The Film
If you've ever had even the most minor crush on Joaquin Phoenix, I'm Still Here should clear up that business up pretty damn quick. Here, the actor crosses that fine line between being funny and being a total a-hole.
Directed by his buddy and brother-in-law Casey Affleck, this "documentary" follows Phoenix on the binge to becoming a rap star. It's also supposed to say something about the whole essence of being a celebrity and having to live life in the public eye. Or at least could be in there somewhere. The whole plotline is about as incoherent as Phoenix is throughout this entire movie.
The end result of I'm Still Here teaches us that Phoenix may be a great actor, but he rambles crap just like the rest of us. And ramble he does, through almost the entire film. Of course, that's in between stalking mega-mogul Diddy, snorting drugs, vomiting, trolling the web for hookers, and treating his assistants like dog poo.
When I'm Still Here was released earlier this year, there were rumors that this was not truly Phoenix and merely a bunch of crap. Could it all be a ruse, ala Andy Kaufman's schtick in the 1980s? I'm not going to spill the beans, but you can be sure that the"bunch of crap" part is true either way.
The Picture
Much like Phoenix's chatter, the imagery for I'm Still Here is all over the place. That's because the entire movie is made up from various clips and camera types. The beginning of the movie kicks off with home videos, the middle features a ton of stalkerazzi-style camera angles, and the end features gorgeous views of the great outdoors. A lot of this 1.78:1 transfer is filled with grain that has the same thickness as pea soup. Of course, it's supposed to, so it's really hard to bash the imagery. That said, it's just not a good looking movie from any angle. Blu-ray brings this home accurately though, as it should.
The Sound
Considering that this guy wants to launch a music career, the DTS-HD Master Audio track on this release is pretty lame. Most of the music, the action, the background chatter, and everything else sticks close to the front speakers. My guess is because the back speakers want to keep their distance from this mess. Much of the dialogue is muddy, muffled, and filled with feedback. The filmmakers could have recorded audio on a cell phone and had better results.
The Extras
I'm Still Here features a fair collection of extras, all of which focus on the movie's behind-the-scenes process. There are two commentaries and over an hour of deleted scenes, most of which are additional ramblings from Phoenix. The rest are just interviews, two of which are with Extra anchor Jerry Penacoli. One features Penacoli and Phoenix yucking it up about the movie process, but with no great revelations. The second is an audio interview, which adds in Affleck, but is completely boring to watch with a blank screen. The last interview is Phoenix and Affleck with journalism professor Christine Spines. This is the worst of the lot, as it's three times as long as the other shorts, with no video accompaniment. Also, either Spines has the worst interview skills or is completely pained to be part of this package. Can't say we blame her.
Final Thoughts
If watching a celebrity slowly throw his life down the toilet along with a puke chaser sounds good to you, I'm Still Here could be your type of movie. But I'm not convinced you need Blu-ray to "get" this film. It adds little to the whole experience, assuming there is one hidden in here somewhere.
Product Details
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