User reviews

Fernanda Torres gives an incredible performance, showing Eunice's strength and vulnerability in such a real and powerful way. She makes you feel every moment of the story, and her acting is unforgettable.

What makes "I'm Still Here" even more meaningful is how much it connects to what's happening in the world today. It's a strong reminder of the dangers of governments having too much power and why it's so important to protect democracy. The story of standing up to injustice feels relatable no matter where you're from, making this movie much bigger than just its Brazilian roots.

This film is a true example of how strong people can be, even in the worst situations. The acting, especially from Fernanda Torres, and the emotional story make it a must-see. It really stays with you, both on a personal level and when thinking about the bigger issues in the world.

It's also important to remember how hard it is to make a movie like this in Brazil. Creating art in places like Brazil comes with a lot of challenges that don't exist in the US or Europe, like limited resources and political difficulties. That makes this film even more special and inspiring.

"I'm Still Here" isn't just a movie-it's an important story that everyone should watch and talk about.

Adapted from the novel by Marcelo Rubens Paiva, "I'm Still Here" actually improves on the book by focusing on the Paiva family and how every member was startled and heartbroken by the disappearance of their father (played with deep affection by Selton Mello). Anchored by a powerhouse performance by Fernanda Torres as the matriarch Eunice, the film narrates the horrors of the Brazilian dictatorship without ever being preachy or heavy-handed. By focusing on the human aspects and the sense of loss of those people who never got and answer about their loved one's disappearance, the script gets more powerful as it goes along. All the performances from the young actors are top-notch - a rare feat in Brazilian cinema - but it is Fernanda Torres incredibly restrained performance that really stays with you. She's persuasive and moving without ever being melodramatic, in a masterful work. This is the best Brazilian film in years, a gift from director Walter Salles ("Central Station"). Pay attention to the brief but powerful cameo by Fernanda Montenegro (an Oscar nominee for "Central Station") at the very end. "I'm Still Here" is a movie to cherish and to hold.

This movie is pure magic. Beautifully photographed and perfect in every detail. Walter Salles has once again performed a miracle - his movie is absolutely flawless. What can be said about Fernanda Torres? Her performance is BRAVURA. It is a very subtle and nuanced performance, she does not burst into tears or screams like in melodramas. Her eyes show it all. What a brilliant actress! Selton Mello is a HUGE surprise, I thought he was some sort of supporting role, but he plays a very important role in the first half of the movie. Perfect acting. All in all, this film is a must see for everyone in the world who cares about the future of humanity.

I'M STILL HERE (2024) Walter Salles' gripping I'M STILL HERE takes on the true story of persecuted journalist Rubens Paiva. It's personal with Salles as he was a childhood friend of the family. Brazil. 1971. The country is run by a brutal dictatorship. Paiva (Selton Mello) is an engineer and ex-congressman from the opposition party. His family tries to live as normal a life as possible, until he's seized by authorities.

Salles and his writers Murilo Hauser and Heitor Lorenga base their script on the memoir of Paiva's son Marcello. It's very well balanced between family and politics. Right from the start we see his oldest daughter Veroca (Valentina Herszage) out with friends on a typical fun night when suddenly, they are pulled over and roughed up by military police looking for radical 'hippies'. There is an atmosphere of kidnapping and danger in the air. Veroca is sent overseas for her protection.

Once Paiva is captured, the emphasis turns to his wife Eunice, brilliantly played by Fernanda Torres. She battles not only to find and get her husband released, but is the rock that keeps the family together. It's a strong drama which Salles and his team make both palpable and universal beyond Brazil's borders. It remains timely as its warnings about oppression sadly remain potent today. Shooting on 35mm, Adrian Teijido gives it a gritty, but organic look. Warren Ellis' score is quite fine. Salles (THE MOTORCYLE DIARIES, ON THE ROAD) has a real feel for the material. The epilogue is a bit elongated even if it imparts some closure and a chance to see Fernanda Montenegro once again (Oscar nominee for Salles' excellent CENTRAL STATION - and, the mother of of Fernanda Torres).

I'M STILL HERE is a superb effort from Salles, and Rubens Paiva's story is worth telling.

I have to say that I have the highest regard for Walter Salles' gifts as a movie director. Back in 1999, I found truly impressive one of his early films, CENTRAL DO BRASIL (CENTRAL STATION), with Fernanda Montenegro delivering one of her most thoughtful and sensitive performances.

