Casey Affleck’s Joaquin Phoenix mockumentary coming soon

Salma Hayek at The 18th Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Oscar Party in LA
I know a lot of people believed that Joaquin Phoenix was putting us on when he embarked on that strange rap career, complete with crazy hair, a overgrown beard, incoherent mumbling, and no skill at rapping whatsoever. I was pretty convinced that it was real though. It all started in November, 2008, when an unkempt Joaquin was doing the press tour for Two Lovers and announced his retirement from acting. He even showed up on the red carpet with the words “Bye” and “Good” written on his hands in the wrong order. Around January of last year it came out that Joaquin’s friend, Casey Affleck, was going to make a documentary of Joaquin’s music career and that he was supposedly serious about his rapping.

Then in February of 2009, Phoenix had an interview on Letterman that went down in history as one of the worst ever. He just sat there and barely said anything, at one point sticking his chewing gum under Letterman’s desk. It was incredibly convincing and I thought that Phoenix was either on drugs, suffering from mental illness, or a little of both. People pointed out that he’s an actor, though, and that this whole thing could be performance art. If it was all a hoax, the guy had many people, including former costar Gwyneth Paltrow, and his last director, convinced.

For a while Phoenix disappeared from public and I even got concerned about him and wondered if he was ok . In August there was a sighting of a still-wacky Phoenix at a clothing store in LA, but that was the only news we heard about him in months.

Then, in January of this year, Phoenix made a clean cut and completely sober-looking appearance in a charity video. He seemed back to his old self again and it was kind of amazing after all we’d seen of him over the past year. So was it all an Andy Kaufman-esque elaborate scheme? Was Phoenix genuinely mentally ill and/or on drugs and did he finally get some medical intervention or detox? All these questions might be answered with the upcoming release of Casey’s documentary, or they might not. Casey is shopping the film around now and there’s real interest in it. Sellers are working to keep the story as secret as possible:

Casey Affleck has completed that much-talked about and long-awaited mockumentary he directed about his brother-in-law Joaquin Phoenix’s eccentric metamorphosis from actor to hip-hop musician (or so we’ve been led to believe). I’m told that the film made its debut in a private lunchtime screening at WME headquarters last week for buyers — including Harvey Weinstein — who were sworn to secrecy. WME is selling the film, and it may only take a couple of days to reach a deal. I hear the agency and the distributors intend to keep the mock’s content under wraps for as long as they can for maximum shock value. (So it won’t be part WME Global’s sales push at the Cannes Film Festival.) Presumably, the film answers Hollywood’s bewilderment about whether Joachin was serious about quitting acting — or whether he was just, well, acting. His long months of bizarre behavior culminated in his semi-mute interview with David Letterman that was as surreal as anything Andy Kaufman ever did. And, his musical debut at the Las Vegas night club LAVO where he claimed to be a homeless rapper, jumped around the stage, and fell off.

[From Deadline]

Whatever happened to Joaquin, I’m just glad he’s ok now and that this all has a happy ending. I’m also incredibly interested in seeing this documentary. It could be fascinating. Even with the news of this film, I don’t think that it was all an act and believe that Joaquin had some serious issues at the time. Casey just seemed too flustered to me in the brief red carpet interview where he confirmed Joaquin’s retirement. Maybe these guys planned it all out though and were able to pull a huge hoax on the media. Or maybe they tried to play it off as a hoax and got sucked into the game. I hope we find out.

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The Cinema Society Hosts A Screening Of "Two Lovers" - Inside Arrivals

The Cinema Society Hosts A Screening Of "Two Lovers" - Inside Arrivals

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25 Responses to “Casey Affleck’s Joaquin Phoenix mockumentary coming soon”

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  1. CathyT says:

    I’ll be very happy if it was all an elaborate hoax.

  2. Joan says:

    It’s hard to say whether this whole thing was real or just a big joke. Frankly, I was relieved to hear that he might of pulled a ‘Borat’ because Joaquin is a great actor. I also hoped that he had kicked his drug habit … maybe the bearded, homeless guy look was just an act? On the flip side, I am slightly convinced that this whole thing was real and that now Joaquin is going back to his old self because of the sheer embarrassment of the situation. I mean, who and the hell actually supported his decision? It seemed everyone just mocked both him and Casey.
    Anywho, I am glad to see Joaquin unshaven (he is so handsome) and hopefully back up on the screen sometime soon … just not with a mic! 🙂

  3. ViktoryGin says:

    God, I want to bed this backasswardness.

