I’m Still Here

Grade: C

It’s fun, on occasion, to go into a movie completely cold. I love telling my Flight story. In 2012, I went out to the cinema with my wife and parents-in-law to see a film called Flight. That was literally all I knew. I had never heard of it; they picked the movie. I was imagining a corny, cutesy Pixar movie about planes. Maybe there was one little guy that was just trying to get accepted in the world and achieve…flight. I asked if our 4-year-old son was coming with us to see it. Flight has no opening credits. It just starts. Discoveries after discoveries came. Oh, there’s Denzel Washington. Oh, there’s John Goodman. Oh, there’s Don Cheadle. Oh, this is a grownup piece about alcohol addiction. The reveals kept unfolding up to the end credits. “Directed by Robert Zemeckis.” I was blown away, and loved it.

I’m Still Here, as far as I was concerned, could have been about anything – and it does take its time establishing the characters before the real plot kicks in. The first half hour to 45 minutes seems to be just a summer in the life of this large family in Brazil in 1970. They live a block away from the beach. The kids play volleyball. They get a puppy. They play records, and have family dance parties at the house. Montages of grainy video camera footage show them out in the yard running around and laughing, like it’s the opening credits to a Brazilian Wonder Years. The Mystery Science Theater 3000 crew would be singing “What would you do if I sang out of tune” at this point.

The other shoe drops. A military raid takes place at the house. The whole family is taken to a prison and questioned. Everyone except the father, Rubens, is sent back home within a few days. Rubens, being a former Congressman, continues to be held, never to be released. The actors have great chemistry. I could believe they were a family. The majority of I’m Still Here is carried by Oscar Best Actress nominee Fernanda Torres as Eunice, the wife/mother. I wouldn’t have nominated her, as the leading actress category was very crowded this past year, and I didn’t think much of this movie – but she is a powerful performer, and I’m happy for the recognition she’s received for that reason.

As this is based on a true story, it may not be spoiling if I tell you about what happens, but you can feel free to skip over this paragraph. Rubens was presumed dead not long after he was taken away. 25 years later, in 1996, the family receives his death certificate, which brings an odd, bittersweet peace. At least they can move on. 18 years after that, in 2014, a news story on TV reveals that his body was never found. It makes them wonder if he’s still out there, and the title starts to make sense. Everyone involved with I’m Still Here does a fine enough job of bringing this story to life, but it didn’t do anything for me. I respect and appreciate it, but I didn’t like it.

Grade: C