***SPOILER ALERT***
I was intrigued to see what Phoenix would bring to this production – I was already convinced it was a hoax and the opening sequence where we see Phoenix with his back to us in some threadbare hoodie, mumbling about his identity issues confirmed that this was going to be a piss-take. This wasn’t some good to honest revelation; this was just going to mock the whole idea of it. I think. I still don’t get it (and for those who have read previous reviews of mine, if I don’t get the point, for me that’s the worst kind of experience). I would have switched it off if I happened to check it out on TV.
A reviewer on IMDb (Colin_George) puts it thus:
'…This ineptly assembled alter to egotism harps incessantly on a point it never makes about the nature of fame.’It was shot with awkward steaming from each frame like some silly home film. I’m still perplexed as to what Affleck was hoping to get with this – it felt like they arrived at the cutting floor with no decent content.
'But put-on or not, the Phoenix in the film has no arc. His character is no closer to achieving his dream by the end, nor are we any closer to understanding what that dream means, to him or anyone.’
