5 favourite Joaquin Phoenix roles in the movies

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cinema, clay pigeons, film, gladiator, her, joaquin phoenix, movies, two lovers

Joaquin Phoenix – an actor that I’ve really enjoyed in all the movies I’ve seen him in. A dedicated intensity is always present in the roles he plays. With a few interesting movies on the horizon, there’s no better time to consider 5 of his best roles in the movies. 

Clay Pigeons (1998) – Clay
This is the first film I ever saw with Joaquin Phoenix. Although Vince Vaughn is essentially the star of the movie, Phoenix really caught my eye as this unsuspecting guy who obliviously becomes friends with a serial killer. I thought he seemed really refreshing and different as an actor, there was something quirky about him and I wanted to see more.

 

Gladiator (2000) – Commodus
And then came Gladiator. This has to be when he really broke out as an a talented actor. Commodus is often referenced as one of the best movie villains, all down to Joaquin Phoenix. He portrays a man who is having all kinds of inner battles with demons; he’s riddled with jealousy, controlled by cowardice and twisted by a unsatisfied hunger to be loved and to be popular. Our man Phoenix manages to execute all these emotions through an extremely subtle yet chilling performance – I’m talking about the quivering of the lip, the breaking of the voice and that pure evil glazed over look in his eyes.

 

Walk The Line (2005) – Johnny Cash
This is one great biopic, in my opinion. If there was a different actor playing Johnny Cash this could have gone very wrong. But Phoenix had clearly prepared and prepared and prepared to Walk The Line. Not only does he get the mannerisms and personality of Johnny Cash down to a tee, but the vocals are also incredibly close to the real thing.

 

Two Lovers (2008) – Leonard
Practising for Her, Joaquin Phoenix plays a character who is emotionally broken after his relationship with his fiancee comes to an end. Two Lovers is a beautifully discreet movie about the pains of depression, adult relationships and manipulative women. Although all the leading performances are fantastic, our main man stands out yet again with an achingly good portrayal of a character who is just struggling with day-to-day life, and love.

 

Her (2013) – Theodore
Throughout Her, Joaquin Phoenix has a lot of intimate solo screen time. His performance is quite a mesmerising one as Theodore, the lonely dude who falls in love with an operating system. On that note, who wouldn’t fall in love with Scarlett J’s voice?

 

What’s your favourite Joaquin Phoenix movie? How do you feel about him as an actor?