Casey Affleck told the NY Times that his latest ‘documentary’ I’m Still Here about his brother-in-law Joaquin Phoenix’s descent into madness wasn’t a documentary at all, but rather an elaborate performance piece lasting nearly two years. Or was it? Yes, it was really fake. Are you sure? Yes, he just admitted to it to the NY Times. But what if that is part of the performance? Shut up.
Speculation of the film’s sincerity began as soon as word got out that Affleck was filming Phoenix’s breakdown. Nevertheless, both stuck to their guns when Affleck went on David Letterman and later when he attempted a career in rap. Even after many critics had already denounced it as fake, they never gave an official word otherwise until after the film had premiered at several film festivals to mixed reviews.
Despite this being a total performance, some accolades should be given to Affleck and Phoenix for even pulling this off. Sticking to a prank for nearly two years is a tough feat to accomplish and I’m sure they’ll get their due praise. However, I do feel they owe an apology to those affected by their performance personally. Specifically all the interns of the world that now have relabel and restock this film from ‘documentary’ to ‘performance art.’ I await my check.
Source: NY Times
