The Mocking of Casey Affleck

Since the high profile shenanigans of The Beatles in A Hard Day’s Night, the mockumentary has been a staple of filmmaking. But aside from a few strokes of brilliance – such as This Is Spinal Tap – it’s the last decade or so that has witnessed the true rise of the genre, and it’s possible that the mockumentary boom is attributable to one little movie.

1999’s The Blair Witch Project was a phenomenal success, not only raking in unthinkable piles of cash, but also managing to burrow into the public consciousness in a big way. Additionally, the Blair Witch ­tread the line between fact and fiction, utilizing a revolutionary viral campaign, verite camera work, and unknown actors to convince audiences that what they were seeing was real. More than anything, Blair Witch showed the power of the mockumentary, and filmmakers soon caught on. In fact, of the 762 mockumentaries listed on IMDB, a staggering 686 were made after 1999.

But the Blair Witch was just the beginning, and the mockumentary developed over the following years. Even television bosses appeared to be taking notes, as a number of mockumentary shows began to appear. Following the success of such things as The Office, an increasing number of similar series cropped up, including Summer Heights High and Trailer Park Boys.

Despite the number of such films and TV shows made over this period, there is one name that stands out in taking the mockumentary further than anyone thought it could go (at that stage, anyway).

Sacha Baron Cohen tackled both mediums, debuting on TV as the parodic Ali G, with the sole intention of winding up upper-class twits by exposing their ignorance. It wasn’t long before Cohen spread his wings and tackled the U.S. as Borat, and not long after had produced his first feature film. Borat was a huge success, and above all else, a masterclass in method acting. For Cohen to have remained in character at all times is astounding, especially when faced with a variety of situations – from the obnoxious frat boys to the racist Texans. Borat, and latterly Bruno, displayed a commitment from its lead man in his attempts to dupe those around him. With Cohen, the mockumentary had reached another level, where those involved attempted to not only fool the audience, but their co-stars too.

If that seems a big enough feat in itself, imagine trying to pull the wool over the entire world’s eyes. That’s exactly what Joaquin Phoenix attempted for the mockumentary I’m Still Here. In an apparent effort to make comment on reality TV and the nature of celebrity, Phoenix grew a hobo beard, acted bizarrely in public, and announced his retirement from acting. For a career as a rap artist, no less. And there’s no doubt he pulled it off – gossip magazines and Internet sites were awash with the supposed demise of Phoenix, as he seemingly lost the plot. All of this was aided by a now infamous appearance on Letterman, in which he entered a stellar performance, convincing viewers and even Letterman himself that he had indeed gone barmy.

Sacha Baron Cohen duping drunk college boys and dim rednecks is one thing, but conning the whole world into thinking that you’re a half-mad rapper for the sake of a film is something else. It seems that once again, the mockumentary has reached another level, and one has to wonder where it will go next…

The mockumentary isn’t the only thing to have a meteoric rise in recent times. Consider Casey Affleck, one of Hollywood’s hot properties and also, as it happens, the director of I’m Still Here.

Most viewers’ first encounter with Affleck was 1997’s Good Will Hunting, in which he played the younger brother of real-life sibling Ben, a character perhaps most memorable for his baseball glove-masturbatory habits. Following this charming performance, Affleck cut his acting teeth in such Indie fare as Desert Blue and the excellent 200 Cigarettes. At this stage, one had to wonder if he’d ever break out of the shadow of older brother Ben, who was rocketing to superstardom in films such as Daredevil.

But the younger Affleck’s time was yet to come, and after mainstream exposure in the Ocean’s 11 series, he came to prove his thespian prowess in the stunning The Assasination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. But it’s the dark and disturbing The Killer Inside Me that has come to define his career so far. As the sadomasochistic Lou Ford, Affleck is cold as ice, delivering a villain fit for the annals of cinema legend.

Acting wise, Affleck has more than proved himself, and currently has three movies in production. But what of this mockumentary business? As his only directing credit so far, it seems like an unusual choice for his debut feature – but there’s no doubt that being part of this project proved as a big a commitment for Affleck as it did for its star. After all, Phoenix isn’t the only one that had to convince the world the whole thing was genuine.

Though the reviews of I’m Still Here were mixed, there’s a sense that this may be accountable to the confusion over what viewers were seeing. Is it a con? Is it real? Has the mockumentary gone too far and spoiled the fun for everyone? Of course not. There’s always room for the envelope to be pushed further, and all-the better if exciting young talents such as Casey Affleck are behind it. He wouldn’t be seen dead masturbating into a baseball glove these days, unless it was to convince the world that he really did it, of course.

I’m Still Here is available on DVD and Blu-Ray now