Bill Baker (Matt Damon) is from Stillwater, Oklahoma. He works on oil rigs and construction, prays before every meal, owns two guns and loves his local college football team. He also regularly makes the trip from Stillwater to Marseille where his estranged daughter Allison (Abigail Breslin) has been in prison for the last five years for the murder of her girlfriend. Allison claims she did not do it and Bill wants to help in any way he can. 

Stillwater is a film that quietly impressed me for not being the film that has been advertised to us through trailers and the media surrounding it. The story being loosely based on that of Amanda Knox has been discussed a lot and the trailer makes Damon’s character look like the everyday dad becoming a master detective and setting justice back on course. But that is not the focus. Or at least it was not for me. 

Initially Bill Baker does try to crack the case, but finds that he is woefully inept at something he has never done before. What follows is a character study of a man trying to come to terms with his failures in life. Bill was an alcoholic and he was a single father who abandoned his daughter. Through his visits with his daughter he is trying to atone. And then, through chance (something that crops up a lot in this film) he meets Virginie (Camille Cottin) and her daughter Maya (Lilou Siauvaud). Initially Virginie helps him as a translator in Marseille and later he becomes a lodger as he tries to stay close to his daughter. Through these relationships Bill has a second chance. 

The entire middle section of the film where it focuses on this makeshift family is a joy. Damon delivers a quietly moving performance with his character being the epitome of the films title, “still waters run deep”. Whilst Cottin and Siauvaud are the runaway stars of the film. 

The film also touches on lots of social and political commentary. There is a discussion about Bill’s middle America voting stance, discussions about racism similarities between France and America and Americans coming to foreign countries and refusing to acclimatise. None of which are discussed at length though, leaving it up to you to decide on your views. 

There are missteps though. I mentioned chance before and you may find yourself a little aggrieved at how it plays a huge part in some of the later aspects of the film. There are also some large tonal shifts in the story being told. My large enjoyment of the middle section was slightly marred by a rather sensational turn of events towards the end before the ship was righted again with a calmer finish that felt more in keeping with what had gone before. 

All in all though I enjoyed my time with Stillwater especially when what was on screen represented the title.