audrey Hepburn and the spirit of Buster Keaton. Edoardo Leo fully immerses himself in the character of Dante, giving him depth throughout the film with measure and choosing the correct times of a wide range of emotions, from fear to pain to sudden joy.
Still Time is a “feel good” movie.
And it is also valuable because it reconnects the viewer with many essential priorities. And, more prosaically, because it is a perfect product for generating positive word-of-mouth. Because the time one spends watching a good movie enriches the soul and mind.