0 2B - Thursday, September 23, 2010 Judging A Book By Its Cover Why read a single page when the cover tells the whole story? The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Phoenix rises to the occasion* I'm Still Here' captures essence of method acting By TIMOTHY RABB Daily Arts Writer Joaquin Phoenix has proven that even the most scrutinizing, cynical critics can be duped, and indeed they were. Don't watch "I'm Still Here" for the Tonight at awkward, unnec- the State essary male Magnolia nudity, the dis- gusting scato- logical humor or the cacophonous raps. If for no other reason, watch it because Phoenix dedicated two years of his life to make it, and he did an excellent job at convincing us that he was finished with act- ing, all while ironically employ- ing the damnedest acting chops we've ever seen from him. "I'm Still Here" is the epitome of meth- od acting, and it may very well become one of the definitive cult classics of our generation. The mockumentary chronicles Phoenix's decline from a hand- some young actor - whose work in films like "Gladiator," "Walk the Line" and "Two Lovers" was uni- versally lauded - to a disheveled, mumbling Joaquin 2.0. While news outlets jumped at the chance to speculate about the reason for his abrupt retirement, only Phoenix's most trusted associates knew that his aspirations to be a hip-hop art- "Tonight on 'Masterpiece Theater': This is some good fuckin' shit." ist were part of an elaborate act. Any discerning audience mem- ber should recognize the subtle- ties that hint at a mockumentary. Several of the situations Phoenix finds himself in (as well as the lighting and dialogue that accom- pany them) suggest that the events were entirely preconceived. Even so, the line between fact and fiction is blurred just enough to confound those who knew the fallacious nature of the whole affair before they had even breached the doors of the theater. This particular work is brilliant due neither to its cinematography nor its direction. Succinctly put, the film as a whole looks like the documentary of a raucous frater- nity with scant membership. But it shows a sense of aptitude and self-awareness that comi nicely for each and ever' coming. In some ways the: akin to films like "Grindhot "Machete," B-movies that. settle for, but strive to be conceived. Either way, it's a rarec when one watches a mo feels as if the charactera portrays is the result of no painstaking preparation,1 complete alteration of a life this case, Phoenix's perfo is effective and believable1 it's not Phoenix as Johnn nor is it Phoenix as Commo Phoenix as himself, and evE of us who know the truth this charade are tempted to that his insanity stems not hoax, but from a lamentable Through a classic tiger-meets- girl tale, Charlaine Harris con- structs a haunting narrative about love, lust and zoology. And vam- pires. The plot centers on lonely widow Karen Nightgown and the evening her life changed forever. During one of her nightly Grieve Strolls, Karen takes a shortcut through the local golf course. But wait! Something's amiss. As the stars come out, Karen hears some distressing growls emitting from the underbrush. Investigat- ing, she finds a kitten trapped in a rusty beaver trap and promptly rescues it. But Karen is about to find out this little kitty's got a secret. After Karen nurses it back to health, the kitten reveals its true form - a 500-pound Bengal tiger! Karen is terrified at first, but soon the two become the best of pals, hatching schemes and solving mysteries all over their sleepy Midwestern town. That is, until vampires get wind of their recent exploits and try to make sure Karen and Clem (Karen's name for the tiger, after her late husband) are never heard from again. Oh, and Clem can fly. Harris does many things right with "Definitely Dead," the eighth novel in her "Tigers and Dames" series. As we have come to expect with Harris, her plot and pac- ing skills take a backseat to the extraordinarily detailed tiger facts she includes on every page (her description of the physiol- ogy of a flying tiger is particularly exquisite). However, she treats the vampires with disdain, never really diving into the psyches of these blood-suckers. All the tiger facts in the world can't make up for the way she superficially portrays Count Snarl-Face, the leader of the town's Vampire Guild, whose only real trait as a character is his pre- dilection for pulling on Clem's tail. But truth be told, this book rules. -JEFF SANFORD pensates of heart. And that is the essence of y short- acting. movie is Perhaps this is a situation in use" and which Joaquin truly made a series not only of bad decisions and has now poorly doubled back to his former, sound self. Maybe this is a repeat of "Evil occasion Dead," the Sam Raimi debut that vie and apparently strove to be a serious an actor horror film and ended up unin- t merely tentionally hilarious. But even if but the Phoenix made a bad career move, style. In realized his mistake and ran with rmance the idea that "it was all for show" because to save face, he's still proven that y Cash, the nature of celebrity and those 'dus. It's that adhere to it are fickle and en those superficial. He's not only validat- i behind ed his career - he has elevated it believe to heights that will likely see him t from a through more than a few promi- change nent roles in the near future. See, there are these warring clans of gnomes living in the ridiculously ornate front lawns so common in 21st-century American suburbia. Gnomeo falls in love with Juliet, a girl from the enemy's side of the picket fence. (Why she isn't named Gnomeliet will likely remain a mystery for the ages.) Also, Elton John appears as a gnome - in only a slightly creepier state than his normal physi- cal presence. Though the jury's still out on whether "Gnomeo and Juliet" will retain the Bard's signature double-sui- cide ending for this family-friendly out- ing, our money's on: Definitely. -ANDREW LAPIN TRAILER REVIEW Next February when your English professor assigns you to read Shake- speare's time-honored classic "Romeo and Juliet," you'll be able to tell them, "I don't have to read it. I just Gnomeo saw the animated and Juliet Disney musical ver- Disney sion starring lawn gnomes." And you will flunk the class. But the important thing is you will have seen a movie that, if its trailer is any indication, promises to increase our nation's garden-creature- related nightmares by 1,000 percent.