'Joaquin and I had been talking about working together for a while,' he offers, by way of starting the conversation, 'and we were talking about doing something with me as a director and him as an actor for a while. 'What was interesting to me, for sure, was the idea of someone who was transitioning from being a famous, successful actor to being a musician' He has his publicist with him at all times unsurprisingly, the subject is never mentioned but Affleck is just as edgy about the movie, frequently hesitating and using phrases that, after an afternoon of TV interviews, already seem rote. As well he might with two civil cases of sexual harassment hanging over his head, filed by the film's producer, Amanda White, and its cinematographer, Magdalena Gorka. When we meet later in the afternoon, the 35-year-old actor-director is friendly enough but very, very cautious. 'It makes me think of Candid Camera or something.' 'I can tell you there is no hoax,' he stated flatly. But as to whether the film is a hoax or not, he was standing firm. Asked directly how he would answer questions about the film's authenticity, about what was real and what was not real, he answered with a very telling remark. When he was put on the spot at the film's packed press conference, Affleck fielded questions with the agility of a master batsman. In what looks like a deliberate attempt to pander to, and subvert, the media's thirst for celebrity scandals – and especially celebrity breakdown scandals – we see Phoenix courting the services of a shell-shocked P Diddy for his monotone ramblings, snort cocaine, order hookers from the internet and, famously, stun David Letterman's audience with a zombiefied guest slot. Both parties strenuously denied that the doc was in any way mock, but the film does little to dispel that notion. It was reported that Affleck, Phoenix's brother-in-law, was working on a mockumentary that would chart the actor's attempt to leave Hollywood and break into the hip-hop world.

I'm Still Here has had tongues wagging for two years now, ever since the bedraggled star made an appearance at a Miami nightclub, rapped ineptly, and fell off the stage. He sat with a friend, right at the back, and as he watched the film, 'he laughed his ass off'. Wearing shades, he was smuggled into the cinema shortly after the lights had dimmed. He was clean-shaven, smartly dressed, and had lost a lot of the weight he had been carrying for the last two years. It is claimed that some time before the film started, Phoenix arrived by vaporetto at the nearby Excelsior hotel. One particular story, from a very reliable source, is especially interesting. Later, though, rumours start to circulate that the film isn't quite everything it seems. After all, the posters outside show the once-lithe Phoenix looking bearded and wired, and as the candid, sometimes shocking film unfolds, they start to understand why he would want to stay away. The crowd is pretty disappointed but sympathetic. But for I'm Still Here, the long-awaited documentary charting actor Joaquin Phoenix's very public meltdown of 2008, only the film's director, Casey Affleck, emerges to take his seat in the empty top-tier row. at a pivotal point in the film.”Īnd now the demand: “Now you owe me a million bucks.The Sala Grande at the Venice film festival has seen some pretty big arrivals in its time, perhaps most famously in 2004 when the 17-strong delegation for The Merchant Of Venice left its star, Al Pacino, with nowhere to sit. It was a theatrical ruse.” Moreover, he said, “I’m in it. Of course, it turned out to be otherwise - in Dave’s words, “Guess what, it’s no documentary. According to Letterman, his lawyers said he could sue, but that Phoenix’ lawyers claimed the use was fair use because it was for a documentary. After pleasantries, Letterman shifted into the IP issues (about 2:45 in). Since then, it’s come out that the appearance was part of a Borat-style false-reality performance, as part of Casey Affleck’s mockumentary I’m Still Here.ĭuring yesterday’s interview, the two performers (Phoenix now cleaned up) discussed the film. Many will recall Phoenix’ bizarre, bearded 2009 appearance, where Phoenix claimed to be quitting acting to become a hip-hop artist. Here’s David Letterman, complaining to Joaquin Phoenix about the use of portions of Phoenix’s infamous 2009 Late Show appearance for a new movie. I’ve read many a cease-and-desist letter, and I’ve even written a few, but I’ve never seen an IP demand issued personally on late-night TV.

Joaquin phoenix david letterman