As mesmerising as that film was, it came nowhere near the merits and masterpiece status that AINDA ESTOU AQUI (I'M STILL HERE) richly shows from beginning to end.

This masterpiece is anchored by a superb script by Murilo Hauser off the book by Marcelo Paiva, the son of MP Rubens Paiva who was abducted by the Brazilian Military Police from his house in January 1971. The way the police go about it is truly sinister, keeping the family jailed in its own house, not allowing the wife to see the husband, not disclosing any info relating to the abductee's whereabouts, taking even one of the children for interrogation.

There are two towering performances in AINDA ESTOU AQUI: Fernanda Torres, in it almost continuously until the last 15 minutes, and Selton Mello as the luckless MP who quietly tries to help individuals sought and detained by the dictatorship, then with Emilio Médici as Brazilian president.

You can feel the noose tightening around the family, with the authorities showing no concern at all that the family included five teenagers needing food and education. Fernanda Torres plays a highly dignified Eunice as the wife doing all she can to retrieve her husband whilst raising her numerous brood.

Torres delivers a quiet, moving performance in which her eyes tell you more than any words. Slender and elegant, she holds her family together, has to look for work and studies at university to become a lawyer, which she does by age 48.

Cinematography by Adrian Teijido is absolutely top notch, as is the editing by Afonso Gonçalves.

It is not an easy film to watch, bubbling with concealed violence that constricts the family more and more.

I hope today's Brazilian Government watches and takes note of this film's content and message because it depicts a past that simply must not be repeated. There is much to learn from it, and not just by Brazil - by any country in the world, even self-styled "greatest democracies".

Definite must-see. I can confidently predict that no film competing for Oscars this year is better. 10/10.

"I'm Still Here" goes beyond being just another film about the military dictatorship, offering a human, intense, and brutally intimate portrait of a family unraveling under overwhelming, uncontrollable forces. Walter Salles, with his raw style and unmatched sensitivity, returns to the theme of a country immersed in repression, but rather than focusing on big political events, he zeroes in on their consequences within homes and personal lives. By centering the story on family drama, Salles subverts the expectation of a traditional historical film, avoiding documentary tones or a broad, structural focus. Here, 1970s Brazil is felt through the struggles of the Paiva family, and in the painful details of their shared wounds, Salles portrays the scars left by a dictatorship that, while distorted in collective memory, remains alive in the lives it shattered.

Choosing to center the narrative through Eunice's perspective-played by the iconic Fernanda Torres and Fernanda Montenegro-lends the film an undeniable authenticity. While dealing with the loss of her husband, Rubens Paiva (Selton Mello), a public figure and defender of the people's rights, Eunice has to keep the family together and maintain her children's emotional stability. Eunice is the pure embodiment of resilience and motherly love, and her daily routine, her rituals with her children, and moments shared as a family are slices of a once-ordinary life, now wrecked by an abrupt absence. Family dinners and memories of beach outings become painful when revisited after Rubens' disappearance, as they reveal the empty space left by systemic violence. Salles skillfully uses this family intimacy to show how dictatorship destroys emotional bonds and disrupts each home's peace, prompting audiences to reflect on how history is also shaped by losses and silent moments in everyday life.

Fernanda Torres' performance is intensely deserving of praise. She embodies a woman who refuses to let grief immobilize her, balancing the protection of her children with the relentless search for answers about her husband's whereabouts. This balance between strength and vulnerability gives Eunice a striking and essential presence in the film. In a moving and remarkably mature performance, Montenegro, as the older Eunice, intensifies the impact of Rubens' absence, bringing a heavy, almost physical silence that resonates in those who never got the chance to say goodbye. The real-life relationship between Montenegro and Torres as mother and daughter adds authenticity to the transitions across time, making Eunice's portrayal even more heartfelt and believable. This genuine continuity allows Salles' film to transcend mere fiction and reach a depth that only a personal story can achieve.

Technically, the film is a visual achievement that captures this family's intimate pain through meticulously crafted cinematography. The use of confined spaces and close-up shots reveals the characters' physical and psychological confinement, mirroring the oppression that hangs over their lives. The soundtrack follows the most emotional scenes with an almost mystical quality, blending with the characters' feelings like a whisper that holds the pains of the past. Salles' use of music is interesting, not just to intensify the drama but to evoke an almost tangible nostalgia in the air, an echo of absences that can never be overcome. This balance between aesthetics and emotion transforms the film into both a tribute to interrupted lives and a celebration of the struggle for justice and memory.