    (I still love him as the Abbe in Quills)

  4. Bella Mosley says:

    I hope it was a hoax. I agree he is a wonderful actor and a beautiful young man. However, if it was a hoax you still have 7o not only wonder why, but what kind of person (nut) would go to the lengths he has gone to for no seemingly good purpose.
    I feel so sorry for his parents. River (his brother) died of an overdose and now it appears either way Joaquin has some issues. I just hope he can be and is getting helped.

  5. Popcorny says:

    It was a hoax.
    When he was on Letterman Joaquin had a hard time keeping a straight face (especially with Letterman’s responses/reactions).
    It was very subtle but showed that he was far more “on the same page” than he wanted to show. (When he wanted to laugh, he sorta ate on his facial hair to mask his reaction(s).

  6. gabs says:

    It is a hoax. Hes a brilliant actor. And Gwenyth knew. i remember watching the Two Lovers interviews and they asked her about it and she smiled and hinted that she wasnt sure he was really done acting. It was the first time she looked like she didnt know how to answer

  7. Tia C says:

    Fascinating? Really? Not to me. I think he’s a very talented actor but I don’t think his asinine behavior last year was a hoax. I think he’s completely off the reservation. And is anyone really going to care about this “mockumentary”? I may be completely eating my words after its release, but I think a grand total of about 5 people will go see it.

  8. Crash2GO2 says:

    If it was all a hoax, then I’ll no longer be a fan. It was very distressing to watch his downward spiral. I’d hate to think we were put through all that just so he could prove what a great actor he is and Casey could make some $$.

  9. Tia C says:

    Good point, Crash. You are right, it was distressing to watch for those of us who like him. I will also lose respect for him if it was a hoax.

  10. Praise St. Angie! says:

    meh, I thought it was a hoax when it was going on, and I still think so.

    re: the Letterman appearance…the video was all over the internet and I remember when it was first made public someone had mentioned the “during the commercials” interaction btwn Phoenix and Letterman. that is, during the breaks, Phoenix was chatty and laughing, only going back to the silent act during what you saw on TV.

    I really think the whole thing was a Andy Kauffman-esque attempt at being artsy and edgy.

  11. SolitaryAngel says:

    I was very upset too–watching him “spiral downward” into depression or psychotic behavior was not pleasant for me. I worried about him a lot. If this was all a hoax I don’t know if I’ll be able to watch his films again. What will happen to him in the future if he really *does* have mental problems? Will he get help or will people merely watch, thinking he’s hoaxing us again? It’s like the boy who cried wolf. The whole thing just leaves a very bad taste in my mouth. Not cool, Joaquin. NOT. COOL. AT. ALL.

  12. Obvious says:

    he’s a method actor. always has been. if it was a hoax kudos to him for A)being so convincing-it just proves what a fantastic actor he is and B) how quick we are to fall for anything.

    i’m really interested in this movie.

  13. M says:

    I always thought it was a hoax. And BTW if they are using the word “mockumentary” then yes it was fake. And all you fans can lose respect if you want….but that’s what method actors do. They stay in character.

  14. MingMing says:

    Obviously he had way toooo much time on his hands.
    If nobody wants to hire you for anything, just do a hoax, right?

    Maybe Linsay Lohan is also just doing a hoax-oh, yeah that just has to be right!

  15. ,,,, says:

    I too always thought it was a hoax. I don’t know much about Casey Affleck but from what I do know he doesn’t seem to be a terrible dick of a person. And it would take a terrible dick of a person to film a “relative” having a mental breakdown. If they are selling the footage and marketing it as a mockumentary, I think it’s safe to say that the whole thing was put on.

    I also think it’s silly for people to stop liking him or being a fan because he fooled them and they were concerned. Isn’t the real point that he’s okay?

  16. lolo says:

    People who say they don’t hope it’s a hoax hope that Joaquin is really mentally ill? Why would you hope such a thing like that? Bunch of hypocrits…
    I hope it’s a hoax so there really is nothing wrong with him.

  17. mouth.like.a.sailor says:

    @Crash2GO2- the point of a hoax like this is not to make money and to prove that you are a great actor, that’s not the point of doing something like this. people keep referring to it as very Andy Kaufmanesque because Andy Kaufman was a PERFORMANCE ARTIST. he was an incredibly subversive comedian and was using his status as an outsider to expose the ridiculousness of the media, Hollywood, and the mentality of American Public as a whole.

