The deal has been closed, and the most intriguing documentary of the year “I’m Still Here: The Lost Year Of Joaquin Phoenix” will hit theaters on September 10th for a platform release via Magnolia.
The much talked about documentary chronicles the post-“Two Lovers” meltdown and burgeoning hip hop career of actor Joaquin Phoenix in a film that director Casey Affleck maintains is the real deal and not an elaborately staged Andy Kaufman-esque hoax. Those who have seen the film haven’t been able to make heads or tails or it, certainly not when presented with a number of salacious scenes including Phoenix “snorting cocaine off the breast of a prostitute,” “ordering call girls, having oral sex with a publicist, treating his assistants abusively and rapping badly.”
However, the most intriguing bit of news is that Phoenix himself “will be speaking about the pic in some capacity.” It should be noted that Magnolia also handled Phoenix’s “last” film “Two Lovers” and then proceeded to watch him self-destruct during the promo run into the lead up to the film’s release, including his now infamous appearance on David Letterman. His re-emergence to the public, in whatever capacity, should be fascinating.
So is this the true chronicle of a major actor in a full on crisis or is that the craziest stunt ever put to film? Magnolia president Eamonn Bowles won’t say but does paint of a picture of a fascinating film nonetheless, “No matter what I thought coming in, I came out feeling this was a pretty amazing piece of work, jaw dropping but dimensional. It is going to get a lot of attention, but it is not some cheap stunt where they said, ‘Let’s do some wild stuff and film it.’ It is extreme behavior but really good filmmaking as well. Frankly, some of the behavior is very extreme. But it is in the context of the insanity of being in Joaquin’s life for that period of time. It is a unique piece of work that is going to surprise people in different ways.”
The film might premiere at the Venice and/or Toronto film festivals (most likely the former since the latter only starts on September 9th and this morning set “Score: A Hockey Musical as the opening film) but will definitely rollout and hit VOD in September.
