‘I’m Still Here’ - Review
Directed by Walter Salles, based on a true story, I’m Still Here. Following mother, Eunice Pavia (Fernanda Torres), navigating herself and her family through life amidst the military dictatorship that Brazil has fallen into after her husband, Rubens, is taken for questioning and does not return. In this constant fight for truth and answers, I’m Still Here questions the diplomacy of an unjust government and what it means to be a mother to not just fight for her current family, but for generations to come.
Im Still Here never meanders in its presentation, but for the length of its runtime, information regarding Eunice’s husband and the ongoing military dictatorship is told directly to us, as straightforward and conclusive as possible. The film never leaves the audience with any foresight on what exactly came to the escalation of this new regime that Brazil has fallen under, but instead focuses on Eunice trying to uncover and expose the events that conspired with her husband. This is a choice that reigns over the majority of the film and the strong withheld performance of Torres may leave you wanting more from her character, especially after a twenty-five-year time jump at the tail end of the movie. As steady as can be, I’m Still Here is never boring per se, but frankly feels a bit empty on the story front, with not much else to say after the second act.
The main center point theme for, I’m Still Here is family. Portrayed beautifully by this cast who all so seamlessly interact with one other was one of the great joys of this movie. This great family dynamic being disrupted by an unjust government makes for a tragedy on display. Especially when Torres’s character is faced with harsh truths and inhumane situations, she is still doing everything she can to hold it together and be the strong mother she is for her children. Photographs, posters, super 8 film, vinyl, books, letters, newspaper clippings, and tangible items are all riddled around with this family and it communicates a much deeper meaning for love and passion that is shared amongst these individuals. This is loving a family that shares everything, and when Torres’s character is tested between the loss of her husband and then having to withhold that information from her family, it tells us that being a mother comes with limits, and sometimes not everything is meant to be revealed.
Nominated for best actress and best picture, I’m Still Here is a movie that advocates for mothers, and families, and keeps people who are in charge of unjustness accountable even when it’s decades after the fact. Fernanda Torres gives a reserved powerhouse performance that is worth the price of admission alone and makes her one of the film’s most exciting assets.
