I'M STILL HERE (Roger Ebert reviews the Joaquin Phoenix trainwreck documentary)

rogerebert.com ^ | 10 Sep 10 | Roger Ebert

[MinuteGal]

He sounds manic-depressive to me....or as it's now called, "Bi-Polar Disorder."

Either way, it's no laughing matter. Meds help somewhat, but not all the time.

Leni

[PubliusMM]

Just the latest of the Hollyweird nuts to start believing his own press clippings...
Talented? Maybe. But, clearly not wrapped too tight... Quickly becoming another Paris Hilton...famous only for being idiotic.

[discostu]

We’re only going to find out if this movie is any good a couple of years from now. If he keeps being this way, the movie is just a sad play by play of the end of the useful part of Phoenix’s life. If he comes out all normal and stuff in a few money it’s the kind of saturation level comedy that would make Andy Kaufman weep with joy.

[Oztrich Boy]

After Phoenix imploded during a famous appearance on Letterman, we see him leaving a limousine in Central Park, crawling up an embankment into some shrubbery, and screaming that he has destroyed his life, his music sucks, he will never be able to act again, and "I'm totally f**cked!"

Everyone's a critic

[Ditter]

He went nuts on Letterman? I would have liked to have seen that but I never watch Letterman.

[Drew68]

He went nuts on Letterman? I would have liked to have seen that but I never watch Letterman.

See post #11. It's a ten minute segment but it feels like an hour. You can pretty much watch the first minute and get a gist of what the whole interview is like. Then watch the last minute when Letterman appears fed up with Phoenix's behavior.

Lots of people argue this was a prank and everyone (except the audience) was in on the joke. If so, I'm not quite sure what the point was.

[Lancey Howard]

I happened to catch that show when Joaquin appeared on Letterman (which is amazing in and of itself since I’ve deliberately watched Letterman maybe twice in the past five years.) I was sure, and then not sure, that Phoenix was goofing on Letterman. Or was he promoting some weird new movie? It was a very disturbing appearance.

[Ditter]

I think the guy was acting or has he obviously gone off the rails since?

[Toskrin]

It's a complete hoax. Lots of well-placed public shows along the way by Joaquin to make the movie believable. That so many people would think this is real just shows the control that Hollywood and the press have over us.

[rabidralph]

Swing away, Merrill.

[Drew68]

It's a complete hoax.

You are correct.

Director Casey Affleck Confirms Joaquin Phoenix "Documentary" Isn't Real

[Drew68]

I’m still not convinced that the whole thing is not a hoax.

It's a hoax. See post #31.