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The film by actor-turned-director Casey Affleck - who is also Phoenix's brother-in-law - titled I'm Still Here: The Lost Year Of Joaquin Phoenix, has been picked up by Magnolia Films and is slated for a September 2010 US release.

The Oscar-nominated and Grammy Award-winning Walk The Line star made headlines around the world when he announced his retirement from acting in October 2008 to instead focus on developing his hip-hop career, managed by P. Diddy.

His seemingly bizarre behaviour when he appeared on David Letterman's US television talk show and other public forums following the announcement fueled murmurs that he was experiencing a mental breakdown, while others suspected it was a publicity stunt.

Phoenix responded to rumours that his new career was a hoax, with the statement: "This is not a joke. Might I be ridiculous? Might my career in music be laughable? Yeah, that's possible, but that's certainly not my intention."

After watching the film, Magnolia Pictures president Eamonn Bowles said: “No matter what I thought coming in, I came out feeling this was a pretty amazing piece of work, jaw-dropping but dimensional. It is going to get a lot of attention, but it is not some cheap stunt where they said, 'Let's do some wild stuff and film it.' It is extreme behaviour but really good filmmaking as well. Frankly, some of the behaviour is very extreme. But it is in the context of the insanity of being in Joaquin's life for that period of time. It is a unique piece of work that is going to surprise people in different ways."

Source: nme.com

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