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I'm Still Here

  • 2010
  • R
  • 1h 48m
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
25K
YOUR RATING
Joaquin Phoenix in I'm Still Here (2010)
A documentary on Joaquin Phoenix's transition from the acting world to a career as an aspiring rapper.
35
 
Play trailer1:04
35
3 Videos
22 Photos
MockumentaryComedyDramaMusic

Documents Joaquin Phoenix's transition from the acting world to a career as an aspiring rapper.Documents Joaquin Phoenix's transition from the acting world to a career as an aspiring rapper.Documents Joaquin Phoenix's transition from the acting world to a career as an aspiring rapper.

  • Director
    • Casey Affleck
  • Writers
    • Casey Affleck
    • Joaquin Phoenix
  • Stars
    • Joaquin Phoenix
    • Antony Langdon
    • Carey Perloff
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.1/10
    25K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Casey Affleck
    • Writers
      • Casey Affleck
      • Joaquin Phoenix
    • Stars
      • Joaquin Phoenix
      • Antony Langdon
      • Carey Perloff
    STREAMING
    Watch on Prime Video
    Watch on Plex
    • 122User reviews
    • 180Critic reviews
    • 48Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 4 nominations total

    Videos3

    I'm Still Here
    Trailer 1:04
    I'm Still Here
    35
    "P. Diddy" from I'm Still Here
    Clip 1:32
    "P. Diddy" from I'm Still Here
    "P. Diddy" from I'm Still Here
    Clip 1:32
    "P. Diddy" from I'm Still Here
    I'm Still Here: P Diddy Clip
    Clip 1:31
    I'm Still Here: P Diddy Clip

    Photos22

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    + 18
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    Top cast51

    Edit
    Joaquin Phoenix
    Joaquin Phoenix
    • Joaquin Phoenix
    Antony Langdon
    • Anton
    Carey Perloff
    • Play Director
    Larry McHale
    • Larry McHale
    Casey Affleck
    Casey Affleck
    • Casey Affleck
    Jack Nicholson
    Jack Nicholson
    • Jack Nicholson
    Billy Crystal
    Billy Crystal
    • Billy Crystal
    Danny Glover
    Danny Glover
    • Danny Glover
    Bruce Willis
    Bruce Willis
    • Self - Guest
    Robin Wright
    Robin Wright
    • Robin Wright
    Johnny Moreno
    • Victor - Danny DeVito's Stand-In
    • (as Johnny Marino)
    Danny DeVito
    Danny DeVito
    • Danny DeVito
    Jerry Penacoli
    Jerry Penacoli
    • Jerry Penacoli
    Susan Patricola
    • Susan Patricola
    Patrick Whitesell
    Patrick Whitesell
    • Patrick Whitesell
    Nicole Acacio
    • Nicole Acario
    Matthew Maher
    Matthew Maher
    • Matt Maher
    Amanda Scheer-Demme
    • Amanda Demme
    • (as Amanda Demme)
    • Director
      • Casey Affleck
    • Writers
      • Casey Affleck
      • Joaquin Phoenix
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews122

    6.124.5K
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    Featured reviews

    7Shattered_Wake

    Real or not, it's an engaging roller coaster ride.

    Just two years after receiving an Oscar nomination for his powerhouse performance as Johnny Cash in 'Walk the Line,' actor Joaquin Phoenix shocked show business by announcing his retirement from acting to pursue a career as a hip hop musician. 'I'm Still Here,' directed by Phoenix's brother-in-law and fellow actor Casey Affleck, tells the story of the star's life change. Supposedly.

    After Joaquin Phoenix's apparent mental breakdown which came in the form of a legendary David Letterman appearance and a beard to rival that of Zack Galifianakis, many people in & out of the film industry fought to uncover the validity of Joaquin's retirement. Shortly after the release of the 'I'm Still Here,' questions were answered when Phoenix & Affleck admitted their worldwide prank saying that, from the beginning, it was all a hoax. If this admission is true, this film will become one of the most believable & ridiculous hoaxes in a long, long time.