The narrative avoids an easy or simplistic conclusion, choosing instead a more contemplative view on the lasting impact of loss. The film moves forward in time, showing us the future of each family member without offering conclusive or comforting answers. What remains is the pain, an indignation turned into strength, and a refusal to let difficult moments fade into oblivion. Rubens' absence and the commitment of Eunice and her children to preserving his memory result in a catharsis for the audience, as it's both inspiring and deeply moving to see how they, even amid so much pain, resist the urge to let Rubens' legacy be erased-and the film's goal to evoke tears was masterfully achieved, at least for me.

Overall, "I'm Still Here" is one of those rare historical films that, instead of adopting a documentary or openly critical stance, takes a humanistic approach that resonates with our deepest emotions and values. Salles proves his mastery as a filmmaker by crafting a story that is, at once, infuriating and inspiring-a work that reminds us of the importance of keeping the memories and voices of the wronged alive. Through a captivating narrative and an extraordinary cast, he turns the story of a Brazilian family into a universal reminder of human dignity and the importance of memory as a form of resistance.

"I'm Still Here" is a powerful portrayal of a moment in Brazilian history that traumatized many people. In a well-constructed atmosphere, the viewer enters the past of a country, a past that is disowned and ignored by the country itself, and this makes the experience of watching "I'm Still Here" in a movie theater in Brazil even more powerful. Of all the Brazilian filmmakers, Walter Salles stands out with his talented direction and interesting photography, and the production is truly impressive. The actors are talented and I want to highlight the younger actors, who certainly give the film a touch of depth and beauty necessary for us to feel the "magic of cinema". Regarding the kind human side present in "I'm Still Here", it is wonderful to see a film by a filmmaker who truly understands cinema, who does not present alienated ideas but rather pure and genuine human expression. As a Brazilian, of course, I will be rooting for Walter Salles' work to be nominated for an Oscar, but I think the goal of making national cinema talked about again has already been achieved. Beautiful film, beautiful message and beautiful performances.

Review of I'm Still Here

I am not exaggerating when I say this is the best movie I've ever seen. I'm Still Here is a 10/10 masterpiece that captures the harrowing reality of Brazil's military dictatorship in the 1970s with a depth and sensitivity that is nothing short of extraordinary.

There's not a single thing they could've done better. From the soundtrack to the storytelling, I'm Still Here transcends being just a movie-it's a poignant tribute to resilience, family, and the fight for justice. It's a must-watch that will stay with you long after the credits roll.

It literally took me 10 minutes to get up and leave the movie theater.

Brazilian film with the greatest international repercussion in recent years, winner of the best screenplay award at the Venice Film Festival and nominated for an Oscar, I'm Still Here dramatizes the trajectory of the Paiva family between the arrest of Rubens Paiva, the father, and Eunice's struggle after her husband's disappearance. Walter Salles immerses the viewer in the intimacy of this family and makes them an accomplice, making them care about the fate of each one, creating three-dimensional, real, believable characters. Fernanda Torres plays the role of her life, almost a Greek heroine marked by tragedy, with subtlety, without ever falling into excess or caricature. Detailed scenography, lean script, natural interpretations, hand-picked soundtrack, precise editing, everything contributes to the director being able to convey exactly what he set out to do. As I knew the story, I had read the book on which the film is based, in addition to reports about it, my attention focused on the cinematographic solutions used by the director. He manages to turn this particular story into something universal, capable of communicating with audiences anywhere in the world.

The greatest strength of Ainda Estou Aqui lies in its use of memory not as a passive recollection of the past but as an act of resistance to preserve the dignity and identity of those who were brutally silenced. Walter Salles, by revealing the faces, names, and humanity of those whose lives were interrupted by the dictatorship, transforms memory into a manifesto for justice.

Early on, we see Selton Mello in a sensitive and powerful performance, almost like a breath of tenderness before the storm. He brings to life a loving father, a man who soon becomes the epicenter of a pain that seeps into every corner of the house. What was once a bright home, filled with laughter and ordinary days, is now shrouded by drawn curtains, with the constant presence of strangers and the vigilant eyes of military officers. Walter Salles turns the absence of Rubens Paiva into an invisible character, while the family begins to live a routine suffocated by external fear.

