I'm Still Here

Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. * Wow. * There's genuinely nothing in this world like the love of your family. It's unmatched, untouched, irreplaceable, whatever word(s) you'd like to describe. It's such a unique experience from person to person because how can anyone replicate those dynamics? How do you emulate that love on a movie screen? How can you take something so personal and make it come to life? I'm Still Here places you right in the middle of a beautiful, loving, big family. The first 30 minutes of the movie are spent getting to know these people. Understanding their dynamics, seeing how they interact, understanding the Paiva's place in the community, etc. Not only is it so light and touching, but it's so real. It's genuinely amazing how real this all feels. You go through those 30 minutes and you feel like you've known this family for a lifetime. When the army men come, there's a shift. When those guys walked in, it was like a cloud set over me. It felt like a genuine weight was being borne onto my shoulders. And just like that, in an instant, the patriarch is gone, and so is our sense of family. Or is it? Does a family exist as solely the people in the house together? Maybe. Is it the house itself? Maybe. It's all of those things, it's the people, it's the house, the foosball table you and your dad play at when you keep your sisters awake, the dog you find roaming the streets, the coat you take from your mom when you go to London. It's all those little memories. We carry all of that with us—the joy and the pain. Families exist beyond simply physical relationships, and Fernanda Torres' portrayal of Eunice masterfully conveys that sentiment. Even if you know nothing about Brazil's dictatorship in the 1970s, which I didn't, please watch this. It's simply beautiful.