    Regardless of whether 'I'm Still Here' is actually a hoax (or if the hoax is a hoax, attempting to cover up the breakdown of Phoenix), it is still quite an entertaining film. However, due to the seemingly obscene subject matter throughout the film, it's hard to truly believe that any famous person would allow it to be shown publicly, risking a hugely negative backlash. We see Joaquin snorting coke (off hookers' breasts at one point), spanking naked men with towels, ordering female escorts, and other low-grade behaviour. If all of this actually DID happen without elaborate staging, then I send full respect to Mr. Phoenix for having the courage to allow it to be shown on screen like this.

    One issue that the film does have comes from the overall style. While the story, content, etc., are all exceedingly engaging, the actual visuals of the film were almost unbearable. In a low-budget documentary like, say, the recent 'Catfish,' amateurish cinematography & direction are almost expected. However, when a documentary is being produced by two successful actors and is directed by someone who has been working on film sets for twenty years, this bottom-level style just does not work when the validity of the film's content are already in question.

    Overall, however, the film does work well as a whole. Joaquin Phoenix, whether he's playing himself or the insane version of himself, is impossible to not watch, even with his constant arrogant and selfish behaviour throughout. If you watch along believing it just might be real, it will be an emotional roller coaster ride. Even if it is all a hoax, though, it's still one hell of a crazy ride.

    Final Verdict: 7.5/10.

    -AP3-
    JohnDeSando

    To be, or not to be . . .

    "Joaquin, I'm sorry you couldn't be here tonight." David Letterman

    As a piece of performance art, I'm Still Here is as good a mockumentary about celebrity insanity as you will ever get, except, of course, for This is Spinal Tap, which is the real deal of satire. Director Casey Affleck follows his brother-in-law for more than a year after Phoenix's decision to retire from his successful acting career and become a hip-hop artist.

    The iconic, Nick-Nolte-like image of Phoenix with a beard and sunglasses, a sort of Blues Brother and Smith Brother all in one, is both hilarious and sad, depending on whether you believe the story of his retirement or see it as a smart marketing campaign for this film and his career. His expertly scoring blow and constantly smoking weed have an authentic air about them although a good actor could simulate. His abuse of his many paid assistants is accurate for a star but almost unbelievable for such a talented one (Walk the Line, Revolution Road). The poor quality of the sound and image makes it a Blair-Witch kin or a device to evoke realism.

    I am a disbeliever because although Phoenix convinces me he is sincere about retirement, the actual lack of talent he has, evidenced more than once in the film, leads me to think it's a finely-wrought hoax. No actor as smart as Phoenix could ever judge himself talented, especially as he forms a relationship with Sean Combs, one of the great rappers of our time and in the film a shrewd judge of Phoenix's sophomoric attempts. Phoenix's gig with Letterman, see quote at beginning, could have been a part of the hoax. Throwing up after a performance looked real enough.

    Phoenix could make himself into a minor rap artist if he wanted—witness his successful learning to play guitar and sing as Johnny Cash—yet it seems he prefers not to learn well just so he can fail and return into acting, where the dollars will follow.

    The title is instructive—does it mean the acting Phoenix is still here, or does it suggest his whole persona—musician and actor—is here. I don't know the answer; I just know my film critic side thinks it sees a con.

    If it is all true, Joaquin Phoenix will have time to get back to his real talent, acting. If not, he'll spend time mending a reputation he has willfully wrecked.
    durrien

    Shift Happens

    This is a very good movie, but it may not be obvious at first. Our present culture is enamored with spectacle over substance, so I can see why its cursory glance would miss a deeper story being told. It is the story of each of us.

    On the surface of things, the movie comes across as a bit voyeuristic. The stereotyped perspective of celebrity life is interesting enough (or not). It is both titillating and uncomfortable to peek behind the veil of someone's raw and intimate life, to have such a personal journey on public display.

    The long title for the movie reads, "I'm Still Here: The Lost Years of Joaquin Phoenix." Truly, if we are lucky, we are all works in progress. What is the nature of our identity? What individual and shared narratives have we embraced to define our lives? When those stories unravel at the seams, come crumbling down, what remains?

