I am Sam
Review by By Clint Morris
 I
am Sam is a much more subdued method of attack for the
former cameraman slugger Sean Penn, and the change in tactic
easily wins him the bout. Throwing a mean left hook of incontestable
emotion and an even meaner upper-jab of humour, I am Sam
cleans up the floor.
Earning a truckload of royalties for Dr Seuss' ancestors,
while giving the audience someone to warm too, Penn takes
on the role of a mentally handicapped man named Sam sure enough.
A placid elegiac soul who works the tables at the local Starbucks,
Sam is unaware of the bigger responsibilities around the corner.
It's the impending role of fatherhood that catches him off
mark.
The result of a one-night stand, Sam finds himself left to
care for a baby daughter, but once the authorities get wind
of a mentally handicapped man caring for a baby scenario,
they remove her from his custody, placing her in transitory
care. With the aid of a usually snot-nosed costly lawyer (Pfeiffer),
Sam begins an agitated attempt to win back his daughter.
I am Sam is as divine as raindrops on a birdbath.
Like so many movies of late, it's a film that mainly relies
on the performances of the cast, not the screenplay to snag
the audience.
Penn is a revelation. He has totally immersed himself in
the role of Sam, and like Dustin Hoffman's Raymond Babbit
in Rainman, is wholly credible in each one of his countless
scenes. Couple that with a great turn by Pfeiffer who, for
a change, is playing a power-chick who primarily walks with
the air of an elitist and has a haughty nature to boot. But
It's young Dakota Fanning as Sam's daughter, Lucy, who comes
a close second to the irrepressible Penn, combining charm
and aptitude in an otherwise token role.
I am Sam captures the miraculous love between a father and
a daughter possibly more so than any film in the last five
years. It's ultimately sugarcoated for the most part, but
it's got a rich centre that inescapably comes melting through.
4 out of 5
I am Sam
Australian release: Thursday 13th June
Cast: Stars Sean Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dakota Fanning,
Diane Wiest, Laura Dern, Doug Hutchinson.
Director: Jessie Nelson.
Website: Click
here
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