“I enjoy watching those movies”: the unexpected performance Joaquin Phoenix called genius
Regarded by many as one of the finest actors of his generation, Joaquin Phoenix has constantly managed to surprise audiences by taking his craft to the next level on each project he accepts. Be it his terrifying intensity in You Were Never Really Here or the haunting psychological disturbance that plagued his interpretation of the Joker, the American actor has always brought his A-game.
While it was his portrayal of Napoleon in Ridley Scott’s biopic that garnered all the attention last year, Phoenix also delivered a nuanced, dizzyingly complex and sincere performance in Ari Aster’s Beau is Afraid. Even though Aster’s indulgent approach to the dense subject matter polarised critics, Phoenix’s brilliance is simply undeniable.
As fans wait for the release of the sequel to Joker later this year, they will undoubtedly think of some of the other comic book movies that he has been attached to over the years, especially concerning the Marvel projects. During a conversation with Time Out, the actor was asked about his thoughts on the sci-fi screenplays that come across his desk, and he didn’t hide his apprehensions at all.
Phoenix said: “When I was younger, I was probably a bit of a snob about that. But they’ve gotten better. I’ve flirted with several of those films, having meetings and getting close, but ultimately, it never felt like they’d really be fulfilling. There were too many requirements that went against my instincts for character. I’ve been spoiled. I’ve never had to make those compromises.”
According to the Gladiator star, big-budget franchise movies never appealed to him personally because the scripts always lacked the dramatic elements he wanted to explore. However, that didn’t stop him from appreciating an industry contemporary who managed to excel within a similar area by tackling a huge pre-existing legacy.
“I’m not just being difficult,” he continued. “I’m just trying to find what works for me. I don’t want to commit to something and not fulfil those obligations. I enjoy watching those movies. Did you see the rebooted Star Trek? That kid Chris Pine who plays Kirk, is fucking genius. I just don’t know if I want to have the experience of being in them. I’ve read some of those scripts and 75% is a description of some asteroid going through space.”
Following in the footsteps of William Shatner, Pine impressively stepped up with his modern take on the iconic character and became one of the major highlights of the reboot series, so much so that even Quentin Tarantino expressed his interest in making a Star Trek movie with Pine. Although that will probably never happen, it just goes to show that Pine hit it out of the park.