    There has never been a line blurring fiction from non-fiction. It is all fiction, always. The stories we tell ourselves, and others, are both real and imagined. They give shape and trajectory to our lives. Yet, we are simply an expression of circumstance and happenstance -- trying to carve meaning out of our fleeting experience, to connect a constellation of moments and memories into some discernible picture.

    We want to believe, in our hearts, that we are special: the mountaintop waterdrop. Rather, we are part of a greater ocean of being, the depths of which we cannot even dimly fathom. Some people go their entire lives without wondering who they are, or how they are called to contribute to the world. Many people are happy enough with the surface show, oblivious to the mystery and reality of their authentic selves. It takes effort to reveal the treasures within. Why bother.

    We want our lives to have the benefit of a movie. We want everything somehow to come together, to make sense, to have resolution, a happy ending, triumph, victory! In short: to affirm our desires and imaginings. But life is not like that. It is a messy, desultory business. In the person, in the example, of Joaquin Phoenix, we witness the everyday phenomenon of going to pieces, without falling apart.

    As Joaquin says at the top of the movie, he wants to be seen for whom he is, just that. All of it, the good and the not-so-good. From this place, there is the genuine possibility to grow and to become. Truthfulness is the foundation of all virtues. Everything is built on this honest open humanity.

    After the fiction of one's self- and culturally imposed identity is obliterated, we can pick our way among the ruins and begin again. The inner and outer forces that have come together to define us -- in a very real sense, to imprison us -- no longer hold their narrative sway. The movie ends on this baptismal note, with a new beginning, a rebirth. Each, in our own way, is reminded: Free thyself from the fetters of the world, loose thy soul from the prison of self. Seize thy chance, for it will come to thee no more.

    With a wink and a nod, the movie is complete with cast and writing credits, made under the banner of They Are Going to Kill Us Productions. As self-involved as the movie may first appear, we can be forgiving of its conceit or deceit. This is cinema verite (no accents), as the camera is pointing to truth, without the story itself having to be true. "I'm Still Here" carries the double meaning for this universal and particular process of sacrifice, discovery and spiritual maturation.

    In life, when all is said and done, we don't know quite what we have lived through, or what we have wrought. The curtain falls. Someone else takes the stage. A new story begins. Round and round it goes. If we could see the end in the beginning, perhaps we would not lament, but rejoice, in the journey.
    9lewiskendell

    Will be utterly fascinating...for some.

    This has to be one of the most weird and surreal movies that I've ever seen. Watching Joaquin Phoenix bouncing around like a gibbering idiot and rapping in front of Edward James Olmos (rap name: EJO), while a nonsensical voice-over of Olmos rambles about raindrops and mountains and inner light...it's just insane. And the entire mockumentary is like that, to varying degrees. 

    Joaquin plays a deranged, drug-using, prostitute-frequenting, delusional, destructive, bizzaro-version of himself, and I just can't look away. Every time he steps up onto a stage to rap, it's a hilarious train wreck. Even though you can't help but feel painfully embarrassed for the character. The way he berates his assistants, tries to get a friend in recovery to take drugs, constantly surrenders to his own paranoia and delusions, and takes narcissism and selfishness to the furthest excesses, it's all just unbelievably compelling. It's like watching the worst person in the world and wondering what insanity they're going to race towards next.

    I thought that the performance by Phoenix was great. This is my absolute favorite movie by him, and my favorite "character" that he's played. It's not by accident that so many people thought this movie was a genuine documentary about Phoenix's spiraling life. He genuinely makes the character seem crazy enough to believe that his music is actually good and that the absurd things that he's saying have meaning. It feels real, even when you know it's not. Every uncomfortable, embarrassed and incredulous reaction of his friends and the people he meets just drew me deeper into the world of this bizarre man.

    I was beyond impressed by what Phoenix and Casey Affleck did with this. When I first heard about it, it sounded like a vanity project that would be an amusing oddity, at best. What I got instead was one of the best movies I've seen this year. It is NOT for everyone. But how can I not rate a movie highly that made me laugh so much, while also making me feel sadness, disgust, pity, incredulity, anger, hope, embarrassment, and ten other things? 

