MovieChat Forums > I'm Still Here (2010) Discussion > Anyone else find it tasteless because of...

Anyone else find it tasteless because of what happened to River?

posted 13 years ago by jitterbug141
11 replies | jump to latest

I just watched this movie on Netflix and while I didn't particularly like it, the one thing that really rattled me is that Phoenix made a satire movie about the downward spiral of celebrities in Hollywood thanks to drugs and fame when his brother, River, died from the exact same causes. It could be argued that he was doing this to show how awful drugs and Hollywood have turned out to be, but either way it just came across as tasteless after how his brother died.

Did anyone else feel this way or am I the only one?

[–] redd4576 13 years ago

No, I didn't get that at all. You're the only one.

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[–] sandy182 13 years ago

I felt the movie depicted more of the idea of the celebrity being torn between obsession with himself yet, simultaneously, wanting to escape from that image.

If you want to hate something, go to imdb.

[–] dlg13 13 years ago

It crossed my mind momentarily, but then I figure, hey it was his brother so if he's comfortable doing it then why should I get bent out of shape about it?

[–] darthbreezy 13 years ago

Absolutely not.

The movie is not so much about the downward spiral of celebrities as it is about celebrity in general. River detested celebrity, detested a media that spent more time on the look of a star on the red carpet than on global crises. And with ISH, Joaquin really shows the world how completely f^cking stupid it is to spend so much time loving people we don't know, people like Joaquin's character who are mean and addicted and full of sh!t, the real person behind the celebrity.

Yes, River died of a drug overdose. Yes, Joaquin 'does drugs' (ahem, powdered sugar) in the movie. He does drugs in other movies, and nobody bats an eye, but when he uses his own name to play a character so he can speak out to the world, it's a big deal. Oh my god, he played Johnny Cash, how the hell could he do that when River overdosed?

It wasn't tasteless. Of all the people who could really do something tasteless in regards to River's memory, Joaquin is probably the last. The guy is all prepared to end up in prison for battery if he ever finds out who took River's death pic.

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[–] Indie_Mod 13 years ago

I don't think it was tasteless. It wasn't glamorous when he was using drugs and everyone knew it. Aside from that, while I'm sure he wants to be respectful of his brother, he is his own person and shouldn't be restricted from doing roles because of his brother's fatal mistake.

[–] serval26 13 years ago

It is not offensive due to whatever happened to River because Joaquin is the one still living. Joaquin was the one who suffered through River's death. "Don't pity the dead, pity the living." And like the poster above said, Joaquin is probably the last person who could do something tasteless in the regards to River's memory because Joaquin lived through it and is entitled to feel whatever he feels about it.

[–] Dalena 13 years ago

River was HIS brother!
Even it was tasteless, which I don't think it was, who else has the right to do a ''tasteless'' movie about... you know.. whatever the OP said? Don't need to repeat it I think.
I think people are taking it toooo seriously. I'm tired of those posts in imdb about... being too serious :p
Now I'm not from countries that speak english so pardon my lack of words here but just STOP OVERTHINKING S**T and GET A LIFE!

Offensive?! Jeesh! It was just a mockumentary and a good one too. Since ppl are STILL wondering if it was real. The joke IS on them.
No need to feel dumb though. Just admit you were fooled (like a loooot of people) and move on.

[–] parcels-1 12 years ago

Heh. The movie ended with him slowly walking in a "River" until it consumed him.

[–] ItsEddieHaskellBeyotch 11 years ago

"The movie ended with him slowly walking in a "River" until it consumed him."

^Yeah, I picked up on that too. Clearly that was a symbolic nod to his late brother. Probably the only scene that kinda saves this film from being a huge waste of time.

'When there's no more room in Hollywood, remakes shall walk the Earth.'

[–] bootblack987 11 years ago

I felt it was tasteless. If the movie had some value or merit, I might think otherwise, but I just don't get what the point of this movie was about. So the filmmakers failed in whatever their attempt was, because as a viewer, I'm just left confused as to what they were trying to do.

I thought throughout the movie, I kept thinking, "how could Joaquin make a movie about drugs and the downward spiral of an actor/celebrity...when that is exactly how his brother died??" It was tasteless and offensive. Imagine how concerned many people in the industry must have been to think that another member of the Phoenix family was messed up to the (possible) point of death. I fail to find the humour or entertainment value in a project such as this.

[–] SampanMassacre 11 years ago

i watched him snorting whatever that was and thought to myself, "If River's death didn't teach you something, you'll never learn"