And it is Fernanda Torres who gives body and soul to this story; she embodies living resistance, something the dictatorship could never take away: the fierce drive of a woman to rebuild what was destroyed, to keep alive the flame of a story that belongs to her. Eunice Paiva, facing the loss of her husband, the invisible violence of silence, the systematic erasure of a life, finds strength in the ruins. Fernanda portrays her as a woman who, in her quiet struggle, refuses to let horror prevail over memory, to let emptiness triumph over love. Eunice Paiva is a character who, at once, moves and unsettles, because as spectators, we remain alert, expecting dramatic outbursts, unrestrained crying, grand gestures that melodrama has accustomed us to seeing - but Eunice's pain does not manifest like that. It is there, deeply buried, engraved in her soul, sustained by a quiet strength that will not let it overflow, for the love of her children. It is a pain that exists without fanfare, that corrodes without screaming, and this restraint makes it all the more devastating. The scene in which Fernanda eats ice cream with her daughters, trying to project a happiness that no longer exists, is magnificent.

By the end of the film, when I was already shattered, the epilogue delivers Fernanda Montenegro. Just the first movement of her eyes, and I was undone. What Montenegro conveys in that moment, without a word, is masterful. She brings to the screen the strength of a woman who refuses to let the past dissipate, who keeps photos, clippings, dates, and notes not just for herself, but to ensure that memory survives any attempt at erasure - even the erosion of her own Alzheimer's.

Nothing in Ainda Estou Aqui is incidental or superfluous. The 35mm cinematography is delicately "Walterian," poetic yet raw, managing to be aesthetic without stealing the scene. The absence of a dramatic score is a bold and effective choice, trusting the drama already present, which pulses in the pauses, the gazes, and the breaths. The sound design is punctuated by airplanes, gunfire, and the distant rumble of military vehicles, hinting at the constant horror and invisible control imposed by the dictatorship. The editing is precise, respecting the rhythm of grief without rushing, and the screenplay - sensitive and powerful - allows the actors to shine, letting pain and love resonate through dialogues of precise intensity. The production design, meticulous in its detail, splendidly recreates an era without drawing attention to itself.

There is something in Walter Salles' cinema that is a rare delicacy in Brazilian filmmaking: the ability to translate emotion and aesthetics into a language that touches us without being obvious or pedantic. Walter finds beauty in the subtleties, in the shadows, and in what is left unsaid. For him, emotion resides in the details, in the silence, in the frames that vibrate without needing words. This is the work of a mature director who knows exactly when to step in and when to let the story speak for itself.

It is a remarkable film that makes me even prouder of our national cinema. Ainda Estou Aqui is, without a doubt, already a classic of contemporary cinema.

I'm Still Here is a very special film. It has a story that makes the viewer very interested in seeing how it unfolds. However, what this film has the best quality for is the Fernanda Torres' performance is moving, captivating, one of the best performances I've ever seen. It's truly surreal how talented she is, just like her mother. Furthermore, the film is directed by Walter Salles who had already worked on the excellent film Central Station, with Fernanda Montenegro, in this film he shows himself to be very competent. He is a very talented guy in what he does. Overall, I'm Still Here is the best foreign film of the year, a beautiful movie.

"I'm Still Here" is a movie about a time in which fear, censorship and torture prevailed in Brazil's history, a time that must never come back. However, director Walter Salles develops the theme in a delicate way, presenting us to an united and loving family which longs the return of a missing father and husband. It's possible to relate to Eunice's pain in so many moments and also imagine how cruel the military dictatorship must have been.

The movie has bittersweet moments and it builds a place where you feel close to that family, a place full of affection and tenderness. Fernanda Torres performance is amazing, she really deserves all the nominations she's going to get in the award season. Selton Mello also develops an outstanding performance as Rubens Paiva. The whole cast is superb and we also have the sublime Fernanda Montenegro as an older Eunice Paiva. The movie is technically beautiful, with a stunning representation of Rio de Janeiro in the 70's. I think i speak for a lot of brazilians when i say that it would be so much meaningful if Brazil gets nominated to the Oscars with this one, but despite that, it's definitely a must see, a recent masterpiece in brazilian cinema that raises awareness, delights and also might bring you to tears.

Not to be confused with Edward Scissorhands or Freddy Kreuger, the Brazilian military dictatorship of 1970 did a fine job of terrifying people, who they thought might question their total control. Based on the memoir by Marcelo Paiva of his father's, (Rubens), disappearance and his mother's, (Eunice), struggle to hold her family together, it documents their ordeal in flash forwards to 1996 and 2014. Unfortunately, too much time is given to the banalities of family life and too little to the distinct ordeal that they endured. Sure, they are sympathetic; we get that. Giving a fine performance, Fernanda Torres's makeup ages her slightly from 1970 to 1996, but in 2014, she is aged radically. But wait! It's no longer Fernanda Torres. It's the grand dame of Brazilian cinema: it's Ms. Torres' mother, Fernanda Montenegro! After their brilliant film, "Casa de Areia" ("House of Sand," 2005), Ms. Montenegro can say, "I'm still here!"

