Movie Review: I'm Still Here (2010)
If I could have walked out I would have
Photo: Magnolia Pictures
Joaquin Phoenix's mockumentary I'm Still Here is so bad it dares you to remain in the theater. Had I not been there to review it I would have walked out within 30 minutes or less. Directed by Phoenix's brother-in-law, Casey Affleck (Gone Baby Gone), it never once tries to play it for real and the whole point of the star-fucking commentary of the piece is over and done with before it ever gets started.
The cast includes Joaquin Phoenix. For more information on this film including pictures, trailers and a detailed synopsis choose from the following menu.
Review
"I'm Still Here" is a Magnolia Pictures release, directed by Casey Affleck and is rated R for sexual material, graphic nudity, pervasive language, some drug use and crude content. The running time is 1 hour 46 minutes.
In an effort to appear wildly unhinged, we bear witness to endless tirades as Phoenix yells at his assistants, snorts coke off a hooker's breasts, mumbles incoherently and vomits profusely. All of this results in one of his assistants defecating on his face in the middle of the night. This is what makes up I'm Still Here, and when that isn't going on, the same face-shitting assistant is running around naked while Phoenix snaps his ass with a towel.
Essentially, I'm Still Here is an endless series of 30-second TMZ clips stitched together into one 106-minute feature length film. The point of this seems to be to point a finger at just how stupid the celebrity obsessed public really is as sites like TMZ.com and Perez Hilton are among the most popular on the Internet. The problem with this is there is no reveal. Nothing is learned and the film proves just as pointless as the societal tendencies it seems to be condemning. Then again, perhaps it isn't in the watching of the movie where you'll find the lesson as much as it is in not watching it.
Just as much as Phoenix seems to have been dared into taking it as far as he did, he and Affleck also seem to be daring the audience to watch the entirety of this movie. My guess is they will only respect you if you never buy a ticket or, at the very least, walk out in the middle of the movie and demand your money back. It's the only explanation for what's on display.
Everything about I'm Still Here tests the patience of anyone interested in a film that actually says something or tries something more than exhibiting profanity laced meltdowns for its more dramatic moments. Affleck and Phoenix are too good at what they do to think this is quality cinema or a necessary commentary.
Instead of trying to entertain or educate an audience I'm Still Here is laughing at them. If you are confused enough to believe this movie is real you should take a closer look. If you are convinced it's fake and some kind of quality avant-garde piece of artistic expression you should set your bar a little higher. All throughout I could only think of an infinite number of things I could have been doing instead and only hope this isn't how you choose to waste your time.
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It does strike me as a relatively grotesque project. Although I'm curious as to why you chose not to go all the way and just give it an a F. Was there some minuscule portion that wasn't repugnant?
I agree. I cannot imagine a worse review, so what does a movie have to do to earn an F from you? Do the ushers have to come out and defecate on Your face???
Yup, toward the beginning I had a few laughs so I couldn't ding it all the way to an F.
Wow. That bad, huh? I was vaguely interested.
There's still a LOT of positive buzz on the film.
I believe that is the first review of yours that I have read where you actually curse.
I have yet to see the movie–but Time-Out New York gave it 5 stars
Well I guess we can cross this one off the ever expanding oscar list.
This is highly disheartening…I was very much planning on seeing this on Friday. IS there at least a lot of poor rapping as a potential saving grace? Seriously, please advise.
There is "poor rapping" but it is no saving grace and a lot of it you've seen on YouTube already.
I honestly didn't expect this. I was expecting this to be at least decent for two highly talented guys like Pheonix and Casey Affleck to dedicate so much time and effort to make this. I was rather interested in this before, but after reading this review it sounds worse than Borat
I was half expecting this after seeing the Letterman piece and his "rapping" on YouTube… The only reason I've been waiting for this movie to come out is that after this we'll hopefully get Joaquin back among the living and doing some real work.
How do you half expect something?
I'm confused about the MPAA rating. In an advertisement in the Washington Post, it was rated R. But it says that it isn't rated. Maybe it will be in next week's bulletin?
ya i have been to
Hey Brad, this is why I can't stand Entertainment Weekly anymore. ROPEOFSILICON 4 LIFE
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20419430,00.html
This was a very well written review and I see your complaints, but with this film people are going to have to make up their own minds. If you look at rotten tomatoes it is obvious that the film is splitting critics to polar opposites. This site gave the film a D-, Michael Philips a 0 out of 4, Cinema Blend gave it a 2 out of 5, and "Time out" a 2 out of 5. Contrastingly Time out NY gave the film 5 out of 5, Ebert a 3 out of 4, Ew an A-. and Variety called the film "fascinating." Some critics see no point to the film while others are absorbed by it. Neither are wrong, as we all know it's interpretation. This should signal though that if you want to see it you should, you will be the only one who will know if you'll like it. On a different note I do have one issue with the review. This isn't just your site this seems to be a growing trend that in criticism the reviewer will insult the viewers and fellow critics taste. That is not objective criticism to tell someone to "aim higher" if they enjoy this film.
This is one of those films in which a bad review only makes me more interested. :D Sorry, Brad. I may not be able to catch it in theaters, if the release isn't wide enough, but I'll be checking it out sometime.
Could it be the reviewer is being a tad unobjective? Is the movie really that bad or is the reviewer upset about the idea behind the faux documentary? The movie is clearly making fun of our celebrity obsessed culture and that would include paparrazi, internet bloggers, failed movie producers who pass themselves off as film reporters, etc. I have yet to read an article on this site that would lump you in with the Perez Hiltons of the world and for that reason I continue to return to this site. But your review reads a little personal. You seem to be offended by the subject matter. Almost as if you feel like you're one of the bottom feeders being made fun of.
I think the assistant shitting on his face part of the review probably killed my already very low interest. I actually pondered briefly if that part was made up or not………I'd love to be told it was actually a joke made by the reviewer that I just didn't get.
Really, please tell me that was a joke!!!
So, that and also not really caring about Joaquin Phoenix's projects period, of course.
Nope, it actually happens.
Well, Michael Phillips is with you. Gave it 0/4 stars. Ouch!
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/movies/sc-mov-0907-im-still-here-20100908,0,996806.column
Wow, and I thought the reviews for "The American" was all over the place, this ones seems to be A or F, with nothing in between.
For this film I had only previously read Ebert's review in which he gives the film 3 stars and completely believes it to be real. I got a laugh out of that. His Twitter feed hints that he is starting to think otherwise.
Good, bad review Brad. I'll be steering clear of this one. Who's laughing now Joaquin?!*
*I'm sure he's laughing all the way to the bank but you get my point.
Is there anyone remotely interested in seeing this film? I'm not even talking about the fact that this film is getting panned. Even if this thing was being critically praised it wouldn't change the point…are there any typical-everyday moviegoers, (who aren't remotely interested in the art of filmmaking and just like to go to have a fun romp at the movies), who are going to want to see THIS film? I think Joaquin Phoenix and Casey Affleck have officially wasted their time and money.