TIFF 2010 Review: I’m Still Here – A Bombastic Portrait Of Celebrity Peculiarity
In the “documentary” I’m Still Here, Joaquin Phoenix lets it all hang out. His behaviour is revealing and crudely hysterical – sex with a hooker (he is giddy about smelling her asshole), full frontal nudity of his male assistants (Antony Langdon, Larry McHale) and you even get up close and very personal with him as he vomits into a toilet. It follows him as he announces his retirement – tired of being a puppet and a characterization of “Joaquin Phoenix” – and his journey of reinvention into a Hip-Hop artist.
I’m Still Here doesn’t throw any amazing punches, however you’ll laugh and cry from it – Joaquin Phoenix isn’t a real person, this is Borat-inspired insane performance art – just because he is so utterly deplorable. As charismatic an actor as he is, in this film there isn’t even a glimmer of celebrity to him, it has been totally stripped away. Yet, he is as peculiar as you might imagine him to be – belligerent, grousing, infantile, rambling into the camera in long nonsensical, ridiculous phrasing (he unexpectedly asks Director and Brother-In-Law, Casey Affleck, if flies have another form of air travel), dishevelled (stealing Zach Galifianakis’ look right out from under him) – snorts cocaine and smokes like a chimney.
Amazingly, it’s watchable and entertaining tripe – a scripted hoax for the ego of this actor; he feels self important and it’s obvious. One scene involves his assistant Antony defecating on Joaquin’s face while he is sleeping (this is after an argument where Joaquin informs him of his unimportance because he isn’t a celebrity). Sean ‘P. Diddy’ Combs performance has a similar affectation; Phoenix spends a bulk of the film chasing him down in hopes of him producing his hip-hop album. There are also hilarious cameos from Ben Stiller – as he tries to convince Joaquin to be in Greenberg – and Edward James Olmos who inspires him to be like a drop of water. Is it truly any worse than exaggerated FX-driven action flicks that seem to be invading the Cineplex these days? Certainly not, at least this film is driven by character or perhaps lack thereof. It’s the kind of society we live in though, obsessed with exhibition; I’m Still Here reflects that mindset perfectly.
I’m Still Here is an unbelievable and guilty entertainment.
Score = 3/5
Synopsis and Film Information
The directorial debut of Oscar-nominated actor Casey Affleck, I’M STILL HERE is a striking portrayal of a tumultuous year in the life of internationally acclaimed actor Joaquin Phoenix. With remarkable access, I’M STILL HERE follows the Oscar-nominee as he announces his retirement from a successful film career in the fall of 2008 and sets off to reinvent himself as a hip hop musician. Sometimes funny, sometimes shocking, and always riveting, the film is a portrait of an artist at a crossroads. Defying expectations, it deftly explores notions of courage and creative reinvention, as well as the ramifications of a life spent in the public eye.
Directed by: Casey Affleck
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix
Studio: They Are Going to Kill Us Productions
Distributed: by Magnolia Pictures
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