I'm Still Here - Joaquin Phoenix documentary

Handsome Bob

Casey Affleck's 'mockumentary' about Joaquin Phoenix has been picked up by Magnolia Pictures.

I'm Still Here: The Lost Year Of Joaquin Phoenix follows the Walk The Line star's 'retirement' from acting and subsequent attempt to launch a hip-hop career.

Now Magnolia Pictures, after recently entering into talks to acquire the project, has announced that the film will have a platform release on September 10, with a wider release expected the following week.

Deadline also reports that the studio is considering giving the film its premiere at either the Venice or Toronto film festival.

Magnolia president Eamonn Bowles called the film "a pretty amazing piece of work, jaw-dropping but dimensional".

He added: "It is going to get a lot of attention, but it is not some cheap stunt where they said, 'Let's do some wild stuff and film it.' It is extreme behaviour but really good filmmaking as well. Frankly, some of the behaviour is very extreme.

"But it is in the context of the insanity of being in Joaquin's life for that period of time. It is a unique piece of work that is going to surprise people in different ways."

Director Affleck recently admitted that he "lucked out" with the documentary.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/news/a244247/joaquin-phoenix-doc-finds-distributor.html

Now this should be really interesting. I'm in two minds about what the true story is here. In one sense I think this could be brilliant if Phoenix is just faking this whole thing. On the other hand, if he's not and really is becoming quite the nutter, I think this documentary could make for some very sad and disturbing viewing.

I hope they are just taking the piss, I really do, I wouldn't like to think Casey Affleck would be so opportunistic and take advantage of someone who is meant to be a close friend (Phoenix is Affleck's brother in law I believe).

Mickeroo

Since they're calling it a mockumentary it must surely be fictional right?

Handsome Bob

Mickeroo wrote: »

Since they're calling it a mockumentary it must surely be fictional right?

I'm not sure, I think Digital Spy are taking a leap in assuming that it's a mockumentary. For it to be that, Phoenix would have indicate that his erractic behaviour has been just a show. He hasn't done that.

filmfan

Yeah was reading this yesterday, not sure what the hell is going on to be honest...

johnny_ultimate

Interesting article about it here.

Sounds like it's totally insane, and again no one quite knows what the hell is going on with it. "More full frontal male nudity than you'd find in some gay pr0n movies" and someone "defecating" on him :eek: This is genuinely one of the most bizarre stories in a while.

TheIrishGrover

I mean, did ANYBODY really think that this was real? Come on. I'm not the sharpest tool in the box but even I was unconvinced by the whole thing. The youtube clips, the Letterman thing? I mean hands up who was surprised when it "emerged" that they were making a film about this break? I'm sorry guys but ye really should have been there before Borat.

robby^5

TheIrishGrover wrote: »

I mean, did ANYBODY really think that this was real? Come on. I'm not the sharpest tool in the box but even I was unconvinced by the whole thing. The youtube clips, the Letterman thing? I mean hands up who was surprised when it "emerged" that they were making a film about this break? I'm sorry guys but ye really should have been there before Borat.

You must have more facts than we do because it's still up in the air as to wheter or not this was a hoax.

Really interested in what is going on here, even though I cant stand Casey Affleck I really want to know what Phoenix is up to. I really want to him to go back to making films.

Sad Professor

Nah, it was definitely an act. He was trying to do an Andy Kaufman. Whether he succeeded or not is another thing. The film sounds like Borat. Phoenix has since appeared looking normal again.

Mickeroo

Guess it's all just been marketing.

Richard Dower

He's clearly bonkers...i don't think anyone cares if it's legit or not. "art" my ass...self indulgent nonsense, ego run amock....he's wasted his and everyone's else time.

I hope he never gets work again...twat.

JP Liz V1

Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2spHiYOORc

He looks like Zach Galifianakis

bnt

I'm Still Here is out in the USA now, and is reviewed here by Ebert. Whether the film is a true documentary or set-up is not entirely clear.

nosco

Sorry, but are you people serious in thinking that it could be real?

JP Liz V1

Handsome Bob

nosco wrote: »

Sorry, but are you people serious in thinking that it could be real?

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/news/a274065/affleck-phoenix-doc-not-a-hoax.html

I don't see why he would lie other than to market and promote the film, but if that's the case Affleck and Phoenix are only thinking about the short term affect. The long term affect could see them lose credibility, artistically speaking.

Sad Professor

I still say this wasn't real. But that's not to say it was a hoax either. Hoax implies a joke or prank. I don't think that was Phoenix's intention. Instead it was probably a very personal performance, one in which Phoenix allowed himself to hit rock bottom, but a performance nonetheless.

Either way, neither Phoenix or Affeck are going to come out and say, oh yeah this was a big joke. It would lesson the potential power of the film. Nobody wants to go see a mockumentary in which a famous actor pretends to have a meltdown. Like Kaufman, I suspect Phoenix created an alternate public persona that he inhabited for a year in order to play out some of his demons. Beats counselling, I guess. :pac:

bnt

nosco wrote: »

Sorry, but are you people serious in thinking that it could be real?