    This experiment was a smashing success, in my opinion, and something truly unique that I'll be thinking about for a long time. I'm Still Here is audacious, ridiculous, and certainly divisive. I can honestly see why some people would hate this movie, and the entire idea behind it. But, long before that perfect ending left my screen, I knew which side of that divide I would fall on.
    8conthesleepy1

    My God, My Take...

    Having just watched the movie the burning question I guess everyone is asking is "is it all a hoax or not?"

    Well does it matter? Really? The answer is no. A better question to ask is "Is it a good film" the answer to that is... well... yes it is.

    In a culture obsessed with celebrity and popular success the documentary or 'mockumentary' is totally riveting and will have you glued to your seat ('If', and its a big 'if', you are the type of person even moderately interested in celebrity!)

    Much of it can be likened in the same way to personally watching a disaster about to happen. Picture seeing a train about to crash and having absolutely no power to to do anything about it. You know the outcome, but you can't take your eyes off the immanent movement of the train and the inevitable outcome of the collision.

    That is this film.. and it's constructed very well.. despite what people may tell you... there is no 'based on a true story' there is no 'this is fictional' subtitles before or after. It lets you draw your own conclusions whatever they may be.

    I won't comment myself on whether its real or not but suffice to say if you research it enough I'm sure you will draw your own conclusions. (You probably will if you are the type of person that cares a jot about celebrity and whether you care about "J.P's" future career - which is pretty clever when you think about it... And I'll tell you why in the next paragraph).

    Because Joaquin Phoenix is not likable in the film at all. He really isn't. But you want to like him. But he is an a55. Which is quite brilliant...

    In conclusion... I don't think 'everyone' is going to get it... but I take my hat off to Casey Affleck because he directed it very, very well. Perhaps not in a classical style, like say, Clint Eastwood... but in a 'gonzo' film style that people, in my humble opinion, who are savvy and thoughtful, will understand in this modern age of CCTV, internet, Utube etc.

    Lastly, if you 'are' one one those people then vote it an 8 because it certainly does not deserve a 6. That is simple unjust, and no I don't work for anyone associated with the film.

    Thanks for reading. My advise is give it a go...

    S.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The idea for the film came from Joaquin Phoenix's amazement at the way people believed that reality television shows were unscripted. By claiming to retire from acting, he and his brother-in-law Casey Affleck planned to make a film that "explored celebrity, and explored the relationship between the media and the consumers, and the celebrities themselves".
    • Goofs
      When Phoenix first meets Diddy in the hotel, he knocks on the door on the right side of the hall, then the camera switches and Diddy is opening the door on the left side of the hall. It can't just be a change in camera angle since the door is the last one on the hall.
    • Quotes

      Edward James Olmos: That's you, drops of water and you're on top of the mountain of success. But one day you start sliding down the mountain and you think wait a minute; I'm a mountain top water drop. I don't belong in this valley, this river, this low dark ocean with all these drops of water. Then one day it gets hot and you slowly evaporate into air, way up, higher than any mountain top, all the way to the heavens. Then you understand that it was at your lowest that you were closest to God. Life's a journey that goes round and round and the end is closest to the beginning. So if it's change you need, relish the journey.

    • Connections
      Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: The Town/I'm Still Here/Easy A (2010)
    • Soundtracks
      Cool Water
      Written by Royston Langdon

      Performed by Antony Langdon & Joaquin Phoenix

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    FAQ21

    • How long is I'm Still Here?Powered by Alexa
    • Is this a real documentary?
    • What's the song that plays at the very ending with Joaquin Phoenix in the river?
    • Which people were in on the hoax?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 16, 2010 (Australia)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • I'm Still Here: The Lost Years of Joaquin Phoenix
    • Filming locations
      • Costa Rica
    • Production company
      • They Are Going to Kill Us Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $408,983
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $96,658
      • Sep 12, 2010
    • Gross worldwide
      • $626,396
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 48 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.78 : 1

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