    from what i know of Joaquin, he was raised on a commune for many years, he has many very talented and creative siblings and family members, and he himself is also very talented and creative and observant and sensitive and dark and brooding. He is definitely more of a what i would say is a “Hollywood Outsider” as opposed to a “Hollywood Insider” even though his past roles in movies and awards that he has won should definitely put him right up there as a Hollywood Inside, someone with all the right moves, and all the right clothes, and all the right connections, and all the best interviews and magazine covers…EVERYTHING. he could have it all, and in my opinion, he doesn’t want it. he doesn’t want it all. I think a lot of this was a hoax, i think he saw what the reaction to him was when he changed in even the slightest way–grew a beard, wore vintage sunglasses as opposed to popular or stylish ones, wanted to create music instead of continue to act all the time–i think he saw the reaction and the backlash and how ridiculous it was that people thought they had any right to critique or care about what he does as a person and a human being when he is out of the public eye, and i think he went for it. And i think that Casey Affleck (who is a far better actor than his brother, ben) are probably very good buddies and they were in on it together, they set out to prove a point and to probably make somewhat of a joke out of Hollywood. and i think that’s fantastic….rocking the boat a little, changing the status quo, whatever.

    and no offense, but i find it a little odd that people would have gotten so genuinely concerned about his well-being that they would now be offended. it’s not as if this is one of your closest friends that acted all crazy and got everyone worried and then you all realized it was for attention… he’s not your friend, he’s an actor, a brilliant actor at that, and he seems to have a really funny and bizarre sense of humor and i think we should respect that fact that he just went out and proved that he doesn’t give a d*mn about Hollywood and it’s ridiculous Double Standards and soul sucking methods… he is who he is, and like i said before, that’s an incredibly subversive, funny, outspoken, intense, dark, troubled, brooding, BRILLIANT actor. like it or not.

  18. beardreader says:

    I always believed 100% it was a hoax.
    Case in point:

    *They are both actors, so it’s not such an unbelievable concept.

    *I don’t know of any drugs that would cause you to look/behave like that while still attending movie premiere’s and David Letterman. If he was as ill as he pretended to be I think he would have really become a hermit.

    *Casey is married to his sister, would they really film his downward spiral & rap career for a documentary after what happened to River.

    I don’t understand how anybody fell for this

  19. Ruffian9 says:

    I’m clearly in the minority here, but I think he’s a seriously f**ked up asshole. I don’t get the whole ‘mockumentary’ angle; What’s the purpose here? To show us all how clever he is, how he had us all fooled? That he’s sooo original & talented and fascinating? Whatever, dickhead, I’m not buying.

  20. Crash2GO2 says:

    @mouth.like.a: I respect your take on it. But also respect mine. We identify with actors and actresses we have watched for years and they become a part of us. And so yes, it does affect some of us personally when they fall on bad times, get sick or die. I’ll never forget where I was when I heard about Princess Diana, and she was certainly never anyone I really ‘identified’ with, but she was a prominent figure in our culture. And so yes, it affected me when she died and left two young sons motherless. And so I identified with the loved ones of Juaquin’s who may or may not have been watching him spiral down into mental illness. If I find out he was just jerking our chains to make some ‘point’ that he and some others think is worthwhile, I will forever think he is a jerk. Just as if Princess Diana popped out and said ‘HA! Fooled you all, you thought I was dead.’ @ her funeral, or something. How is that art? Like I’ve said before, I’ve seen a million dollar painting of a red square on a white canvas hanging in a gallery. If that’s art, deal me out. I’ll spend my emotional energy elsewhere.

  21. Erin says:

    I love him and thought it might be a hoax…..but….who cannot remember his “frog” antics on the red carpet a while back? That comment he made about having a frog coming out of his skull made me somewhat question his sobriety…here it is if you have not seen it.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cw-UXhkum5A

  22. Lilias says:

    It was and is clearly a joke.

    Some of you are WAY too sensitive about someone else’s life. Why on earth would Casey Affleck film his best friend and brother in law’s “downward spiral” into drugginess and despair?

    It was very clear on the Letterman show that he was goofing off.

    AND they always used the term “mockumentary” in reference to the film Casey was making. Even in the very beginning when people found out about the film.

    Cripes people are gullible.

  23. ViktoryGin says:

    Not to cite astrology again, but I peeped at some of his birth configurations, and this dude is given to this kind of subversive randomness. His antics don’t surprise nor bother me. I like him a lot, but keep it in perspective and don’t let his idiosyncrasies cause unnecessary concern. It’s not worth it. Grain of salt is the best way to approach this man. Really.

  24. Lia says:

    Total hoax. And not a very good one at that.

  25. Lynda says:

    Now that “I’m Still Here” been pretty much confirmed as a hoax I wonder if people with mental illness view Joaquin Phoenix pretending to be mentally ill as being insensitive with psychiatric illnesses. Like see I’m not mentally ill I was just kidding. Making fun of people who are really are mentally ill.