Movie Review: 'I'm Still Here'

This is a review of the movie "I'm Still Here" which is about the actor Joaquin Phoenix's departure from highly respected cinema to hip hop.  The reason I was immediately drawn to watch it was because I, like so many others, viewed the youtube video of Joaquin looking ugly, disheveled, and insane on David Letterman.  Prior to that appearance, I had no idea he was growing a gargantuan beard, dreadlocks, and a huge belly.  I don't follow actors closely, so I had no idea of the progression taking place between his last huge film, "Walk the Line", and Letterman.  To say the least, I was shocked and totally mesmerized.  I wondered if he was pulling an insanely cool publicity stunt, perhaps inspired by Andy Kaufman.  I was excited by the crazy move, the idea of combining art and life at the moment of making David Letterman nervous.  It all seemed fresh in the face of typical celebrity appearances.

After his appearance, online videos went viral and celebrity news programs and magazines had a field day.  Nobody knew what to believe.  "I'm Still Here" was a brilliant film documenting the actor Joaquin's disintegration as an artist.  The metaphor that structures this film is that of a waterdrop on top of a mountain, quickly descending off the mountain and into the swampy valleys, swept up in a river, no longer unique, flowing in a pool that laps up dirt and fallen branches along its way to a huge ocean, losing its identity and hoping for the good fortune that it might evaporate into the sky and one day land its place on the top of another mountain.  Joaquin's story is one of the descent, and it literally ends with his entire body being engulfed in water.  

Joaquin evokes pity throughout the story, but not as a victim.  The reason has nothing to do with his rash departure from acting.  Who can look down on him for that?  As an emotionally tortured artist, his departure could have echoed our own goals of one day leaving jobs we despise in order to pursue something more meaningful.  It could have been a brave and noble decision - heavily criticized by the public and mourned by the fans, but still respectable and noteworthy.  Instead, Joaquin's departure was irresponsible and egotistical, thereby parodying the egotism and sense of entitlement so many celebrities seem to have.  

Joaquin looks terribly unhealthy in the film.  He is fat and high, snorting substances, smoking weed, browsing pornography, and looking disheveled.  He has also surrounded himself with spineless friends who appear to stick around for fear of having to get a job or pursue their own projects.  His friends serve as his punching bags, and they never do the thing true friends must: to point out destructive tendencies in their friends when they see them.  They follow him around, telling him lies he'd like to hear, and wane on the brink of tears as he berates them in his mood swings.  They exist to provide encouragement to Joaquin, and should they break from their role, they would surely be kicked out.

Joaquin displays an amazing egoism and sense of entitlement throughout the film. While Joaquin lauds his decision to turn to hip hop as a brave decision most people never have the guts to make, he spends much of the film trying to track down Sean 'Puffy' Combs because he wanted him to produce his hip hop album (this after finding that Dr. Dre and Rick Rubin were too busy).  If his decision had been truly honorable, he would have pursued his hip hop career humbly, working tirelessly at his craft, collaborating with vocal coaches, performers, and independent producers.  He would have sought the advice of famed producers and rappers, but not partnerships.  In none of the shots with Sean Combs does Joaquin ask him for advice.  All he sought in his company was to set a date and record.  He seemed hurt and angry when he was told he wasn't ready yet for such a high profile producer.  This would not be the reaction of a humble performer, just a year into writing music, and this reduces Joaquin to a sorry state.  At no time does the viewer want Joaquin to get a record deal.  He does not evoke that kind of a reaction.

As I mentioned, the movie ends with Joaquin under water.  The story is bizarre and insane, and ultimately a documentation of the dissolution of a life.  Like witnessing the progression of a drug addict, Joaquin hits rock bottom, and he can either sink or swim.  In the end, it does not carry the message that we should not radically reevaluate our lives and take tremendous chances, but it does emphasize that we should do so responsibly, rationally, and humbly, or else we might drown in our own swamp.  It ends up parodying the maniacal egos and sense of entitlement associated with so many celebrities, people who have forgotten what it's like to work your way up in an industry.

In the end, it was an amazing hoax, which makes Joaquin, in my opinion, one of the freshest, most interesting, and most talented actors around.  Joaquin plays his part so flawlessly that he has everybody fooled, including David Letterman and Sean Combs.   The movie was so well orchestrated that it's speculated to have actually hurt Phoenix's career, though I doubt it.  Someone of his caliber can't remain out of the spotlight for long.  Joaquin deserves an award for his role and Casey Affleck deserves an award for directing it as well.  The cinematography, editing, and story flow is extremely well done.  The bravado displayed by Joaquin in the scenes where he berates his friends countered with the subtle nervousness and timidity he displays with Sean Combs is genius acting.  Until it was officially revealed as a hoax, everyone was fooled, or at least unsure.  I certainly was, right up until I saw this second interview with Letterman.  Bravo Joaquin!  Thank you for making cinema such an interesting art form.