I Am Sam (2001) – I Am Sam (2001) – User Reviews – IMDb

9

/10

I did cry during this film. There, I got it out there in the open so that it wouldn’t hold me back as I talked about how great of a cinematic journey I Am Sam was. I remember when this film was released and how disgusted I was to hear that Sean Penn was taking the role of a mentally challenged individual because I am under the utter beliefs that if you want realism in your film, just hire someone who faces it daily. I didn’t see the point of getting Sean Penn to over dramatize it. I am here to say that I was wrong. For once, I think Sean Penn was the perfect choice for this film. Yet, it wasn’t just Penn that made this film worth more than one viewing. I believe that director Jessie Nelson realized that she had a cliché Hollywood story on her hands, in fact just another retelling of Kramer vs. Kramer (which is referenced throughout the film), and needed to do something to set it apart from the rest. Her answer, Beatles songs, imaginative cinematography, and gathering the best of the best to tackle her main characters. While Michelle Pfeiffer seemed to be an odd fit, the rest fell into place beautifully. Let me say this now, Dakota Fanning will win Oscars (more than one) during her film career. Needless to say, this was a much better film that initially represented. I Am Sam is one of those movies that we assume will be just like every other Hollywood outing, but until you open the box, put the DVD into your player, and experience the music, the visuals, as well as the phenomenal acting; you will never quite understand why I Am Sam carried above the Hollywood standard.

On the apparent level, I Am Sam works because of Sean Penn. As I watch more and more of this actor’s body of work, I cannot help but be continually impressed. Penn brings more to the screen than any other actor could imagine. His presence, in my eyes, dwarfs Hanks and Cruise phenomenon. Penn is constantly surprising us with challenging roles that fluctuate between light and dark. He is not focused on one genre, but always impressing with his ability to move between films. One will never quite know what he has in his back pocket until we see him on screen. He is that impressive. I believe that it was also the aid of Dakota Fanning which gave Penn the strength to be the character that he was. For her first feature film, Fanning came out with the prose and professionalism that has nearly gone missing in Hollywood. She stood up, worked with Penn like they had been companions for a lifetime, and succeeded in giving us the emotion this film desperately deserved. She was an element of I Am Sam that was needed to bring a human element to Sam, and she did it with the greatest of ease. I can say the same about everyone else in the film to those that played Sam’s friends, to Diane Wiest, to even Laura Dern. They all created an ensemble cast that brought emotion, humility, and sincerity to this film. Alas, I just can’t say the same for Michelle Pfeiffer. I thought her role in this film was too dramatic; she seemed to be the only one that fit within the cliché walls, and just seemed to be a bit miscast. There was a level of annoyance with her as well. The lawyer that leans more about herself through her client was just too much for me. I think if she just played herself being a lawyer, than it would have worked better. She tried to hard to counter Penn’s brilliance, and it didn’t work. Fanning did it exceptionally well, but Pfeiffer seemed too familiar. I know we could have expected more from her, the sad thing is, we didn’t get it in this film.

There are two other elements of I Am Sam that nearly knocked me off the couch because I wasn’t expecting them. The first was the cinematography which added a very artistic element to this film. The cut scenes added a new level of humanity to everyone involved, while the choice of colors for different moments really added to the raw emotion of the film. This wasn’t your typical film where it was the stagnate colors and straight-forward camera work, this was a movie that took unfamiliar leaps with the camera, choosing to use darkened colors for the courtroom scenes, and lightened colors for the moments between Penn and Fanning. This is much different than your typical courtroom film. I thought this idea worked brilliantly to bring a defined tone to the film. Coupled with the fabulous and detailed Beatles’ music that was used with superb accuracy, I Am Sam transformed into more than what I was ready for. I read that Penn was influential in getting the Beatles’ music for the film, and the choice to use one band to compliment the film was yet another tool not used often in cinema. Again, I Am Sam took risks, and it is those risks (like the music and cinematography) that took this a-typical film into a whole new galaxy.

Overall, I thought this was a surprising film. I was not expecting the level of superiority that I witnessed when I watched this movie. I was expecting your typical courtroom drama with Sean Penn befouling a character that he had no right to play. I am nearly certain his portrayal here should have won him the Oscar over Denzel. The only negative I have is Pfeiffer, but she can be easily overshadowed by Fanning and Penn if you get too deeply into this film. I highly suggest this film to anyone as a more than once viewing. I think you will be just as surprised/shocked as I was!!

Grade: ***** out of *****

Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.

Permalink

3 out of 4 found this helpful.