i agree, it meets in the middle. i think this article is the most accurate of all that i've read.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/sep/18/joaquin-phoenix-affleck-still-here
it's what casey is saying before the release, before he can 'let the cat out of the bag'. however, i think what he DOES say during this time is the most telling & realistic. in one part he says something like, ya know people tend to show another side of their personalities when they are being filmed. that isn't a direct quote, but the jest of a statement. so admittedly it is an experiment, to see how far an actor will go while being filmed, with no restraints. also, i think jp picked a genre of music he was least familiar with, to better test his celebrity & the sincerity of those around him. will they say it's great, knowing its schit? who knows exactly what the motivations were initially, but i think that was actually what they may have felt the beauty of it was. they had the money, the time, the desire, so they could just start a project & run wild with it. it if did not receive the kind of reception they are accustomed, they could always spin it, & i believe that is what was done here. i do not think for a second the entire thing was scripted. i don't even think half of it was scripted.
really the things done in the film are not so surprising if you have ever been around anyone remotely famous (even the not famous, just hang out in a major city for a while). the behavior is not surprising either, but it may surprise the fan who has this unrealistic image/fantasy of their favorite celebrity. just read the threads on this board by the handful of women who police it. no wonder celebrities go to extremes (or is it so extreme? particularly if you are living under a microscope). who could live up to the expectations their fans place on them. who would want to.
anyway, i liked his work before, i liked this project, & i'm sure i will like his future stuff. personally, i think 'quills' is my favorite to date.
btw- i want to add, if you go to jp's imdb page, he isn't credited as an actor in 'i'm still here'. producer, yes. actor, no. usually when actors produce or direct something they also act in, they are listed in each category. something to think about anyway.
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