Review of I Am Sam (2014) by Chris W — 26 Jun 2013

This film, upon its release reeked of Oscar bait. Ten years later, that smell still lingers. I mean, how could it not? It's about a well meaning developmentally disabled man struggling to reclaim custody of his daughter, and prove that he is capable of raising her, even though she is smarter than him.

Here's the thing: I'm not an ogre, and I do have a soul. I recognize that this film is sweet, well meaning, and very charming. It has nothing but good intentions. However, this film tries a bit too hard, and is too reliant on cliches and formula. The references to Kramer Vs. Kramer were a nice litle touch, though.

Yeah, this film is heartwarming, and inspiring, but it's overbearing, and it is a feel-good movie to the extent that none of it is really earned. I feel like the film went to a route that was expected and that it did so just because the filmmakers felt levity over reality would be better. Sometimes I'm okay with that, but in this case, I just couldn't get onboard.

I do like the performances though. The cast is likeable, and they all put a lot of effort into things, but, like the film overall, they try to hard, hence why Sean Penn got a nomination, but went home empty-handed. He took it too far. His performance isn't offensive, and it is sensitive, but he could have made an effort to dial it down because a little goes a long way.

I'm ripping on this movie, but I don't totally hate it. I liked the soundtrack, and the idea to use nothing but Beatles songs was very inspired. Using the originals would have been better, but these are some good covers, so it's okay.

You can go out and see this if you want, but don't expect it to be a completely satisfying experience, even though there are some good moments to be found.