For those unfamiliar, I’m Still Here is the much discussed, yet virtually unseen documentary chronicling Joaquin Phoenix’s departure from acting into the world of hip-hop, which was proceeded by a string of bizarre public appearances, leading some to believe the movie was a hoax.
It turned out they were correct, as shortly after the film’s release, its director, Casey Affleck, revealed the film to be a fake. Despite knowing this, I still went into the movie with an open mind and tried to judge it on its own merits, ignoring that it wasn’t real.
Unfortunately, I found this to be impossible.
Knowing nothing was real made it seem like nothing was at stake. Whether its several failed attempts to get P. Diddy to produce his album, or him freaking out and crying about his infamous Letterman interview from 2009, how are we supposed to care about how devastated he is?
That’s not to say this couldn’t have been a good film, but the primary storyline which needed to be compelling for this to work simply wasn’t.