The film's writing, other hand, is pretty heavy handed, trying to get information out with a sledge hammer rather than a paintbrush. I've had many times where this has happened in my own writing and the only way to get around it is to rewrite the script multiple times, do line readings with actors or collaborators, then rewrite the script some more. After that, do actual rehearsals with your final actors, and rewrite the script based on what flows and what seems cumbersome. You want the audience to feel like they're overhearing an actual conversation between people, without realizing that they're picking up all the necessary information they need for the next portion of the scene.
Because of the lack of unified voice of a single directorial vision, the heavy handed writing, and because most of the actors were self trained, the acting was all over the board. Star/tri-director Walter Banasiak presents a fairly compelling character as Jason Lonsephine, but his delivery is a bit muddled by confused emotions and disparate motivations. Tri-director Danny Grenchik as Detective Fuentes has moments of believability as a scared and bribed patsy, but too often tries to be excessively wordy which doesn't fit well with the weasel-y elements of his character and really strains believability. Co-Star/tri-director Harry Lock IV as the maniacal Julio Perez is dynamic and has a lot of the on-screen charisma of a young Avery Brooks, but his portrayal is severely sabotaged by the fact that he's perpetually angry and so over-the-top in his emotions that it almost turns his depiction into a melodrama. Good rage is effective when the character in question has times of calm and studied restraint. Rage becomes truly terrifying if a character is restrained almost all the time and becomes unhinged in an unexpected, yet understandable way. Avery Brooks' character in The Big Hit is an excellent example of the calculating crime boss who gets angry only rarely, but it grips the audience and terrifies his subordinates. Sarah Wartman's Kat is pretty even keeled throughout the film and, as such, stays fairly believable. Mark Svalina's Officer Leonard Oliver started a little rough, but grew to be pretty believable throughout the film. In the end, all the main characters in the film have a definite presence that can be effective, but could use a semester in an acting program to learn more of the elements of acting finesse.
The one main character who lacks the roughness of the others is the only one who's received formal acting training, Sarah Evans, who played the role of Julio's girlfriend, Violet. She was really impressive throughout the film. Unfortunately, her polished performance drew even more attention to the less trained performances around her.
My recommendation to the filmmakers for future films is, after choosing a single director, to do a full casting call at local colleges, through online acting services, and the like to get experienced actors who are really excited about your project to actually audition. Make sure the actors you cast can support the story you want to tell, even for the extra roles, because believability hangs on each and every character. If you have friends who want to be in the film, make them audition like everyone else. Sometimes you will find a better person than your friends for a role, and sometimes your friends will step up and blow everyone out of the water. (When I directed Depleted: Day 419, a completely unexpected actor was perfect for one of the roles I had thought a friend of mine might do well with. In another role, a different buddy of mine auditioned and knocked the ball out of the park. You just never know.) We actually have a full article on how to successfully audition actors here.
The ending of I'm Still Here completes the film pretty well and sports some of the best fight choreography from the film and some of the better makeup effects. With that said, it is a bit overwrought and also explains a few more things than are necessary. (It's often difficult to know the right mix of how much to show and how much to leave to the imagination.)
