Casey Affleck Reveals the Truth about Joaquin Phoenix

You probably remember the appearance that Joaquin Phoenix made on the Late Show with David Letterman last year.  Phoenix came on the show wearing dark sunglasses and rocking a shaggy beard.  His weird look was then only emphasized by how he acted—and apparently it was an act.  The uninterested answers and the declaration he made about entering the hip-hop music industry were completely fake.

Casey Affleck, who directed the film I’m Still Here, which supposedly documents Joaquin Phoenix’s life for the past two years, says that almost every part of it was an act.  “It’s a terrific performance, it’s the performance of his career,” Affleck told the New York Times.

The film was released last week and faced some big criticism and its credibility was attacked, prompting Affleck to speak out about the film.

“I never intended to trick anybody,” he said. “The idea of a quote, hoax, unquote, never entered my mind.”

I’m Still Here definitely has the elements of a hoax though—a lot of significant scenes in the “documentary” include actors playing different parts, including Phoenix’s family and prostitutes.

What do you think about the film?  Is it a true piece of art or a huge piece of trickery?