As an actor, Joaquin Phoenix quickly rose to the top of his profession, appearing in acclaimed films like Gladiator and Hotel Rwanda and earning a Golden Globe for Best Actor for his role as Johnny Cash in Walk the Line. As a rapper, however, Phoenix has been less than successful, and his baffling behaviour has caused many to question whether he's serious or if it's all an elaborate performance art piece. Now, Phoenix's bizarre career change will be documented on the new film I'm Still Here: The Lost Year of Joaquin Phoenix.
The movie was directed by Phoenix's brother-in-law Casey Affleck, who has been filming the actor since 2008. Deadline reports that I'm Still Here has been picked up by Magnolia Pictures and will be released released in select theatres on September 10, with a wide release to follow a week later.
Magnolia president Eamonn Bowles said, "It is going to get a lot of attention, but it is not some cheap stunt where they said, 'Let's do some wild stuff and film it.' It is extreme behaviour but really good filmmaking as well... It is a unique piece of work that is going to surprise people in different ways."
According to others who have seen the film, Phoenix's actions are so outrageous that it's difficult to tell whether I'm Still Here should be classified as a documentary or a fictional mockumentary. When it was screened to potential buyers back in May, the Los Angeles Times reported that it contained "more male frontal nudity than you'd find in some gay porn films and a stomach-turning sequence in which someone feuding with Phoenix defecates on the actor while he's asleep."
Other scenes include Phoenix trying to get Sean "Diddy" Combs to agree to be his producer, snorting cocaine off a prostitute's breast and receiving oral sex from a publicist.
Regardless of whether the rap career is all a hoax, one thing is for certain: Phoenix has officially gone off the deep end.
The movie was directed by Phoenix's brother-in-law Casey Affleck, who has been filming the actor since 2008. Deadline reports that I'm Still Here has been picked up by Magnolia Pictures and will be released released in select theatres on September 10, with a wide release to follow a week later.
Magnolia president Eamonn Bowles said, "It is going to get a lot of attention, but it is not some cheap stunt where they said, 'Let's do some wild stuff and film it.' It is extreme behaviour but really good filmmaking as well... It is a unique piece of work that is going to surprise people in different ways."
According to others who have seen the film, Phoenix's actions are so outrageous that it's difficult to tell whether I'm Still Here should be classified as a documentary or a fictional mockumentary. When it was screened to potential buyers back in May, the Los Angeles Times reported that it contained "more male frontal nudity than you'd find in some gay porn films and a stomach-turning sequence in which someone feuding with Phoenix defecates on the actor while he's asleep."
Other scenes include Phoenix trying to get Sean "Diddy" Combs to agree to be his producer, snorting cocaine off a prostitute's breast and receiving oral sex from a publicist.
Regardless of whether the rap career is all a hoax, one thing is for certain: Phoenix has officially gone off the deep end.