Review: ‘I’m Still Here’ is a Touching Portrait of a Frightened Family

Iconic Brazilian director Walter Salles’ newest movie, I’m Still Here, is a heartbreaking true story about a family living under Brazil’s ruthless military dictatorship in the 1970s. Anchored by an amazing performance by Fernanda Torres and through very personal and touching storytelling, I’m Still Here allows the viewer to feel the pain of a frightened family.

I’m Still Here follows the Paiva family, which consists of the father, Rubens (Selton Mello), the mother, Eunice (Fernanda Torres), and their five children, Vera (Valentina Herszage), Eliana (Luiza Kosovski), Nalu (Bárbara Luz), Babiu (Cora Mora), and Marcelo (Guilherme Silveria). The Paivas live quite a comfortable life; they have a beautiful house, a maid, and they are just steps away from the beach. Rubens has a steady job, Eunice is always busy, and the kids are always off with their friends. Always in the background, however, the news is reporting on the many kidnappings carried out daily by the Brazilian military dictatorship of the 1970s. Everything seems very normal until one day, Rubens is forced away from his home and his family by a group of military officers. This is where the main plot of the movie begins, as from here on the focus is on Eunice and how she deals with Rubens being gone. 

Fernanda Torres’ monumental performance is what sells this movie, and it would be nowhere near as good without her. She plays Eunice with such care and pain as she must stay strong for her children but has real fear that Rubens will never return. The fear develops over the course of the film not only in the family but also in the audience. This is truly the centerpiece of the movie, as she really makes the audience care for Eunice as well as for the children. 

The reason this movie works so well, however, is because of how personal this story is. The film is an adaptation of Marcelo Paiva’s autobiography of the same name. Knowing that this is a true story makes it even more heartbreaking, as the Paivas were a real family who truly had their father ripped away from them. As Marcelo was actually there for most of the film’s events, it not only feels more real but also is more real. 

Understanding the dictatorship that Brazil was under is very important to truly appreciate how powerful this story is. From 1964 to 1985, the country was at the mercy of a seriously brutal military that practiced extensive censorship, torture of its own citizens, and killing of any political enemies. Millions of people throughout Brazil lived in fear that their friends or family could be targeted any day. The movie does a great job of portraying this, as eventually the Paiva’s family friends leave Brazil for England as they no longer feel safe in their home country. We also see Vera and her friends get randomly stopped and harassed by military police, who are searching for people they believe to be against them. A car with military agents is seen parked outside the Paiva’s house for days. All of these events show how the military is always looming in the background, creating an uneasy feeling in the minds of both the characters and the audience. 

I’m Still Here is absolutely one of the most important films of the year. The story of the Paiva family and the military dictatorship is one that must be told, as it informs future generations about the horrors of the past and about the pain it caused real people. I’m Still Here is now playing in theaters across the United States, after picking up three Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture.

4.5/5 Stars