“Why won’t anyone take me seriously?” asks Joaquin Phoenix in I’m Still Here, a “documentary” about the star’s bizarre transition from acting to rapping. Within the film, this statement is the cry of a fallen artist who desperately wants the public to respect his bizarre pursuits. However, it may also be one of many inside jokes.
Phoenix’s infamous meltdown on Letterman in February 2009 shocked the entertainment community, but it was not without its skeptics. Did Phoenix really have a drug-induced mental breakdown, or was it all a prank? A year and a half later, I’m Still Here premiered, and the debate intensified. Not even director Casey Affleck’s recent announcement that the whole film was staged performance art convinced some viewers. Can we really believe that Phoenix maintained the hoax for well over a year? And if he did, does he deserve an Oscar nom?
I’m Still Here is not the only documentary this year that invites viewers to question its authenticity. Summer's surprise hit, Exit Through The Gift Shop, was suspected to be a calculated stunt by street artist Banksy. And Catfish, which opens tomorrow at the Ritz, may also be a fabrication. It follows Nev, a New York City photographer who develops an online relationship with a 19-year-old Michigan girl. Nev's brother and friend begin documenting this strange relationship, and upon making a face-to-face visit, soon learn that nothing is at it seems.
In the past, the line between fiction films and documentaries was more clearly delineated. But if this year is any indication, the two distinct forms are slowly coming together. And given the rise of the Internet and social media, this seems like a natural progression. The form of the fake documentary can perhaps be seen as a reflection upon our postmodern lives. The films discussed above question the production of “the celebrity,” “the artist” and “the individual” and suggest that perhaps the fabricated and the real often go hand in hand.