Masterpiece.

Delicate, sensitive, and yet so incredibly strong and sad.

Everyone should watch this.

Fernanda Torres as Eunice Paiva is one of the most beautifully played carachaters I have ever seen.

I'm Still Here displays the cruelty, sadness and unbelievable days Brazil went through during the dictatorship. Walter Salles' loving touch is there on every scene and makes the movie one very emotional piece that will make you wonder how is it possible to show such a horrible moment with so much kindness, subtilty, and sensitivity. Absolutely genius! A must watch. Definitely Foreign Language Movie favorite on the award season.

Living in.brazil, but only came to Brazil much later, the film gives a unique insight as to how it was to live during the dictatorship in 70s Brazil. Besides a window into how Rio looked In the 70s, lifestyle etc.

I would love that people who voted in favour of extreme right would see how the dictatorship worked, feel how it impacted people, that were minimally politically involved and persecuted.

The film is expertly showing that with subtlety like many small papercuts into the soul how easy it was for someone to dissappear, how basic rights were violated.

It is a highly topical film and very important, highlighting a wound in Brazilian society that has never really healed. And yet, some people wish for these painful times to return. I hope you watch this masterpiece and start reflecting.

It is rare for a film to move me to the point of feeling deep melancholy and sadness.

"I'm Still Here" is one of the best films I've ever had the pleasure of watching. What stands out the most is that it is Brazilian, from my homeland, made from the history of my country, from one of the darkest chapters of our past... And all of this is told through the story of a simple family, living simple, happy days, until a tragedy overwhelmed everything and took away that simple happiness.

The film does have its flaws, many of which are subjective to my perspective-things I would have done differently during the editing process. That's all. Overall, the film is exceptionally well-shot, with a beautiful soundtrack that makes great use of our Brazilian music. The performances are flawless in every sense. The comedic moments bring a light and laid-back tone, while the more intense scenes make it clear that the film aims to convey a heavy, realistic message, depicting events that marked our people.

I am pleased to see that not only the world but also the Brazilian people are valuing this work.

I truly hope that, at long last, the Oscars will recognize this achievement and honor our beloved Fernanda Torres-an actress who emerged from one of the greatest actresses in the world, Fernanda Montenegro, who remains unjustly overlooked by the Academy.

One of the best films of all time. I dont have to many words, it means more than just Brazil history, it recreates the reality of dictatures all around the world. Salles bring us one touch of reality beyond frontiers, i NEED to watch it again, so many pieces left behind around the 1970's south america crisis, Montenegro steals the show in my opinion with the best expression of pain im front of pur eyes, while the director creates a new point of view around the terrorism of the military forces. HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO ME, SALLES?

In other words, just give the oscar to montenegro and salles (and maybe screenplay as well).

The most spectacular movie that Brazil has ever produced. Fernanda Torres impeccable.

The Oscar rarely goes to a country like Brazil, but it is undeniable how deep the film goes. The times of Brazilian dictatorship left deep marks that only a masterpiece like this film can highlight. Its necessary to be alert and strong. Watch it in the cinema and try to hold back your tears! Walter Salles: you are a genius!!!!! If necessary, reading about the real history of the characters in the plot can guide your understanding of the film. Knowing that it is something real makes everything even more impactful. Oscar!!!

The outstanding acting! I remember learning about the fact of the Brazilian dictatorship pretty young. We learn about it at school. I was probably around 11 the first time I heard about it, and as kids, as we grow, we keep learning more about it throughout time, but, you know, it's History... A boring subject from school for which we barely memorize the dates and headlines of the historical events in order to have good grades at the end of the semester. I heard about it my whole life, my grandparents lived it as adults, even so, the memories got carried away. "The Brazilian military dictatorship" becomes simply a brunch of meaningless words. The scars are all that's left. Having said that, this makes the moment of watching this movie the moment I felt the weight of our History on my shoulders and my heart for the first time. Fernanda Torres' acting took me to the edge where her character finds herself after her world crumbles down. I had to remember to breath a few times. Agony, anxiety, empathy. I could feel her pain, her strength, and yet, she does it in a way that made me cry from watching her holding her tears. It moved me. And that's what art is for. That's what this movie is. It's art, it's a memory, it's resistance.

