It’s hard to watch the jumpy and sometimes grainy footage. From a moral perspective, there is nothing redeeming about this movie. The end credits question that assumption. It’s shot as cheaply and “realistically” as possible, purporting to be a documentary of a real period in Joaquin’s life. I’M STILL HERE is remarkably self-indulgent.
He also engages constantly in immoral behavior along the way. As Casey films him for over a year, Joaquin experiences constant mishaps and awkward celebrity encounters.
Brother-in-law actor Casey Affleck follows him with a camera, home-movie style. He decides to embark on a rap music career. Joaquin complains that fame and the pressures of Hollywood are driving him crazy, and that he wants to make true art from the heart. I’M STILL HERE is a pseudo-documentary depicting the alleged downward spiral of actor Joaquin Phoenix after he wins Best Actor for playing Johnny Cash in WALK THE LINE.
