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Top 5 Joaquin Phoenix Performances

Undoubtedly the man of the moment in the film that has the festival circuit buzzing, Joaquin Phoenix is the frontrunner for awards for his titular performance in Todd Phillips’ origin story Joker. During a film climate that seems dominated by superhero films, Joker seems like it is doing something entirely different by twisting the tone and idea of the superhero movie. It feels that after years of playing the underdog in Indie features and his reluctance to entertain the spotlight, the mainstream media has finally caught up. It feels only right that I compile a list of my top 5 performances although it’s very tricky to do so.

Here’s my top 5 in chronological order:

Gladiator (2000)

I never thought Gladiator would be in a top anything list. Truth be told, I find the film overwhelming overall but the one element of it I absolutely love is Joaquin Phoenix’s brilliant performance as the evil Commodus, the power hungry son of Marcus Aurelius who gives power to Maximus (Russell Crowe) until a new empire is formed. His lust for power knows no bounds as he murders his own father and has Maximus arrested. It’s Phoenix’s performance that brings the real depth to this film. He could have easily played this role as a cartoonish villain but instead brings a snakelike presence to the character. His strength comes from the power that others give him rather than strength that he has by himself which comes to fruition in the final fight scene with Maximus.

The Master (2012)

Undoubtedly my favourite Joaquin Phoenix performance, The Master follows ex-marine Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) as he becomes involved with a cult called The Cause, led by Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and his wife, Peggy (Amy Adams). I won’t dwell too much on this film, mainly because I have written an extensive review for this film (which you can read here). Phoenix brings his A game to his performance and it truly is a career best. The scene where he initially undergoes “Processing” with Lancaster in which his darkest secrets and even darker past are revealed. It’s a brilliantly shot scene that brings together to titans of acting and should have won both Phoenix and Hoffman Academy Awards.

Her (2013)

Spike Jonze’s romantic Her shows a tender side to Phoenix in the role of Theodore Twombly, a depressed soon-to-be divorcé whose job is writing intimate letters for people who are too afraid to do so. He is so emotionally intense and yet detached at the same time as he begins a sexual relationship with his OS (voiced by Scarlett Johansson). Featuring a stellar cast that is rounded off by Amy Adams and Rooney Mara, this was one of the best films of 2013 and brought Spike Jonze a much-deserved Oscar for his screenplay. It’s a saddening portrayal of love and heartbreak in the 21st century. This is a film that easily could have fallen into ridiculous due to its eccentric plot but the sincerity that Phoenix brings to the role allows the audience to become truly invested in the plot.

Inherent Vice (2014)

Phoenix’s second collaboration with Paul Thomas Anderson brings renowned author Thomas Pynchon to the big screen in what is the only adaptation to date. Based on the drug-infused novel, Inherent Vice, we follow Doc Sportello, an alcoholic, drug-loving cop in 1969 as he tries to bring down a drug lord. It’s a hallucinogenic mesh of colour, music and Joanna Newsom who stars as a narrator only Doc can see. The film itself is hugely underrated, possibly due to the fact that it is too bizarre for a lot of people. Being a big fan of Pynchon, I was so excited to see how it would work adapting one of his books into film and it works perfectly. Phoenix is perfect casting and carries off Doc’s happy-go-lucky attitude with ease. He heads up a star-studded cast fantastically and commands the screen whenever he is on it. He brings the perfect amount of slapstick while also keeping the character’s dignity intact. It’s truly a brilliant film that I think is wrongly overlooked.

You Were Never Really Here (2017)

Lynne Ramsay’s gritty New York City based nightmare follows Phoenix as hitman, Joe, who lives and breathes violence and killing all while living with his elderly mother in his childhood home. He specialises in rescuing trafficked girls. He’s a character who’s backstory is stained with violence and abuse and there isn’t much else that he is capable of doing. He is quiet and alone but happy in his loneliness. When tasked with retrieving a Senator’s daughter from traffickers, Joe embarks on his hardest mission yet. The film is bloody and holds no punches. It’s brutal from beginning to end with devastating results. The direction and writing is super tight and brought both Phoenix and Ramsay prizes at Cannes Film Festival in a rare double win.

With the release of Joker, it seems that Phoenix is going to break into the mainstream and he’s the frontrunner come award season. It seems that these awards are long overdue. If it were up to me, he’d have a couple of oscars in his cabinet already but sadly that hasn’t been the case. I’d hope that those who are introduced to phoenix’s talents as the Joker watch him in other films and see his talents beyond that superhero universe.

I’ll be posting a review for Joker as soon as its released and I’m looking forward to seeing whether it would break into my top 5.

What do you think of my list? Do you agree or disagree? Let me know in the comments below!

Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (2019)

Arguably the most hyped film of the year sees acclaimed director Quentin Tarantino return to his native Hollywood for his ninth (and penultimate) outing. Set in 1969 where hippies reigned and Hollywood stars are quickly on the wain, this film was always going to be the most personal for Tarantino as this film provides the backdrop of his own childhood. It’s a film that provides plenty of Tarantino techniques as well as showing his growth as a filmmaker and storyteller.

