
One of the biggest winners of this early awards season, “I’m Still Here,” was released to select theaters in New York City and Los Angeles on Jan. 17.
Beginning in 1970s Rio de Janeiro, the film follows the true story of former Brazilian congressman Rubens Paiva’s (Selton Mello) forced disappearance at the hands of Brazil’s authoritarian dictatorship. The sorrow and uncertainty of Rubens’ disappearance is conveyed to the audience through his wife Eunice’s (Fernanda Torres) point of view as she attempts to pick up the pieces of their lives for the betterment of their children.
Discussions surrounding this film begin and end with Torres’ extraordinary lead performance.
Already the recipient of the Golden Globe for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama, the recognition for Torres continues to mount as she received an Oscar nomination and will be a significant contender for the Best Actress award.
Torres serves as the anchor of this constantly changing film. As she manages the stress of abruptly losing a partner while simultaneously holding the sole responsibility of raising her six children, Eunice has the world on her shoulders, and Torres portrays that burden beautifully.
Despite her entire life crumbling around her, Torres communicates Eunice’s willpower through subdued reactions held behind hopeful eyes. This performance radiates hope and optimism in a film that quickly becomes devoid of any positivity.

These sudden tonal changes are handled brilliantly by director Walter Salles. The film’s shift from an endearing family portrait in a time of civil unrest into a paranoid and sorrowful character study is heartbreaking but natural.
What makes this turn in the story so tragic is how much time the audience spends with the complete Paiva family before Rubens’ absence. The at-times drawn-out opening act is full of music, dancing and dinner parties which may seem insignificant in the grand scheme of the story; but that wholesome moment in time is sorely missed when it’s gone.
That lengthy buildup pays off in a somber deliverance, after Rubens’ abduction there is a void in every scene. A crushing emptiness haunts every frame as Eunice’s anxieties and fears accelerate.
The final act of “I’m Still Here” retains a modicum of the familial positivity felt in its opening. While the emptiness never goes away, it becomes much more manageable and as the characters receive any semblance of closure it morphs into a different feeling.
Time moves much quicker in the final moments of the film, decades are told in minutes and the audience sees the Paiva family come together after their grief-filled hardships. Seeing all of Eunice and Rubens’ children’s lives develop reveals a hopeful core in this story’s calamity.
The film shows that anything can be overcome but should never be forgotten, any tragedy can be conquered and mold a person into someone stronger on the other end.
“I’m Still Here” is a devastating true story, but in its sadness, there is a rich optimism and faith in the human spirit. Fernanda Torres carries this expertly crafted film into the awards conversations it rightfully belongs in.