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Casey Affleck Says That 'I'm Still Here' is Almost Entirely Fake
by Ethan Anderton
September 16, 2010
Part of me wishes that we didn't find this out until much later, but since many of us were already suspecting it (and the film is gaining more buzz) I guess there's no time like the present. In an interview with The NY Times director Casey Affleck revealed that I'm Still Here, his documentary chronicling the attempted rap career and downward spiral of his brother-in-law, actor Joaquin Phoenix, is almost completely fake. The act goes all the way back to Phoenix's infamous appearance as a well-dressed hobo on "Late Night with David Letterman." As Affleck puts it, “It’s a terrific performance, it’s the performance of his career.”
Honestly, it always seemed rather peculiar that Affleck would let a friend and relative like Phoenix let his life so chaotically spiral out of control but still have the desire to film it all for the viewing public. Now it looks like I'm Still Here will be a mockumentary that rivals the antics of Sacha Baron Cohen's work in Borat or Brüno. Having recently highlighted the use of method acting, the added illusion of truth coming from intentional misleading information from Casey Affleck as a director adds a whole new layer to it. For some reason Affleck says, “I never intended to trick anybody. The idea of a quote, hoax, unquote, never entered my mind.” Really? Whether you call it a hoax, acting or just good old fashioned pretending, we know that he wanted people to believe this was real.
In Alex's somewhat mixed review from the Toronto International Film Festival he mentioned how amazed he would be with Phoenix's behavior and antics if they turned out to be completely fake. I wonder how everyone else will feel, and if people will still be as interested in seeing the film knowing it was all planned. I know that I'm still anxious to see all the crazy shit (figuratively and literally apparently) that happens on screen. For the rest of the interview with Casey Affleck, head over to The New York Times. Does the trickery make you less interested in I'm Still Here?
23 Comments
1
Doesn't change anything, I heard it's a great movie.
Gill on Sep 16, 2010
2
I Love it! GJ Joaquin Phoenix......
migz on Sep 16, 2010
3
I forgot that this wasnt real so nothings changed.
RX on Sep 16, 2010
4
i knew it! owell...
lego on Sep 16, 2010
5
um...duh? was anyone really certain that this was all real?
Xerxex on Sep 16, 2010
6
Shock Horror! Stop the press! - I have more than one friend that did go clinically mad and believe they were rappers, sadly they only got prescription medicine not a film made about them. - Have a laugh at my old mate who is now lives in a homeless shelter and smokes heroin, really do, it's actually pretty hilarious: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGH35zBWQv8 His rapping is better than Phoenix's though to be fair, he possibly could be method acting but I think 5 years of living on the streets is pushing it. - Honk Ponk!
Crapola on Sep 16, 2010
7
I was Joaquin Phoenix for Halloween last year. Guess I should have waited for this year...
Outlaw on Sep 16, 2010
8
Say what you will...that appearance on Letterman was hilarious
Tether on Sep 16, 2010
9
Even though it was obvious, it would have been at least interesting if they could have kept up the act after it already hit wide release. Now it doesn't have much going for it.
Al on Sep 16, 2010
10
we all already knew it was a fake but i dont think its a smart move to admit it just yet until the movie end up been released around the world. the movie has not been released in the UK yet.
tazz on Sep 16, 2010
11
Oh Damn he IS still here
Jimmy Love on Sep 16, 2010
12
Does this mean Phoenix is going to return to "real" acting or stay "retired"?
tommyturner on Sep 16, 2010
13
big effing surprise!
Nick on Sep 16, 2010
14
NO FUCKING SHIT?! IT'S FAKE? OH MY GOD, I WAS SO SURE HE WAS REALLY DOING ALL OF THOSE RIDICULOUS THINGS! Can the movie just come out and bomb so we can get on with life?
Mark on Sep 16, 2010
16
Damn He's Still here today!
Jimmy Love on Sep 17, 2010
17
Ho should play the Joker in a Batman movie.I thought they should have given it him the last time,but Heath was amazing.
tir na nog on Sep 17, 2010
18
I didn't care then... I don't care now. I'll still pass on this one.
Jedi on Sep 17, 2010
19
loll So you guys thought it was real? lolll!
I am... on Sep 17, 2010
20
Yes. Yes we did think it real. It was anger inducing not a comedy. Playing a trick on the public. Booooo. Having a good bunch of jollies playing everyone for patsies was not a very wise thing for him to do at all.
James Birdsong on Sep 17, 2010
21
There is a a lot of people saying "duh, no shit this is fake"......Go back and read the comments on all the updates before this article came out and see how many people were ragging on him for throwing his life away, etc. etc. Not sure so many people thought this was fake... only a few commented that it was a fake before this article.
McWilly on Sep 17, 2010
22
I knew it was fake from the very very beginning when they announce a "documentary" is being made about JP becoming a rapper. In Hong Kong, a similar mockumentary called "the heavnely kings" was made. Four Hong Kong famous actors(including Daniel Wu) formed a boy band called Alive, and it did tour around asia and got a bunch of fans. But no body knew the whole thing was a hoax until a secret film was shown in a HK film festival where Daniel Wu was the actual director of the mockumentary. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0800362/
J.chow on Sep 19, 2010
23
IS the concept any different than the people who got "had" in Borat & Bruno? If it works, run with it.
Solo Calrissian on Sep 20, 2010
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