O Desaparecimento

Having good intentions is not always a guarantee of making a good movie - unless you are good at what you do. 'Still here' looked promising on paper but comes in as a difficult watch on many levels - including, messy editing, direction, photography, and a poorly realised script - featuring very few convincing situations and many unfocused characters. It comes across as another excuse to push the agenda of the unhelpful law and its big bad white guy type policing...offering little more than supposition to back up its accusations.

Then, as if attempting to add some form of balance, one of the white detectives is shown in a detailed scene having an unexplained change of heart - but of course, his epiphany results in changing nothing, next we see of him he's right back to his nasty ol self. These types of character inconsistencies tend to continue across the board.

Most acting is from the over the top school of expression - while some of this might sometimes work, overall , it's ultimately tiresome. The story is claimed as based on facts but these 'facts' come across as manufactured and mostly unbelievable (especially the resolution). Pity, as it offers the odd good line, and might have been better if given a sure-handed approach. A pile-on of endless foul language adds nothing to the general proceedings.

Superb acting from a largely unknown (by me, anyway) cast. Engaging and involving story. I have to say I'm always more compelled to watch movies based on true events. This one held me throughout. As a side note fans of Zazie Beetz (the one face I DID recognise) should be aware her role is of a 'Cameo' nature and lasts only a couple of minutes. Great film.

I'm a white lady and old. But these actors were so powerful in their performance that I actually felt their pain not only because they were black but because their daughter was black and no one cared. Because they were black. This movie was so full of emotion. The actors made me see into their pain. I'm not prejudiced at all but I can see this same thing happens a lot in real life. This movie should win an Emmy and an Oscar. And the performance of the entire cast is superb but the guy that played the dad....man you need your own reward. You did a really good job. I hope to see all these actors again.

This is a hard film to watch. It makes you feel, and makes you think whether everyone is caring for one another enough.

Some good acting counterbalanced by a lot of bad. Because of the subject matter you forgive a lot of it. Overall it was a bit disjointed and sometimes off the wall. The ending which might have saved the film... instead was like letting the air out of a tire.