I’m Still Here, Walter Salles’ latest film, is all about the profoundness of feeling in an unstable, tumultuous time, and how it rocks the boat of a seemingly stable family. The Brazilian film is a family drama wrapped in a political story. It’s focused primarily on Eunice Paiva (Fernanda Torres) and her five children after her husband, Rubens (Selton Mello) — a former congressman who was ousted when the Brazilian Military Dictatorship took over — is disappeared in 1971. Written by Murilo Hauser and Heitor Lorega, I’m Still Here is an evocative, nuanced portrait of family and the lasting imprint of politics.

In 1971, Eunice and Rubens are living their best lives in Rio de Janeiro. They have five wonderful children, great friends, and they’re preparing to build a new home. But the Brazilian dictatorship will ensure their lives are never the same again when the military comes to the family’s house and takes Rubens in for questioning. Eunice and one of their daughters, Eliana (Luiza Kosovski) are also taken in, but only two of the three come back. Rubens’ disappearance upends their lives, with Eunice having to make decisions she otherwise would not have to protect and care for her children.

I’m Still Here Is A Moving Portrait Of A Devastated Family

Fernanda Torres’ Performance Is Astoundingly Deep

Based on a true story, and the book by Paiva’s son Marcelo, Ainda Estou Aqui, the film is a bold one that takes no shortcuts to its emotional payoffs. The script is тιԍнтly written and I appreciated that Salles and the writers avoided showing torture and other gruesome moments Rubens must have experienced. We get touches of the political atmosphere — claustrophobic, scary, tense — throughout the film, but it’s more of a catalyst than a dominating presence. It was a smart decision to focus on the Paiva family and the effect — emotionally and financially — Rubens’ disappearance had.

This choice makes for a far more moving film than had I’m Still Here been driven by its occasional political thriller tendencies. The film is often emotionally devastating, and it has an exceptional buildup that veers away from any expectations we may have had about the plot’s direction. Crucially, I’m Still Here is a love letter to the strength and resilience of Eunice, who quietly falls apart and pulls herself together for the sake of her family.

Fernanda Torres is tremendous in a difficult role. She conveys every emotion with such nuance that you have to be watching her face and body language the entire time to truly decipher every feeling she embodies. It’s a remarkably subtle performance that elevates the film and the tension that is simmering throughout, especially in the first half.

I’m Still Here’s Final Scene Is Hopeful But Unnecessary

After Eunice decides to move her family from Rio de Janeiro, I’m Still Here skips ahead in time twice. The first time is a welcome shift and underscores just how long Eunice was fighting for justice on behalf of her husband. During this time, the film is still tinged with a sense of sorrow but the hope and relief that floods is so powerful that we can’t help but feel everything alongside Eunice and her children, who are now adults.

It’s the second time jump that felt a bit unnecessary to the overall story. While it continues to show the aftermath and emotional toll it’s taken on the family and on Brazil itself, it also slows down the film. It’s almost as if there are two endings; both of them are hopeful and offer a sense of closure, but the latter tries to tell us that the family is ok and still together. It’s a scene the first time skip could have included without extending the film beyond its already long runtime and dragging things out for longer than required.

Despite the pacing issues in the latter third of the film, I’m Still Here is an evocative, chilling story that gripped me. It’s effective in the way it handles the family drama and the emotional center while brilliantly intertwining them with compelling, often gut-wrenching political tension. If anything, the drama underscores how connected politics is with our everyday lives and treats its characters as people first.

I’m Still Here screened at the 2024 Middleburg Film Festival and is now playing in theaters. The film is 136 minutes long and rated PG-13 for thematic content, some strong language, drug use, smoking and brief nudity.