Here I Am (III) (2011) User Reviews

This is a heartfelt film about survival, redemption, forgiveness, and troubled mother-daughter relationships

[gregking4 · 6/10 · 21 May 2011]

Here I Am, which launched the Message Sticks Indigenous Film Festival, is a counterpoint to the recent Mad Bastards. Whereas that film was set in the Kimberleys and dealt more with issues facing indigenous males, Here I Am is a contemporary drama set in Adelaide and looking at the plight often facing indigenous females trying to survive in a hostile and often unforgiving environment. Karen (Shai Pittman) has just been released from prison after a two-year sentence for drug-related offences. She is keen to reconnect with her young daughter, but her unforgiving mother Lois (Marcia Langton) is resentful of her presence and blocks all attempts at reconciliation. Meanwhile Karen has to convince the authorities that she has turned her life around. She finds temporary accommodation in a woman's shelter, run by the formidable Big Red (Vanessa Worrall). There she swaps personal stories and interacts with some of the other residents, including the angry Anita (Betty Sumner), the jovial Skinny (Pauline Whyman), and the drug addict Jody (Tanith Glynn-Maloney). This is a heartfelt film about survival, redemption, forgiveness, and troubled mother-daughter relationships. There is an honesty and an emotional rawness to the material, although it ends on an optimistic note suggesting that Karen will be able to turn her lot around. The film is quite frank at times, delivers some startling statistics about the likelihood of indigenous people ending up in prison; but there is something slightly prosaic about the way in which this information is handled. Here I Am is the first feature film from writer/director Beck Cole, and she puts her short film and documentary background to good use in constructing a film that looks and feels realistic. Cole has used largely unknown and non-professional performers to bring a sense of verisimilitude to the material, although sometimes their lack of experience shows in the stilted delivery of dialogue. There is no denying the passion and commitment they bring to their roles though. Langton is a well-known aboriginal rights activist, but she brings a suitably cold and severe quality to her performance. Whyman is a veteran aboriginal actress, and she brings some earthy humour to her performance. In her film debut Pittman, who is on screen for most of the film's brisk 90 minutes, brings a wonderful combination of anger, frustration and vulnerability to her performance. Worrall is a social worker in real life, and this lends an authenticity to her performance. The film is set in Adelaide and the locations are well used to add further authenticity to the material. Another bonus is the crisp cinematography from Cole's husband Warwick Thornton (Samson & Delilah, etc).

The special touch of Australian Aboriginal film making

[brimon28 · 6/10 · 10 December 2011]

There's something "different' about the films coming out of Aboriginal groups in Australia. I asked an artist, Alan, in the Tiwi Islands: 'What is it with you guys that you make such great pictures?' Alan replied: 'You whitefellas have to go to college to learn to paint;' and putting his hand on his chest, 'It comes from in here.' Recently we have seen 'Rabbit Proof Fence', 'Toomelah', 'Samson and Delilah', and now 'Here I am'. This movie is not quite S & D, but it has the same cinematographer. Bec Cole and her husband have gone into the city, when so many Australian films have used the outback. This is not a pretty film, and I would have liked to give it a higher rating. It is well shot, and the performances from the tyro actors are truly remarkable. The same day I visited an exhibition by photographer Martin Mischkulnig, 'Smalltown', which is set in outback Australia. But his pictures are of 'white' Australia, landscapes and genre photos mostly without people. I cannot imagine an Aboriginal team making pictures without people.

An early post has described the film very well. I can but say, I'll try to see it again, and I hope many people give it the same value. I've never sat in a room with Aboriginal women in a shelter, but this film made me feel I was there.

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore

[Marcus-Aurelius90 · 13 August 2017]

This movie reminded me of classic Scorsese directed drama Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974). Both films are about the struggles of a single mother trying to eke out an existence in tragic circumstances. I found it to be quite compelling. The acting and direction is really very good. Its not often I can say this about drama films, but I've now seen this movie three times and each time I've found something profound in it.

Nothing to recommend this inept film

[werefox08 · 1/10 · 2 July 2013]

It is a huge mistake to have songs...where the lyrics tie into the story. It is the height of contrived nonsense...and never works. All of the music in this pretentious little movie is wrong. Director, Beck Cole forgot why people go to the movies. It is to be entertained. This movie is about issues that have been covered hundreds of times before. There is nothing new here...when the end came I could not believe it. The lead actress here Karen Burden...does that Indigenous "thing" very poorly. We all know the world is not fair, and there are millions of true blue losers. I am sure Beck had very little money to play with, but coming up with a movie like this means she will find it hard to persuade anyone to back her again.