Brian Damage
09-16-2010, 09:38 PM
Casey Affleck's much-hyped new documentary, 'I'm Still Here,' which follows a drugged-out, self-imploding Joaquin Phoenix as he tries to break into hip-hop, isn't real, Affleck admitted in a Thursday New York Times article.
"I never intended to trick anybody," Affleck, who's married to Phoenix's sister Summer, told the magazine. "The idea of a quote, hoax, unquote, never entered my mind." But, to the rest of the world watching, it appeared to be real. Phoenix played the role on- and off-screen for over two years--including an infamous appearance on the 'Late Show With Dave Letterman' in 2009 when he mumbled his way through the interview, leaving the host bewildered by the actor's behavior.
"It's a terrific performance, it's the performance of his career," Affleck says of Phoenix's two years of role-playing. He acknowledges that Phoenix put his professional life on the line to do this film--which Affleck reveals is modeled after the journalism of Hunter S. Thompson.
But why did they do it? Usually, fake documentaries or mockumentaries give the audience a heads up that it's fiction. But 'I'm Still Here' never does that. Affleck tells the New York Times that he wanted viewers to experience the film's message about the disintegration of celebrity without the distraction of preconceived notions. He acknowledges, "There was no wink."
For his part, Affleck seems to realize the audience and critics might not like what they've created. "The reviews were so angry," he said.
As for the future, the actors are returning to Hollywood. But the question remains: can these two Academy Award-nominated actors be taken seriously anymore?
http://www.popeater.com/2010/09/16/casey-affleck-joaquin-phoenix-documentary-fake/
"I never intended to trick anybody," Affleck, who's married to Phoenix's sister Summer, told the magazine. "The idea of a quote, hoax, unquote, never entered my mind." But, to the rest of the world watching, it appeared to be real. Phoenix played the role on- and off-screen for over two years--including an infamous appearance on the 'Late Show With Dave Letterman' in 2009 when he mumbled his way through the interview, leaving the host bewildered by the actor's behavior.
"It's a terrific performance, it's the performance of his career," Affleck says of Phoenix's two years of role-playing. He acknowledges that Phoenix put his professional life on the line to do this film--which Affleck reveals is modeled after the journalism of Hunter S. Thompson.
But why did they do it? Usually, fake documentaries or mockumentaries give the audience a heads up that it's fiction. But 'I'm Still Here' never does that. Affleck tells the New York Times that he wanted viewers to experience the film's message about the disintegration of celebrity without the distraction of preconceived notions. He acknowledges, "There was no wink."
For his part, Affleck seems to realize the audience and critics might not like what they've created. "The reviews were so angry," he said.
As for the future, the actors are returning to Hollywood. But the question remains: can these two Academy Award-nominated actors be taken seriously anymore?
http://www.popeater.com/2010/09/16/casey-affleck-joaquin-phoenix-documentary-fake/