Independent UK: The weird world of Joaquin Phoenix

[marmar]

When Joaquin Phoenix appears on the Late Show with David Letterman next Wednesday, he will not be in a caveman beard and will attempt coherent conversation. Or so we are told. In other words, when it is over, Letterman will not have to repeat what he said the last time the actor was on: "I'm sorry you couldn't be here tonight."

Those were distressing hours for fans of Phoenix, who last mesmerised us as Johnny Cash in the 2005 biopic, Walk The Line. The unkempt, bloated and altogether unprepossessing man on the Letterman couch in February last year was nothing like the witty, gloweringly handsome talent we thought we knew. What had gone wrong?

Nothing had gone wrong, or plenty had. It depends on who you talk to. Phoenix, whose brother, River, died of an overdose outside Johnny Depp's Viper Room in Los Angeles in 1993, had not been pushed into tragic mental implosion by the pressures (or vacuous inanities) of stardom. We didn't know it then – and nor did Letterman – but he was merely staying in character for a fictional film about a famous person – him – suffering such an implosion, thumbing his nose at those inanities and plunging instead into a rowdy hip-hop career.

We learned this during the past week, courtesy of Casey Affleck – his friend of 20 years and his brother-in-law. Affleck directed the film in question whose title, I'm Still Here, is inspired by the Letterman quip. It opened in the US last week to mostly searing reviews. The veteran critic Roger Ebert called it "a sad and painful documentary that serves little useful purpose other than to pound another nail into the coffin" of a once-blossoming career.

It may have been reactions like that – and the film making barely $100,000 (£65,000) in a limited release in the US last weekend – that prompted Affleck (brother of Ben) to step forward and admit in an interview with the New York Times that nothing in it is real. While it purports to document Phoenix jumping the celebrity rails and opting instead for a life of cocaine, whores and degrading racist language (and hip-hop), actually it was all staged. ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/the-weird-world-of-joaquin-phoenix-2082660.html

[dddem]

1. I can't decide if this move was brilliant

or pathetic. Time will tell, I suppose. I will say that I'm relieved that Mr. Phoenix is better than he appeared to be on Letterman. I think he's a good actor, and an interesting celebrity.

[charlie]

2. Affleck should've stayed mum

Andy Kaufman would have. Keep them wondering, otherwise they just get mad. Like they are now.