Still Bill

2010 "You know the music. Now meet the man."
7.7| 1h18m| en
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STILL BILL is an intimate portrait of soul legend Bill Withers, best known for his classics “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “Lean On Me,” “Lovely Day,” “Grandma’s Hands,” and “Just the Two of Us.” With his soulful delivery and warm, heartfelt sincerity, Withers has written the songs that have – and always will – resonate deeply within the fabric of our times. Filmmakers Damani Baker and Alex Vlack follow Withers and offer a unique and rare look inside the world of this fascinating man. Through concert footage, journeys to his birthplace, interviews with music legends, his family and closest friends, STILL BILL presents the story of an artist who has written some of the most beloved songs in our time and who truly understands the heart and soul of a man.

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Reviews

Catangro After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.
Ava-Grace Willis Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.
Patience Watson One of those movie experiences that is so good it makes you realize you've been grading everything else on a curve.
Edwin The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.
beresfordjd This guy, Bill Withers, is an example of how to be happy with yourself and your life. He is serene, content and relaxed with who and what he is and his place in popular culture. he has written a few absolutely classic popular songs and seems unaware of just how good he is and they are. He imparts a lesson to his contemporaries and his admirers of how to conduct a career. Do good work and sit back and relax about it. His modesty is in no way false or disingenuous , it is just the way he is. Withers is the genuine article and he comes across as someone you would like to spend time with given the chance. He seems incredibly wise and in tune with himself. His assessment of the "suits" he encountered when he went looking for a record deal is straight to the point and razor-sharp accurate. I love that he has a low-key but comfortable life due to the superb catalogue of great songs with which he has graced the world. This is one of the best documentaries about a musician and his life I have seen.
Michael_Elliott Still Bill (2009) *** (out of 4) Candid documentary about soul singer Bill Weather's who is best known today for the classics "Lean on Me" and "Ain't No Sunshine" but just as his career was taking off he decided to leave the business and take care of his family. This is a pretty fascinating documentary on many levels but the biggest is probably just the fact that everyone knows a song like "Lean on Me" yet they might not realize who sings it or whatever happened to him. This documentary runs 78-minutes and it really tries to explain what Withers has been up to in the twenty-three years since his last album. Withers discusses why he walked away from the business, the issues he had being popular and we also learn some darker things including his work with stuttering children, which he was one of when he was younger. In the film's most touching moment Withers is being honored for his work with stuttering kids and he finally breakdowns, which is extremely heartfelt and especially his message for the kids. We also deal with his music as he explains what he has been up to all these years and we also hear from his daughter who herself was trying to get into music. The cameras are also there as Withers plans on getting back in the studio for a Spanish song. Fans of Withers are certainly going to enjoy seeing this look at his life because you really do get a great idea of who the man is and it's clear that he has a certain integrity that would be hard to find in the business. The way he just walked away from the money and spotlight because he didn't have anything to say can be greatly admired as is the work he does for those who suffered as he did as a child. We get clips from live performances, TV shows as well as a tribute concert. STILL BILL still leaves a few questions unanswered and at times it goes slightly off the rails but this is still an impressive film worth watching.
runamokprods Delightful, short, but insightful documentary about the great 70s and 80s R+B icon Bill Withers, who wrote and sang such great hits as 'Ain't No Sunshine' and 'Lean on Me'. It's a portrait of a wonderfully strong yet gentle and likable man, who refused to bend to record company creative demands, even though it might have cost him fame and money, and who simply walked away from the music business when it was no longer something he wanted to deal with.Now at age 70, he dispenses wonderfully wise and witty aphorisms, and still works on music, but for himself, not the world. He's also open enough to question whether his lack of ambition is a good or bad thing – although on evidence he seems about as happy and well adjusted a man as you could find, loving his family, helping stuttering kids (he suffered with the same problem through much of his early life), and enjoying the creative process itself as an end, not a means. Quiet, simply filmed, this documentary made me feel good about life, and immediately want to go order a CD of Wither's greatest hits.
Steve Skafte "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.