I’m Still Here is the definition of genius. Famed actor Joaquin Phoenix gives a performance of a lifetime, while Casey Affleck emerges from his older brother’s shadow to bring us a new art form.
We have seen many stars pull off publicity stunts to promote their movies, but this was so much more than that. It all started in 2008 when Phoenix claimed he was retiring from acting to pursue hiphop. Then came glimpses of the actor sporting more facial hair and pounds than the man that won us over in Walk The Line or We Own The Night. It all peaked with his appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman — Letterman famously states at the end of the excruciating interview “I’m sorry you couldn’t be here tonight,” — or the videos popping up of his failed attempts at rap performances.
Then came the rumours that it was all a hoax for a documentary being filmed by Casey Affleck, most notable for his acting in Gone Baby Gone and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, but those were soon squashed by a very convincing performance by Phoenix that again highlighted that he indeed had gone off the deep end.
The movie documented real reaction to Phoenix rather than his performance and perceived downfall. It is a documentation of how friends, employees, peers and fans all reacted to Phoenix spiralling out of control. These reactions were not unique and are stereotypical of similar situations in the land of the celebrity. Western society is unique in its obsession with the celebrity, which the documentary exploited in filming.
Phoenix is obviously a true artist for being able to convince so many of his co-workers and peers that this was legit. Affleck stated that only himself, Phoenix and Phoenix’s agent were in on the joke. Others believed that he lost his mind and sadly no one seemed concerned. They all just appease him, even going as far as to tell him his rap performances are great. He also had the gonads to be a joke for two years, standing up and pretending to think he was good at rapping, as stories of drug use and encounters with hookers abounded. Phoenix and Affleck staged almost the entire film, even hiring child actors to play a young Phoenix. They do such a good job that Affleck had to give an interview to the New York Times after the film’s release to highlight that it is in fact satire — many audience members were left looking for an obvious punchline that just never comes.
Of course, this being a mockumentary of sorts, there is no amazing cinematography or even a tangible plot line. What this movie does provide is a lot of good laughs, a chance for self-reflection and raises the question: has Hollywood glamorized everyone so much that the glitter and flashing lights clouds their judgement?