When you look at the lives of some of these Hollywood types, it could be both real and hoax at the same time. (Think about it!) :rolleyes:

johnny_ultimate

Ebert's review is strange, once again seems fairly determined it isn't a hoax (and claims he'd be pissed off if it was!). The whole situation is so absurd it does look like a hoax: have never seen anyone go quite so far off the rails. Situation is still unclear, here's hoping it is a joke: as Ebert points out, otherwise Phoenix is on a slippery slope.

nosco

LZ5by5 wrote: »

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/news/a274065/affleck-phoenix-doc-not-a-hoax.html

I don't see why he would lie other than to market and promote the film, but if that's the case Affleck and Phoenix are only thinking about the short term affect. The long term affect could see them lose credibility, artistically speaking.

Wow. I genuinely cannot believe people are taking this seriously. Think about it for a second. Have you seen his attempt at rapping? Have you seen his interview with letterman? He's a bright enough bloke. How can you honestly believe that he is not acting???

phasers

Actually dying to see this now

ToniTuddle

Can't wait to see this. I adore Casey Affleck and esp love Joaquin!

It says UK release will be September 17th? Is Ireland the 17th too?

Bloody hope my local cinema shows it :mad:

magma69

How can anyone think that it is genuine. Fair enough, when the Letterman interview happened, I genuinely thought he had gone bonkers but as soon as I found out there is a movie coming out about it, it was obvious it was all put on. I mean, come on, what better way to sell a movie by having an air of mystery about it. Blair Witch Project anyone? People will be talking about it, lots of hype generated = $$$. The public love to see celebrity train wrecks. I'll eat my hat if this is genuine.

grames_bond

JP Liz V1 wrote: »

Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2spHiYOORc

i thought it was fake from day one and imo this trailer adds to that, looks too polished for an actual documentory, the scripted voice over is ott.....looks fun thoiugh!

Theboinkmaster

Sad Professor wrote: »

I still say this wasn't real. But that's not to say it was a hoax either. Hoax implies a joke or prank. I don't think that was Phoenix's intention. Instead it was probably a very personal performance, one in which Phoenix allowed himself to hit rock bottom, but a performance nonetheless.

Either way, neither Phoenix or Affeck are going to come out and say, oh yeah this was a big joke. It would lesson the potential power of the film. Nobody wants to go see a mockumentary in which a famous actor pretends to have a meltdown. Like Kaufman, I suspect Phoenix created an alternate public persona that he inhabited for a year in order to play out some of his demons. Beats counselling, I guess. :pac:

Well said, i agree

housemap

Unwarranted self importance, acting is a job just like any other, I'd be about as interested in what the milkman does in his spare time.

conorhal

I reckon it's both hoax and a documentary.

I've a sneeking suspicion that the there was a drunken conversation in a bar between Affleck and Phoenix that wen't something like this...

"Dude, I'm out, I'm sick of Hollywood, sick of the scene and you know what? I have made all the damn money I'm ever going to need whoring myself in this profession... So you know what? That's it, I'm moving to Ohio and becoming a cheesemaker!"

"Dude, I hear ya, but if you're really determined to do that....you know what would be a blast?"

I'd say, yeah, Phoenix quit the bizz, and probably half of what you see is real footage of the guy arseing around and enjoying his retirement from a career that he never seemed comfortable with in the first place. The the other half of the footatage, like the P. Diddy clips were staged just for sh1ts and giggles....

Either way, it sounds intresting, hopefully it will be good

Sad Professor

In addition to being spotted out walking his dogs, looking clean shaven and normal again, it seems Phoenix hasn't quit acting yet either.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i01b6a2dad021a54586de5997a7797ad7

SVG

It looks like it's too much of an in-joke to be entertaining to outsiders.

I'm happy with this smaller dose of Joaquin weirdness (with added Herzog).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDcnLfLaFiY

maninblack

are any cinemas in Dublin showing this on Fri??

phasers

It's only showing in a tiny number of cinemas in the UK and I can't find it at all in Dublin

I'd have thought Cineworld would be showing it...

stiofandebrun

I can't find anywhere that is showing it either!

I really thought atleast one place in Dublin would be running it. :eek:

Onsberg

I would have expected this to be shown in the Screen cinema in Dublin at least.

Has anyone been able to check if it's in the upcoming movies at Screen?

paddyismaddy

if its fake he is one of the best actors ever

e_e

Maybe The Screen will show it a few weeks after the uk release, like they did with Black Dynamite.

nosco

paddyismaddy wrote: »

if its fake he is one of the best actors ever

IF its fake!! Think for a second here. Joaquin Phoenix quit acting to try his hand at RAPPING!! Think people goddamit!!!

Handsome Bob

Well, it's looking more and more obvious that it is indeed fake. For one,

his dad in the film is not his real dad but is actually Daddy Affleck.

Which just begs the question, what's the ****ing point of it all?

Richard Dower

Now confirmed, a cynical hoax: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i4c4ed3de929a1b5dcb268cfafca5766e

TheIrishGrover

shocker

Also in Breaking News: The universe is big

vinylbomb

Does anyone have any idea if this will get a release here?
No sign of it in any listings for this week, it came out in the UK this weekend I thought?

bnt

The poster is on the wall at the IFI, so they should have it, but not this month.

