Casey Affleck‘s mock/documentary I’m Still Here starring Oscar-nominated actor turned aspiring rapper Joaquin Phoenix was just screened here at Toronto International Film Festival. After the screening Peter Sciretta from /Film, Alex Billington from FirstShowing.net, and myself recorded a video blog discussing the film. You can check out my quick reaction below as well as the video.
Graced with snow angels, vomit, poop, cocaine and penises, this experimentation only mildly succeeds. You won’t find answers on whether Phoenix was playing a trick, nor clear motivation for his love of hip-hop. If it is hoax, method acting at its finest is on display, which results in a hilarious look of a seemingly insane individual.
Phoenix’s struggle to achieve something new in his career–hoax or not–is one of the few things to connect to in the film. Affleck’s commentary on celebrity status and glamor only reach so far. Ponderous shots attempting to reach somewhere deeper in Phoenix’s psyche never have the impact they should. It is when Phoenix has rapid fire, off-the-cuff reactions or over-the-top interactions with a handful of celebrities that the film truly entertains.
Check out our video below.
I’m Still Here hits theaters September 10th.