I'm Still Here (2024)
In a politically unstable Rio de Janeiro in 1970, former congressman Rubens Paiva (Selton Mello) is able to live a happy life with his wife, Eunice (Torres), and their five kids. One day, however, that tranquil existence is disrupted when the military raids the Paiva house and arrests Rubens. He is never seen by his family again. Eunice struggles to raise her children while trying to find out what has happened to her husband.
This Brazilian political
drama is directed by Walter Salles (Central Station, The Motorcycle
Diaries) and based on the 2015 memoir by Eunice's son, Marcelo Rubens
Paiva. The film has been nominated for Best International Feature Film, Best
Actress (Fernanda Torres), and Best Picture at this year's 97th Academy Awards.
Torres does carry the
film and did win a well-deserved Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion
Picture Drama. She delivers a restrained, yet deeply moving performance.
What makes I'm Still
Here imperfect is that some sections, such as the moments of the idyllic
family life at the beginning, are drawn out, while other sections, such as
Eunice's arrest and torture for 12 days after inquiring about her husband's
whereabouts, feel rushed. The film runs 136 minutes, but one wonders if it was
a much longer film and if trimming it to a shorter length has caused the pacing
to feel uneven.
We also get two
unnecessary epilogues, the first taking place in 1996 and the second in 2014,
and their inclusion somewhat defuses the emotional core of the story.
However, I'm Still
Here is still a gripping film thanks to a superb central performance.
