I'm Still Here

I went to see I'm Still Here last night, at a mostly packed theater in Orlando, filled with people who I assume, like me, were trying to catch the one movie that you can't stream that is nominated for Best Picture this year.  I liked the casting for this film, as the story revolved around a family, and each of the actors played their parts well, from the youngest of five children (10 year old daughter Babiu played by Cora Mora), to the parents played by Fernanda Torres and Selton Mello.  Perhaps it's because I was unfamiliar with the actors, but I found each of their performances to be far more compelling than those in other films nominated for Best Picture this year.  Since I have no point of reference, and I am not comparing them to other roles they've played, perhaps it is easier for me to accept them in the parts they're playing here, but I also think that they are each good actors, and were well cast in this film.  I also liked the sound design, especially as it pertains to the ambient sound of the waves breaking on the beach.  I liked that times of stillness between the moments of chaos in the family's house were punctuated by the consistency of the sounds of the ocean.  I didn't like how the film dragged-on for the last 30 minutes.  It seems clear that the filmmakers didn't have an exit strategy; they told a compelling story, but it's one without a satisfying conclusion.  They should have just accepted that fact, and ended the film once the story had been told.