One of the many failed attempts to make Joaquin Phoenix and Casey Affleck's misfiring mockumentary I'm Still Here grander and feel more authentic than what it was, was for a faux feud to begin between Phoenix and his close friend/frequent director James Gray. If you recall the press rounds for their movie Two Lovers where the first strand of Phoenix's apparent breakdown began, the supposedly wannabe rapper was less than kind about his director's working method. Of course Gray was in on it all along but wasn't particularly interested in playing up to the staged feud and the whole thing was quickly forgotten about. So two years on now and the documentary has been available on DVD for months and now that everyone is of the opinion I'm Still There was one elaborately failed joke, it's time for the two collaborators to get collaborating again on serious fare. Deadline reports that Phoenix and Gray are to team together for the fourth time on Low Life, an original and particularly dark drama that Marion Cotillard is on board to lead and Jeremy Renner is currently in talks for a major role.
Cotillard will play a woman attempting to immigrate from Poland. Her American dream turns into a nightmare. While sailing to Ellis Island and a new start, her sister grows deathly ill and she is forced to trade sexual favors for medicine and food to keep her sister alive. Once they land, she is warned to keep quiet about what happened. Though she does, she walks away with immigration papers that deem her a woman with bad morals. With no place to go, she falls prey to a charming sleazebag (Phoenix), who persuades her to turn tricks in New York. Renner is close to signing on to play the sleazebag's cousin, a magician who sweeps the young woman off her feet and is her best chance to escape the nightmarish life she has fallen into.
With a premise like that you can't argue that it lives up to the film's title. No word on what time period the film will be set in but there's plenty of clues in the above to believe it's not a contemporary picture. Exciting cast here then. We all know what Phoenix can deliver with Gray. Cotillard is one of my favourite actresses' working today and seems to be getting better with every role. I like how challenging this part sounds. Meanwhile Renner recently started his own production company and immediately brought in Gray to write a Steve McQueen biopic that they hope to make together one day. Perhaps Gray will write the McQueen movie whilst he is waiting for the above actors' schedules to clear? As Cotillard is busy on The Dark Knight Rises, Renner is to lead the new direction for The Bourne Legacy this summer and Phoenix is getting ready to return to work on Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master - Low Life isn't set to shoot until next year when it's hoped everyone's stars will align.