So at this point we’ve seen, among a bunch of other roles, Penn goes from a violent racist dude to an eccentric and ambitious musician, and now, to a developmentally delayed father fighting to retain custody of his daughter. My own memory of the first time I watched this movie is hazy; I think I was far less discerning at the time. Penn’s performance in it, however, is hard to deny. Unlike Roger Ebert, I don’t think playing a role this involving is that much easier on an actor—although I’d leave it to the actor to have the final say on the issue. There’s more going on in Penn’s manner here than his labored speech, movements and facial expressions. It’s that element that makes the performance every bit as good as Penn is in Sweet and Lowdown, that even when you concentrate really closely on his acting, it’s incredibly hard to find much of Sean Penn as we know him in this character. The quality of the movie notwithstanding, when people wonder what folks mean when they speak about an actor disappearing into a role, I Am Sam is a film they could be directed to.
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