I'm Still Here isn't, in Rico's world

Ben Child has the ridiculous story in the Guardian:

As recently as the Venice film festival, just over a week ago, he was telling reporters that it was very much the real deal. But Casey Affleck has finally admitted, in an interview with The New York Times, what many always believed was the case: I'm Still Here, his 'documentary' of Joaquin Phoenix's apparent descent from famed actor to mumbling rapper, is a fake.
"It's a terrific performance, the performance of his career," Affleck told tne Times. He said the ruse was necessary to ensure the audience experienced the film's narrative, about the disintegration of celebrity, without the clutter of preconceived notions.
Even Phoenix's famous appearance on the David Letterman show, in which he appeared unstable and incapable of coherent speech, was faked, said Affleck, though the talk-show host was not in on the joke. Crucially, however, the actor's agent, Patrick Whitesell, was one of those on the inside, and even took a "role" in the film.
Reports have suggested that Phoenix, who had apparently abandoned his movie career in favour of music, has been touted for a number of rather more traditional roles in recent weeks as I'm Still Here nears the end of its publicity run. He appeared clean-shaven and looking like a movie star again at Venice, and it appears there will be no long-term sojourn in the world of hip-hop, after all, for the twice Oscar-nominated actor.
I'm Still Here arrives in cinemas here today, having been out in the US for a week on limited release, so it seems a fitting time for Affleck to "own up". As mentioned earlier, many critics had already guessed that Phoenix was playing a part. The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw nevertheless gives the film a positive review in today's newspaper: "This whole stunt could have been a piece of celeb-savvy performance art, which Phoenix approached with the dedication of Robert De Niro bulking up for Raging Bull," he writes. "Joaquin Phoenix will undoubtedly still be here after this is all over: how he sheepishly climbs down from this pose may be the subject of a second mocu-docu-piece. Good film; dodgy career move."

Rico says it's another 'hip' movie he won't be seeing...