Ainda Estou Aqui/I'm Still Here

Movie Name: Ainda Estou Aqui/I'm Still Here
Year of Release: 2024
Director: Walter Salles
Starring: Fernanda Torres, Selton Mello, Fernanda Montenegro, Valentina Herszage, Maria Manoella, Barbara Luz, Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha, Luiza Kosovski, Marjorie Estiano, Guilherme Silveira, Antonio Saboia, Cora Mora, Olivia Torres, Pri Helena, Humberto Carrão, Charles Fricks, Maeve Jinkins
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8
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Synopsis and Review

Walter Salles spent some time directing documentaries since his last feature film "On the Road", which premiered in 2012 to middling reviews. "Ainda Estou Aqui/I'm Still Here" is an adaptation of the book by Marcelo Rubens Paiva, which is an autobiographical look at the events that took place during his childhood. The narrative takes place in Rio de Janeiro in December of 1970, and focuses its attention on the Paiva family. The family is composed of Eunice Paiva, her husband Rubens, who is a former member of the parliament and is now a civil engineer, and their 5 children. Theirs is a home filled with warmth, laughter, love and the constant presence of friends. Some of their friends decide to seek refuge in London, in order to avoid the constant presence and menace imposed by the military Dictatorshi. Eunice and Rubens' oldest daughter goes with them (she and some of her friends had already been stopped by the military in one of their check points). The family has acquired a new plot of land in the area, and is planning on building a new home. One afternoon the family is surprised to witness a group of unknown men with guns come to their house, and demand Rubens goes with them for questioning. While Rubens plays along, a few of those men stay behind in the house with Eunice and the kids. Eunice keeps asking when Rubens is going to come back, only for them to repeat it should be soon. The next day Eunice and her fifteen year old daughter are taken for questioning as well, with hoods over their heads. Eunice is asked if she's been involved with any terrorists, and to identify people who may have ties with what the interrogator deems terrorist actions. She remains in questioning for 5 days, until she is finally released. She keeps asking for Rubens, but no information is provided. 

There's something quite wonderful in the way Walter Salles recreates and brings to life the universe of that family and that microcosms in 1970. The lived-in experience of what life is like in that period in Rio de Janeiro, where the beauty of the locale sharply contrasts with the roughness of the military dictatorship, is perfectly illustrated by the director. The situation in which these characters find themselves in, is progressively disclosed. We're able to witness an array of activities, friendships, and all the emotional ties that the family has with a group of individuals they interact with, all of which illustrate the type of individuals they all are, the joy they live with, embracing art and culture, and teaching progress and humanism to the children. The introduction of the military dictatorship, its violence, its agenda, is indeed presented as a brutal element, since in fact it is one. There's no reason, no justification, no respect, no tolerance, which makes it all the more revolting for Eunice who fails to realize why is her family being targeted. Even after she becomes fully aware of the events Rubens was involved with, the sheer brutality of a government meant to support its own citizens, revolts her, and sends her on a path of survival (for her and her children), but also a path emblazoned with a mission. Unlike other films about dictators or brutal regimes, such as Oliver Stone's "Salvador" or even Roman Polanski's "Death and the Maiden", this film doesn't make itself to be an illustration of the destruction of war, or the bruising felt by its survivors, it's an illustration of how a family perseveres when their existence is completely upended. The whole cast is fantastic, led by the always excellent and subtle Fernanda Torres, who has great support from the underrated Selton Mello and the wondrous Fernanda Montenegro. The production team is fantastic, with particular highlights going to Adrian Teijido's beautiful cinematography, Warren Ellis' score, Carlos Conti's production design, and Cláudia Kopke's costume design. A solid film, subtle but impeccably crafted and performed. 

The Outrun

Movie Name: The Outrun
Year of Release: 2024
Director: Nora Fingscheidt
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Saskia Reeves, Stephen Dillane, Paapa Essiedu, Izuka Hoyle, Freya Evans, David Garrick
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
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Synopsis and Review

Nora Fingscheidt achieved a considerable amount of attention with her prior directorial endeavor, the Netflix release "The Unforgivable", with Sandra Bullock (which racked up quite a high volume of viewership, even if the reviews were not very complimentary). "The Outrun" is based on the book by Amy Liptrot and follows the story of Rona, a young woman who following a stint in rehab for alcoholism, returns home to live with her mom in the Orkney Islands in Scotland. Rona has had to deal with some unexpected issues since she was a child, including her father's bipolar disorder. Through flashbacks we witness her stint in college and the romantic relationship she forms with Daynin. Her drinking eventually leads to the demise of that relationship. She briefly reconnects with him when she's sexually assaulted following a night of drinking, and quickly realizes he's already moved on. While on the Orkney Islands she assists her father with his farming, and eventually takes a job with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. She has a brief relapse, which leads her to seek another position on a remote island, by the name of Papa Westray, where she lives by herself and starts forming friendships with the locals. Her mom comes for a brief visit and they manage to connect and communicate candidly. 

"The Outrun" doesn't cover material that hasn't been documented or explored before. There's been countless films about characters/individuals battling alcoholism, some with great results, such as Mike Figgis' "Leaving Las Vegas", others not so excitingly doing the same such as Betty Thomas' "28 Days". What makes "The Outrun" a compelling film to watch is of course the central performance from Saoirse Ronan. Rona is just a young woman trying to figure out her way in the world, and alcohol just enables her to let go of her fears. Unlike some of the characters from other films revolving around alcoholism, which center themselves around charismatic and damaged individuals drowning themselves in sorrow (and guilt), this central character is a young woman who is still trying to understand who she is, and what path she wants to carve for herself in the world. She comes from a slightly off-kilter upbringing, and whatever fears that has instilled in her, she sees drinking as a way to numb those fears and charge ahead. She feels like a regular individual that we could easily cross by in our world. That's one of the most interesting aspects of this character and the film itself: it feels authentic and rooted in the now, even if some scenes do veer off into the metaphorical cliché of embracing the unknown. The director also very smartly positions the narrative in these isolated islands, where very few people live, which gives the central character an opportunity to further reflect about her life, but also rely more on her own abilities and ultimately persevere. The cast is solid, with Saoirse Ronan creating a solid central character, with great supporting turns from Saskia Reeves and Stephen Dillane as her parents. The production team is solid, particularly the cinematography from Yunus Roy Imer. It's a well told story featuring a solid central performance.