Basq

Joaquin Phoenix is going back on Letterman on Wednesday night.. to follow up on this interview back in February:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuO75_hJgCQ

johnny_ultimate

There's a poster in the IFI for this now, with only the vague suggestion that it is 'coming soon'. Hopefully will be in the October listings, strange that the UK are getting it and not us.

AnonoBoy

It was clearly obvious it was a hoax all the time.

I mean who in good conscience would film a family member having a nervous breakdown like that?

Handsome Bob

AnonoBoy wrote: »

I mean who in good conscience would film a family member having a nervous breakdown like that?

I was never completely sure because I remember reading about Phoenix always being slightly strange even before he had his "breakdown". But yeah, as you said above, that was the key issue in all of this. I never thought Affleck would be so opportunistic as to take advantage of a genuinely unhinged Phoenix, so I just about always leaned towards it being a hoax.

JP Liz V1

basquille wrote: »

Joaquin Phoenix is going back on Letterman on Wednesday night.. to follow up on this interview back in February:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuO75_hJgCQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFbiNwrBILU

laugh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15MXBrfJuVg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eURi8oqBEU

phasers

Just a bump to let people know that the IFI are showing this right now

johnny_ultimate

Saw this tonight, and I think 'interesting' is the only suitable adjective.

Obviously, the film takes on a whole new light knowing that it is a hoax, I'd say it was much more bizarre when there was still the very slight doubt that it was genuine. As it is now, there is some 'interesting' commentary in there about celebrity - with Phoenix feigning a serious breakdown, the media are just out to comment on it and, of course, get that particularly grim photograph. As a critique of celebrity culture, it's not extremely deep or anything but at least has some sort of point to it.

As for what actually happens in it, well a lot of it is very funny, such

as Phoenix playing his 'album' for P. Diddy or his assistant taking a **** on him while he sleeps.

It variates from hilarious to uncomfortable, and towards the end Phoenix's 'performance' (as we now know it is) grows much more erratic and bizarre, mostly in the immediate aftermath to the Letterman show. It ends quite poignantly too,

with a clearly staged but haunting image of Joquain wading through the water in Panama.

It's a very strange film, sometimes very amateur - much of it clearly filmed on the fly - but a confident and very very odd film from Phoenix and Affleck. It's far from amazing, and there are times when you struggle to decide what the point of it is. But it's worth a watch. In short: interesting.

JP Liz V1

http://insidemovies.ew.com/2010/11/18/ben-stiller-diddy-joaquin-hoax/

Now, in the movie’s DVD audio commentary (out Nov. 23), Phoenix and Affleck acknowledge that they weren’t the only ones in on the hoax. Almost all the Hollywood stars who appear in the film — including Ben Stiller and Diddy — knew exactly what was going on.

Diddy plays a large role in the film, listening patiently as Phoenix tries to convince him to produce his album. Diddy later defended Phoenix, telling reporters that the actor’s rap career was authentic. But according to Affleck and Phoenix, it was all an act. “Puff was great. He invited us over to his house, and we actually went over and we explained what the movie was to him and you know, sat with him for about a half an hour and sort of talked him through it. And all he said was that he was in,” says Affleck, who did multiple takes of most of Diddy’s scenes. “Puff… took direction very well.”
Stiller, who memorably skewed Phoenix’s persona with a gag at the 2009 Oscars, makes an appearance in one of the film’s tenser scenes, when he tries unsuccessfully to pitch a movie role to Phoenix. “We actually filmed this scene after Joaquin’s appearance on Letterman, after the Oscars, when Ben makes fun of him,” admits Affleck. “And then we went back and we shot this scene so we could put it earlier in the movie and give Ben a reason. We had to sort of justify why [Ben] would be making fun of him that way. Give him a kind of personal motivation. And he was totally game.”
Phoenix also says that his infamous onstage tumble during a rap set at a Las Vegas club was planned — and inspired by Chevy Chase. “Most of my life I’ve been consumed and plagued with the fear of falling or tripping in public for some reason. And any time I walk the red carpet or go on to a talk show or something, I’m certain that I’m going to fall and make a fool of myself. And I just thought that this was kind of a perfect opportunity to see the character fall,” says Phoenix. “I was always a fan of slapstick comedy, and Chevy Chase always used to do this thing where he’d fall over and jump up immediately, like he was fine. And I just basically tried to steal it from him.”
Other stars in on the joke: Natalie Portman and Edward James Olmos. Affleck doesn’t discuss whether Letterman was in the loop, saying only, “He was great.” (A Late Show writer has said Dave knew about Phoenix’s plan.)

pickarooney

Did anyone see this?

edit: my question looks a bit retarded if you're not aware some threads were merged!

Norma_Desmond

I didn't read all the posts so sorry if this has already been said but I've seen it (very funny in the way that it's so terrible, Joaquin Phoenix shouldn't rap)
but anyway it's got to be a hoax because in the credits it says "Joaquin's dad played by some actor" if this was the real thing I'm sure his real father would be playing himself!
Well worth a watch though.