TIFF Review: I’M STILL HERE

Since I didn’t get much sleep last night, I’ve had a lot of time to mull I’M STILL HERE, Casey Affleck’s “documentary” about a year in the life of Joaquin Phoenix. Not just any year mind you, but a year plagued with some of the oddest celebrity behaviour this side of Mel Gibson. Despite all my mulling and pondering, I’m still left without a concrete point of view.

The reason I can’t settle on a standpoint, is because all these hours later I’m still not completely certain whether what I just watched was truth or staged.

If I’M STILL HERE was truth, then it’s the most fascinating look at a celebrity who has lost the plot. Phoenix seems so certain that quitting acting and pursuing a music career is what he wants to do. He can’t seem to explain why, but then he was never exactly the chattiest persona when it came to explaining things in the first place. If Affleck’s film is the record of this too-crazy-to-be-fake year, then this is worth seeing just to understand how far gone Phoenix really is.

If I’M STILL HERE is staged, then it’s equally impressive – and a stunt of Kaufman-like proportions. Yes, rumours swirled for months that it was all a hoax, that all of this insanity was only happening for some sort of film. But even with that in mind, Phoenix never betrays himself. This bit of performance art went on for months, making him a punchline, certainly taking a big dent out of his livelihood, and bringing a lot of unsuspecting bystanders into the fray. You have to admire that sort of commitment.

There are markers in the film to suggest that it was staged, but there are just as many markers to suggest that this all happened…and the fact that it is thus far inconclusive makes it a successful film either way. The film includes many uncomfortable moments, some deft filmmaking, and indeed a lot of laughs.

I’M STILL HERE plays TIFF once more – Saturday September 18th at 8:30pm. It is also started it’s limited theatrical run