Joaquin Phoenix is one of the most controversial actors in Hollywood. Throughout his career, the 44-year-old actor appeared in many projects that allowed him to reveal his full potential from many different angles, including comedies, dramas, and even comic book movies.
Here are the top 7 Joaquin Phoenix movie performances.
Gladiator, 2000
Ridley Scott’s historical drama takes place in the Roman Empire in 180 AD during the reign of Marcus Aurelius. This film was nominated for 119 awards and received 49, including 5 Oscars and two Golden Globes. And the role of the Roman emperor Commodus brought fame to Joaquin Phoenix.
The Village, 2004
Joaquin’s second movie with Shyamalan, the Village, features a settlement hidden from the outside world, surrounded by deadly forests inhabited by ominous mystical creatures. Despite the threat, Phoenix’s character decides to go through the woods to the mysterious “cities.” The actor’s ability to masterfully convey a vast range of emotions made him one of Shyamalan’s favorite people to work with.
Walk the Line, 2005
Walk the Line is an impressive biopic of one of the most iconic musicians in US history – Johnny Cash. Phoenix very convincingly played the drug addiction of Cash and his personal dramas. Among other things, it is also a love story. Reese Witherspoon, who played the role of Cash’s second wife, June Carter, even received an Oscar. He performed all the songs himself, and later the album with the soundtrack won a Grammy!
Two Lovers, 2008
An independent American cinema guru James Gray considers Joaquin Phoenix to be the most important actor in his career. In “Two Lovers,” Phoenix played the most complex and delicate tragicomic role. The script was partly based on Dostoevsky’s White Nights, where the main hero repeatedly made attempts to commit suicide while trying to figure out his own feelings for two women. It’s truly heartbreaking and awe-inspiring.
Her, 2013
In the movie “Her,” Phoenix plays a character from the future – a shy and closed off clerk-slash-writer, suffering from loneliness and needs love. Pretty much sums up 90% of all people’s life stories. He finds an ideal partner named Samantha, but he can only communicate with her using voice. The touching phantasmagoria, accompanied by the original music of Arcade Fire, became one of Phoenix’s most beautiful works.
You Were Never Really Here, 2017
This time Joaquin Phoenix plays the role of a professional hitman. He’s elusive and quite badass while at the same time living together with his mother doing his best to care for her. One time he finds out about a bunch of nasty dudes, who are also politicians, and decides to challenge them alone. However, the intrigue in this movie is less important than the cinematic angle itself. But only if you prefer the artsy stuff.
The Joker, 2019
Truth be told, I still haven’t watched the new Joker movie, but people talk. Especially on the internet. It’s a reimagined “origin story” of the Joker from the DC comics. It’s about a mentally-troubled stand-up comedian Arthur Fleck, who went crazy trying to fit in and live a healthy life. Eventually, the craziness takes over, and people start dying. The headlines are screaming that “Joker” is the best movie of 2019 or even the decade! Go out and see it, don’t miss your chance.
