I Am Sam Review

Sean Penn has come a long way since his Brat Pack 'Mr Madonna' days. He's proved to be a talented if unrelenting filmmaker as the director of such dramas as "The Crossing Guard" and "The Pledge," and as an actor has generally steered clear of mainstream Hollywood roles to make movies with a more independent streak. So it's a little surprising to see him starring opposite Michelle Pfeiffer's super bitch lawyer in "I Am Sam," the overly sentimental tale of a mentally handicapped single parent (Penn, who was nominated for an Oscar for his parent) forced to fight for the custody of his seven year old daughter (played by newcomer Dakota Fanning), when the authorities decide he is no longer capable as her mental prowess is now greater than his.

The film features a fine debut from the young Dakota Fanning, and Penn's performance is calculatingly thorough. It also has a fine soundtrack of Beatles songs covered by a host of contemporary artists including Aimee Mann & Michael Penn, Pearl Garden's Eddie Veder, Sheryl Crowe, and Nick Cave. But when one of the best thing's about a movie is the soundtrack CD you know you're in trouble! "I Am Sam" is also saccharine, formulaic, self righteous and oh-so worthy; 'quality' Hollywood filmmaking at its most mainstream.