It seems only natural that a film set in Hollywood should discuss the cast first. A star studded ensemble headed by Oscar winner, Leonardo DiCaprio in his second collaboration with Tarantino as leading man Rick Dalton who is in desperate need for a decent role to revitalise his waning career. Dalton seems to wallow in self-pity as he is offered role after role on television but isn’t satisfied with the characters. Dalton is the polar opposite of DiCaprio, who is at a point in his life where he is playing some of the most interesting and challenging characters in film today. Ironically, the best character Dalton plays is himself, with a complex self-hatred which contrasts with his desire to see his face everywhere he goes (his house is cluttered with movie posters and his car parking space has a giant painting of his face). Dalton is surrounded by the expectations of the man he once was that he cannot live up to the standards of the actor he could be now. One of the best scenes in the film sees Rick have a drunken breakdown in his trailer when he lightly messes up a scene. Promising never to drink again as he swigs from his whiskey flask, it’s abundantly clear that Dalton’s worst enemy is himself. Partner this with Brad Pitt’s cool and collected Cliff Booth, Dalton’s long-term stunt double who lives in a crammed trailer with his dog behind a drive-through cinema, Cliff dreams of stability after allegedly killing his wife but his rough nature gets in the way. Featuring a controversial scene in which he beats the shit out of Bruce Lee, Booth appears introverted and vulnerable but has a violent streak in a bid to survive.

One of the major talking points in the run up to the film was the handling of Hollywood actress, Sharon Tate, who was one of the real life victims of the Manson Murders. Portrayed by Margot Robbie, we see Sharon in the early stages of her career. From the get go, this was a perfect casting choice. Robbie has shown her strengths and growth as an actress from her breakout role in The Wolf of Wall Street to her Oscar-nominated turn in I, Tonya where she portrayed infamous ice-skater, Tonya Harding. Tate is a more relaxed departure and has a naivety as she navigates her career and enters public life alongside husband, Roman Polanksi who at this point had achieve international acclaim for Rosemary’s Baby. Renowned for her beauty and kind-nature, Tate was in the midst of releasing new film The Wrecking Crew in 1969. In a scene that is both heartwarming and breaking at the same time, we see Tate sneak into a cinema to watch her film among the general public. Her reactions as the audience laugh and cheer her character on allow us to see the woman behind the eventual tragedy, an opportunity for her to be known for something more than a murder victim. Of course it wouldn’t be a Tarantino film if we didn’t see someone’s feet which confused audiences alike. I think it was Tarantino’s way of paying tribute to her while also breaking the blur between reality and fiction. An odd tribute but a tribute all the same.

The big turning point in the film comes when Cliff visits Spahn Ranch, home of Charles Manson’s “family” after an encounter with a potentially underage member (Margaret Qualley). The tone mirrors that of a horror film as Cliff walks the long path to the head house to check on its owner, George Spahn (Bruce Dern). I think that this will go down as one of Tarantino’s best scenes as the direction is impeccable. By this point we’ve seen Cliff’s ability to fight so we know that he is capable of defending himself; however, Tarantino uses the hindsight and context of the situation to drive fear in the audience as crowds of young, waif-like hippies crowd around him in droves. It’s a scene that combines the suspense of The Hateful Eight, the Western qualities of Django Unchained and the hazy Californian setting of Pulp Fiction that brings something quintessentially Tarantino while also showing us something new.

Now for my favourite part of any film – the script! I wouldn’t be surprised to see Tarantino among the nominees for Best Original Screenplay come awards season. He may even walk away with his third gong at the Academy Awards. The dialogue seems sharper and more realistically placed than his previous offerings. Tarantino does a great job of recreating his childhood through detailed settings and timely cultural references. Whereas Pulp Fiction has plenty of iconic quotes and relies on the words on the page, Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood is quite the opposite and much like its subject, it closes in on the actors and is very physically demanding. The film is largely reserved in its violence for the most part, culminating in a massive showdown at the end which justifies the 18 certificate it received. The film is profoundly analytical and draws more similarities to Boogie Nights than Pulp Fiction in my eyes due to the exposure of the grit beneath the glamour of stardom. Tarantino also takes away his use of “chapters”, instead splitting the films into specific days in the run up to the day of the Manson murders. The direction is brilliant in that it showcases a global talent from the confines of his house for the most part. The importance of the home is reiterated throughout the film as Sharon and Roman have recently moved in to the house next door to Rick who mainly stays in (mostly in part to the drinking problem he has as well as his will to ostracise himself). This is ultimately a film about Tarantino’s home literally and figuratively through his childhood but also cinema as a safe place.

The scope of this film is so vast that it is simply impossible to discuss every aspect in one simple review but it’s definitely a film that requires more than one watch. I wouldn’t be surprised if Tarantino even walked away with his long awaited Best Director Oscar which would thoroughly be deserved. This is the film that he was born to make and only builds up even more hype for his alleged final film. I have a feeling that this will be the film to beat.

Have you seen Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood yet? What did you think?

Let me know in the comments below!