Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Joaquin Phoenix's fall is documentary film's gain?

Joaquin Phoenix was arguably one of the brightest actors of the modern era and his sudden decision to abandon the craft for a rap career was downright sad in many people's eyes. In fact, I'm fairly certain nearly every film fan wondered "what the heck is he thinking?" immediately after hearing of his decision. Adding to the confusion is his practical disappearance from the public limelight (especially after a Youtube video of him rapping and an odd encounter on Letterman).

Thankfully, the documentary gods smiled favorably on us befuddled masses and granted fellow actor Casey Affleck a front row seat to Phoenix's post-acting life. Casey, who is married to Joaquin's sister, used the opportunity to film the very same question we all were thinking and create the documentary I'm Still Here: The Lost Year Of Joaquin Phoenix.

In an interview with ABC, Casey says, "He said he didn't want to act any more, he wanted to try doing music, and that, right there, says something's going to happen... I had no idea what exactly was going to happen and all that would unfold and every day I spent with him on this journey.

"It ended up being more and more fascinating, more and more things happened that were both in the public spectacle and a very private internal implosion that I got to witness. It made for this unbelievable, one-of-a-kind movie."

Now, some still contend the whole thing is an elaborate hoax, but if it is, the dude is pulling off a prank no other celebrity has ever managed to play on society. The film is currently seeking a distributor but I doubt it will take long for some company to pick up the rights to a subject every modern movie fan wants addressed.

How do you feel? Would you want to see this documentary? Post below!

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