"A mother is forced to reinvent herself when her family's life is shattered by an act of arbitrary violence during the tightening grip of a military dictatorship in Brazil, 1971." 

OUR MOVIE REVIEW:

After the violent 1964 coup d’état in Brazil led to the instillation of an oppressive regime that lasted decades, citizens deemed dissidents were routinely kidnapped, some never being seen again. The film I’m Still Here by director Walter Salles deeply explores these actions and their effects on one family. This true story, adapted from the 2015 book Ainda Estou Aqui, shows a family ruptured and a mother committed to preserving her family and her life-long pursuit of the truth and closure. 

In January 1971, former Congressman Rubens Paiva (Selton Mello) had a military raid come on his house, where he was promptly arrested for his far-left views and his support for revolutionary expatriates. His family never sees him again. 

Rubens’ wife, Eunice (Fernada Torres), and one of her four daughters, Eliana (Luisa Kosovski), are also arrested after Eunice publicly inquires about her husband’s whereabouts. After 12 days of torture and interrogation, Eunice is eventually freed. 

Eunice’s vindication and catharsis arrive decades after Brazil is once again a democracy. But the heart of the movie is the immediate aftermath of her husband’s disappearance and Eunice’s own imprisonment; her prudent actions to protect her family and find the truth are a heartbreaking yet exquisite journey. 

Walter Salles has made a remarkable effort to construct a story encapsulating a wife and mother’s fragile emptiness at the hands of human evil. There are bright colors and vibrant life in every frame of this film. I’m Still Here is a film you can feel; it carries a power that sweeps you up quickly and does not let go of you the entire runtime. 

Fernada Torres is, and should be, the talk of recognition. She carries a strong, haunting confidence that emboldens pathos. She is the center, the lynchpin, of this large family, and watching her move in to fill the void left by her husband is not an easy feat to accomplish by anyone. Torres’ performance embodies the grace and stoicism needed, which translates effortlessly across language barriers. 

There is a call for empathy here that Salles materializes by exacting a strong performance from Torres and the rest of the family and supporting cast. Crafting such authenticity across a whole company of characters is a tall order, presumably more so for real figures of history. There is a grounded nature that allows you to see this family suffering in their total unreality. You feel their pain, and you feel their strength. 

Salles’ expression of the brave and formidable lead and her exchanges with her children, her friends, and the regime representatives underscore the devasting truth that this truly happened to not only the Paiva family but to many others. 

Suppose there was another international feature to have the ubiquitous touch carried by Parasite only a few years ago. In that case, I’m Still Here would be that film. Salles’ film plunges you into the pit of despair and allows you to crawl your way out slowly—a remarkable achievement.