2 stars

{2jtab: Movie Review}

I'm Still Here - Blu-ray movie Review

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The entertainment industry, in many a folk’s point of view, even in the point of view of those who work within it, is fast becoming a vacuous hole of no imagination, no originality, and a pure money making factory of rehashes, safe bets, and the most uninspiring era of film since its inception.

It’s a doom and gloom way to look at things, but even the most undiscerning of cinema-goer would be hard pressed to name a top ten of classics in this first decade of the 21st century. Even those who are fortunate enough to become stars these days, and the stars from better eras, are relegated into films well below their potential. It may be progressing years, but the new stars of today don’t hold a candle to those who are slowly slipping into that horrible term called history.

One actor who has grown up in the same period as this reviewer, who has gone from child actor to a star with an impressive track record for choices, and an equally impressive attention to his craft, is one Joaquin Phoenix.

In 2008, the actor surprised the world with his announcement that he was retiring from acting. Quickly after, thanks to incessant media coverage, we bore witness to what seemed to be the complete mental and professional breakdown of a one-time great. And that was the point.

Conceived with his brother-in-law, Casey Affleck, Phoenix took method acting to a whole new level as he spent over a year trying to convince the world that he had forsaken his former stellar career to embark on a new one singing rap music. They filmed the whole shebang, and formed what was later revealed to be a mockumentary exploring that mysterious fig we call celebrity, and the nature of that existence.

In such an era of rather bland output, it is to the guys’ credit that they attempted something interesting and out of the ordinary. Unfortunately, though, the actual finished product is not as impressive as the intentions that spawned it.

It’s all rather clichéd and predictable for a film that is trying to take the piss out of celebrity and fame. Phoenix plays his ‘role’ consistently, but an hour and a half of him screaming at sycophantic assistants and descending into an unkept, incoherent mess, is hardly peeling back the layers of this ridiculous fascination people hold with those in the biz. It isn’t poignant, it isn’t funny, it isn’t surprising, and it isn’t clear about what it wants to be.

The real genius of this whole endeavour was not the film itself, but the lie it was based on. Listening to media outlets speculating on whether Phoenix was for real for the year was the point, and I am sure the real kick for those embarked on this endeavour. But it doesn’t translate to an enjoyable picture. The whole thing smacks of self-indulgence and does not reward its viewer as much as it rewards its participants.

Applause for making something different, but jeers for it being as uninteresting as the climate it attempts to lampoon.

{pgomakase}

{2jtab: Blu-ray Details}

Component Grades
Movie
Blu-ray Disc
2 stars
2 stars
Blu-ray Experience
2 stars

Blu-ray

Blu-ray Details:

Available on Blu-ray - November 23, 2010
Screen Formats: 1.78
Subtitles
: English SDH, Spanish
Audio:
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Discs: 50GB Blu-ray Disc; Single disc (1 BD); BD-Live

Not one for the high-def heads of the world. Its source cameras range from old video cameras to the newer off the shelf HD cameras, so the picture quality varies from shot to shot. Sound is a DTS-HD 5.1 master that, again, is not meant to blow your mind, and is a bit all over the place from its sources. Both do the job.

Supplements:

Extras are non-existent.

{pgomakase}

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