Greetings again from the darkness. True stories are often at the heart of many movies each year. However, there are true stories and then there is the story of the Paiva family. Marcelo Rubens Paiva has written two books, which along with numerous interviews with family and friends, serve as the basis for this film from famed Brazilian director Walter Salles (THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES.2004). The screenplay comes from co-writers Murilo Hauser and Heitor Lorega.

Unless you are a history scholar, it's highly unlikely you can recite the various Latin America dictatorships and military coups over the past decades. Yet you surely know they have happened, and that many innocent people and families have been victimized. The Paiva family is one example, and their story is gut-wrenching. The film begins in Rio de Janeiro in 1970 when military rule was in place. Director Salles affords us plenty of time to get to know architect Rubens Paiva (Selton Mello), his wife Eunice (Fernanda Torres), and their five kids. Theirs is a happy family living a pleasant and comfortable life ... gatherings on the beach, music and dancing, family meals and photos. In one moment, the happiness fades and things change forever.

A group of men show up to escort Rubens (a long-ago local Congressman) in for a deposition. He smiles and tells the family that he will be back soon. The saga of this family is torturous to watch. Eunice and her oldest daughter are soon taken in and held for questioning in what appears to be some type of prison or military facility. They learn Rubens is accused of being a communist. Eunice's return home is a beautifully filmed sequence, as it's nighttime and the kids are sleeping.

The next morning's reunion is touching, yet now the reality has hit for the older daughters. Eunice kicks into strong woman mode to protect her "babies". The story shifts significantly here since the wage earner is gone. Eunice sells the house and the family moves to Sao Paulo. Eunice handles the extreme stress, continues caring for her kids, and never stops trying to find out about Rubens.

The journey of Eunice could easily fill a movie, however, Salles chooses to jump ahead 25 years (to 1996) and then again to 2014, when the family is together and wheelchair bound and Alzheimer's stricken Eunice is played by 95-year-old Fernanda Montenegro (Oscar nominated for CENTRAL STATION, 1998), the real-life mother of Fernanda Torres. During these segments, we figure out what an impressive woman Eunice is and how much she has accomplished through determination. It's likely a death certificate has never been more valued or more pursued than the one Eunice finally receives. We also see her son Marcelo is now physically disabled, yet becoming famous as a writer.

Director Walter Salles knew the Paiva family quite well when he was young, and his personal connection shines through in this ode to a family shattered by political turmoil. Fernanda Torres delivers a stunning performance with more emotional depth than just about any other acting performance we've seen this year. Salles details that more than 20,000 citizens were tortured and held captive over these years, and via the closing credits he runs archival photos and a recap of history. Seeing the stress and turmoil of a previously happy family is not an easy watch, yet perhaps the accomplishments of Eunice help offset some of the pain.

Being Brazilian, it pains me to say the movie disappointed me a little.

Of course we love Fernanda Torres and Selton Mello, which have had good performances, but I was expecting more depth, more interesting script and dialogues, more story. It all felt kind of basic, as if we touched just the surface of everything that happened.

All this screen time spent with the kids didn't add much to the film.

As a comparison, the Colombian movie "Memories of my Father" (2020), which has a similar storyline (the life of a professor and his family during dictatorship) is much more profound, with a thicker plot, and therefore is more memorable.

On the other hand, this must be one of the best Brazilian movies ever, along with Central do Brasil, Cidade de Deus, o Auto da Compadecida, Tropa de Elite e O Homem que Copiava (and that's it).

Having said all that, I think it's worth the watch, for historic knowledge. It has nice cinematography and good production picturing the 70's.

Well, it's definitely not a movie for everyone. By the great hype the movie's been getting, I expected it to be way better.

For the big crowd It might be boring. For critics, it may be an interesting movie.

Let me start by saying I understood its purpose. Historically, it's really important, but in terms of entertainment, it lacks tons of stuff, and the mean one is development and a good climax.

The movie could've explored more of the Brazilian dark times of dictadure, showing the great horror that the media hides up to these days. Therefore, it could've gotten deeper into the family's feelings. I think overall it was superficial and lacked emotion and interest.

Central Station, by the same director, is an exemple of excellence in Brazilian cinema. I went to the movies expecting something as big as his first hype.

Fernanda's acting, though, is out of discussion, and I think that's the only thing the movie's worthy of watching.

All the time I was like, Well, something great is going to happen, but the movie ended and that moment didn't come.