CHICAGO – If you’ve never seen the farcical ensemble theater chestnut “Noises Off,” you will see no better version than on the Steppenwolf Theatre stage, now at their northside Chicago venue through November 3rd. For tickets and details for this riotous theater experience, click NOISES OFF.
Film Review: Joaquin Phoenix, Casey Affleck Annoy in Worthless ‘I’m Still Here’
CHICAGO – Is “I’m Still Here,” the story of Joaquin Phoenix’s attempts to leave behind his acting career and try to make it as a hip-hop star, an elaborate piece of performance art or a documentary about an identity crisis of a man committing professional suicide? The problem is that the answer is irrelevant. Either way, “I’m Still Here” is grating, boring, and completely without value.
Rating: 1.0/5.0 |
As Joaquin Phoenix was descending from a two-time Oscar nominee to the subject of ridicule through impersonations of his increasingly-erratic behavior, those who were following the odd story often noted that it was unusual that Casey Affleck, Phoenix’s brother-in-law, was following the star of “Walk the Line” with a camera crew. To what end? The result is “I’m Still Here,” a film that either tells the story of a man trying to find something real after growing tired of his life as an actor or is something closer to “Borat” in the way it tries to push the boundaries of performance art.
Read Brian Tallerico’s full review of “I’m Still Here” in our reviews section. |
Judged as a hoax or a documentary film, “I’m Still Here” is still a waste of time. What do I think? I think that Phoenix honestly wanted to take a break from dramatic work and try something new. So, the jumping-off point of the film is genuine. I think what happened next is that he was sitting around with Affleck and some other friends, probably after a bit too much cocaine (which is not slander…he’s seen snorting it off a hooker’s breast in the film), and the fiction of “I’m Still Here” was concocted. Because no one can be this much of an arrogant, juvenile prick.
The film starts with one of MANY rants from Phoenix about his desire to stop pretending and start getting real. As he’s considering retirement from acting, he gets typecast in a small role in a one-night play and he’s had enough. His acting days are done. But instead or retiring to an island retreat to find himself, he decides to stay in the world of celebrity and become a hip-hop star. Bad idea.
I’m Still Here
Photo credit: Magnolia