Joaquin Phoenix, Casey Affleck Annoy in Worthless ‘I’m Still Here’

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CHICAGO – Is “I’m Still Here,” the story of Joaquin Phoenix’s attempts to leave behind his acting career and try to make it as a hip-hop star, an elaborate piece of performance art or a documentary about an identity crisis of a man committing professional suicide? The problem is that the answer is irrelevant. Either way, “I’m Still Here” is grating, boring, and completely without value.

As Joaquin Phoenix was descending from a two-time Oscar nominee to the subject of ridicule through impersonations of his increasingly-erratic behavior, those who were following the odd story often noted that it was unusual that Casey Affleck, Phoenix’s brother-in-law, was following the star of “Walk the Line” with a camera crew. To what end? The result is “I’m Still Here,” a film that either tells the story of a man trying to find something real after growing tired of his life as an actor or is something closer to “Borat” in the way it tries to push the boundaries of performance art.

Judged as a hoax or a documentary film, “I’m Still Here” is still a waste of time. What do I think? I think that Phoenix honestly wanted to take a break from dramatic work and try something new. So, the jumping-off point of the film is genuine. I think what happened next is that he was sitting around with Affleck and some other friends, probably after a bit too much cocaine (which is not slander…he’s seen snorting it off a hooker’s breast in the film), and the fiction of “I’m Still Here” was concocted. Because no one can be this much of an arrogant, juvenile prick.

I'm Still Here
I’m Still Here
Photo credit: Magnolia

The film starts with one of MANY rants from Phoenix about his desire to stop pretending and start getting real. As he’s considering retirement from acting, he gets typecast in a small role in a one-night play and he’s had enough. His acting days are done. But instead or retiring to an island retreat to find himself, he decides to stay in the world of celebrity and become a hip-hop star. Bad idea.

The rest of “I’m Still Here” consists of Affleck documenting a life increasingly off-its-hinges. Phoenix does copious drugs, makes awkward public appearances (including the notorious David Letterman one to promote “Two Lovers,” which is shown in its entirety), grows out all of the hair on his head and face, verbally abuses everyone in his world, and even finds time to record some of the worst hip-hop ever put on film.

Is it real? Does it matter? If it’s a hoax, which is what I firmly believe, then the film doesn’t work as performance art. It’s not interesting enough to do so. It’s not funny enough to be put alongside Sacha Baron Cohen’s work and it’s not insightful enough to be judged as fiction. It shows commitment on the part of Phoenix, for sure, but that doesn’t justify a feature film.

And if it’s real, then it’s just sad. That means that one Oscar nominee (Casey Affleck) sat around and rolled cameras while another spiraled out of control. If it’s fake, then Phoenix is a total jerk and if it’s real then it is Affleck that is the reprehensible one for not getting his brother-in-law help. And doing so with no clear purpose of documentary intent. If it’s real, then the whole thing is basically just a home movie of a total a-hole. Either way, the question that was never answered is who cares?

“I’m Still Here” stars Joaquin Phoenix and Casey Affleck. It was written by Phoenix & Affleck and directed by Affleck. It is rated R and opened on September 10th, 2010.

HollywoodChicago.com content director Brian Tallerico

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

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