I enjoy this film for what it's trying to do. On one hand, it's great for the criticism that it is trying to convey. Poking holes and making a mockery of the entertainment industry and how the obsession of artist can become fear and anxiety for the artist's themselves. All of these themes play into the story very well and in no way was the narrative boring or wrong. However, it acts itself as a documentary which is one of its biggest problems.
A mockumentary is an attempt of making fun of something, fictional or real; its purpose is to entertain the audience. While a documentary attempt to inform or educate the audience. And from these two definitions, that's one of the biggest that I have with the film. It doesn't know what it wants to be or what it could be.
If you want to make a mockumentary, then there need to be more humour and more ridiculous jokes, and the film doesn't know what or when it should be funny. Its style of 'documentary' is just so unconnected and unreal that you need to question whether or not Joaquin Phoenix was acting at all. That is one of the biggest problems with the film. What do you take seriously and what should you think is just funny? I can't tell whether or not it meant to be funny or not.
A washed-up person ruining his own life and manipulating people's emotion so that he could make a point is fine because it's a choice to make. But when the audience already that you are clearly lying about what you are doing it just felt like a big joke and nothing more. I could see the message being productive and I could see its technicality being great. But when you failed at making a convincing film that the actor's experience is their genuine experience, what is there to think that it's a real film? Or a documentary? Nothing. You simply don't know whether or not the film is worthy of being great. If I know that his emotions are illusions, then I would see no genuine emotion. It lacks meaning because of it. There is simply no meaning behind this film, it doesn't change Joaquin Phoenix's life nor does it change the audience mind towards Hollywood. It is shallow when it comes to a meaningful story.
Overall the narrative is great, its technicality is great. The fact that the other actors stay true to their roles is great and enduring as well. Its biggest and determining factor lies in its meaning, which it falls short on every level.
A mockumentary is an attempt of making fun of something, fictional or real; its purpose is to entertain the audience. While a documentary attempt to inform or educate the audience. And from these two definitions, that's one of the biggest that I have with the film. It doesn't know what it wants to be or what it could be.
If you want to make a mockumentary, then there need to be more humour and more ridiculous jokes, and the film doesn't know what or when it should be funny. Its style of 'documentary' is just so unconnected and unreal that you need to question whether or not Joaquin Phoenix was acting at all. That is one of the biggest problems with the film. What do you take seriously and what should you think is just funny? I can't tell whether or not it meant to be funny or not.
A washed-up person ruining his own life and manipulating people's emotion so that he could make a point is fine because it's a choice to make. But when the audience already that you are clearly lying about what you are doing it just felt like a big joke and nothing more. I could see the message being productive and I could see its technicality being great. But when you failed at making a convincing film that the actor's experience is their genuine experience, what is there to think that it's a real film? Or a documentary? Nothing. You simply don't know whether or not the film is worthy of being great. If I know that his emotions are illusions, then I would see no genuine emotion. It lacks meaning because of it. There is simply no meaning behind this film, it doesn't change Joaquin Phoenix's life nor does it change the audience mind towards Hollywood. It is shallow when it comes to a meaningful story.
Overall the narrative is great, its technicality is great. The fact that the other actors stay true to their roles is great and enduring as well. Its biggest and determining factor lies in its meaning, which it falls short on every level.