By the time Casey Affleck’s documentary (or mockumentary) on Joaquin Phoenix’s retirement from acting and subsequent rap career is finished, will anyone still care about any of it? If today’s frenzy over Phoenix’s appearance last night on Late Show with David Letterman is any indication, I’m guessing that many people will. I seriously thought the story was beyond tired at this point, especially after the very believable accusations that Phoenix’s career change and behavior are nothing but a Borat- or Punk’d- or Andy Kaufman-like prank. From looking at some of the reactions today, though, I guess there are still a lot of people in the media who haven’t heard it’s a hoax (most think he’s on drugs here). But even the more-knowing bloggers were all about Phoenix this morning, whether because they are annoyed with the actor for blowing a great opportunity to promote his new film, Two Lovers, or they’re simply still curious about what’s actually going on. What I want to know is, has anyone else thought about the obvious rise-from-the-ashes connection between the actor’s name and a certain mythological creature? Maybe that’s his whole motivation behind the act.
Anyway, here’s a sampling of what people are saying about the Letterman appearance:
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Go to Variety.com this morning, and chances are you’ll be greeted by a full-page For Your Consideration ad on behalf of The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford. Which is interesting, considering that when the film premiered in September, Warner Brothers all but declined to promote it, spending the bare minimum on advertising and making it virtually impossible for non-coastal critics to write reviews. Whether it’s a last-ditch salvage job or it was part of the plan all along, maybe Warner Brothers understands that this is a film with limited mainstream appeal that nonetheless deserves a chance to play in the awards game?
Maybe, maybe not. For me, the overall takeaway from the ad (I took a screencap and pasted it above, just to make sure it wasn’t an early morning hallucination) is that the studio is still working against the movie’s strengths. Looking what they’re specifically flogging in the ad: Andrew Dominik for Best Adapted Screenplay, at the exclusion of Roger Deakins for Cinematography, which should be a lock? Sounds like a contractual obligation. Maybe more egregiously, the ad has room for the names of five producers, but no push for Casey Affleck as Best Supporting Actor?
I know, I know––gift horse, mouth, blah blah blah. Tell me why I’m wrong in the comments.
CHICAGO – It wasn’t that long ago when Ben Affleck was an unknown. Fortune eventually smiled upon him and along came quality performances in independents and an Academy Award for screenwriting.
Then came “Armageddon,” “Pearl Harbor” and a series of nauseating tabloid stories involving something called “Bennifer”. Affleck’s public image as either a true filmmaker or a hack is riding heavily on his directorial debut of “Gone Baby Gone”.
Without fail, he falls easily into the category of true talent. Following the path that fellow actor-turned-director Clint Eastwood did with “Mystic River,” Affleck elevated a crime thriller by author Dennis Lehane to the big screen.
Click here to read the full review by Dustin Levell…
This film premiered as part of the Chicago International Film Festival on Oct. 10, 2007.
What you should see but may not know is showing this weekend: Does Your Soul Have a Cold? by Mike Mills (Thumbsucker), a documentary about depression and the pharmaceutical invasion of Japan playing on IFC. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford by Andrew Dominik, the best movie to come out of Hollywood you’ll have to strain to find. And a four and a half hour documentary by cinema legend Peter Bogdanovich on none other than… Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers?
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Does Your Soul Have a Cold? The Assassination of Jesse James, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers: Runnin Down a Dream
I’m getting ready to see a four-hour Tom Petty documentary directed by Peter Bogdanovich (yes, seriously) so I’ll have to be brief, but bits of news are trickling out that indicate Warner Brothers has essentially sabotaged its already half-assed wide-ish rollout of The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford by making it nearly impossible for critics in mid-size cities to see the thing. The evidence follows after the jump; if you’ve seen/heard similar stories from your part of the country, do post links in the comments.
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