I Am Sam Review

This has become one of my all time favourite films. I admit thier are some flaws in the story and thier can be some confusion over who you should side with. But it's such a beautiful film and comes with a great message.
(I'm starting to worry that i'm going to get get really soppy in this review). This film shows that when it comes to being a parent, nothing is more important than love.

At the start of the film we are introduced to Sam(amazingly acted by Sean penn) who has the mental capacity of a 7 year old. We soon discover that he is expecting a baby, and shortly after she is introduced into the world, the mother runs away, leaving Sam to care for his daughter Lucy alone.
With the help of Annie(the women across the road) he is able to comfortably raise Lucy and introduce her to the world. However, when she turns 7, things drastically change, and Sam finds himself fighting (with his easily frustrated lawyer) to try and keep custody of his daughter.

I'll admit that when I first watched this film, thier was a few tears. And even now i occasionally have to try and act manly, and hold back the emotions. But it is a film that explores a lot of emotional tragedy, and what makes it so sad is that it's the tragedy of the vulnerable.
We're not witnessing the lives of any average person crumble, we're seeing people that have already been dealt a bad hand in life, and thier life just gets worse, and they have it all thrown back at them.
On numerous occasions we see people fall apart and crack during this film.

However, don't be under the impression that this is just a gloomy film, it has many hilarious and joyful moments. Particularly between Sam and Lucy. This is partly because of the superb writing and the lighting of a lot of the scenes which added to the emotion. But I have to mention the incredible acting which truly makes this film what it is.
Sean Penn clearly did his research when preparing for his role as Sam and does an outstanding job, i barely recognise it as him.
Dakota Fanning does an equally brilliant job playing Lucy, and handles both the comical and emotional scenes very professionally for someone her age, and it's not surprising to see her continue to land great roles in the film industry. Her timing and facial expressions are perfect for the role.
Michelle Pfeiffer also deserves a mention for her portrayal of Rita Harrison, the stressed out, emotional lawyer. She does a great job in both emotional and more humerous scenes, and she bounces off of Penn's character comfortably, and allows him to invest in his character while still ensuring that she gets enough attention on her dramatic, crumbling life to keep the sub-plot slowly developing.

Overall, it is the superb acting, writing, lighting and soundtrack that combine together to make this film an emotional rollercoaster. Definately one to watch, but be warned that you will likely have to hold back some tears.

9/10

Posted in: I Am Sam, Sean Penn