Joaquin Phoenix seems to take a stab at Farah Fawcett's record for most stoned guest on Letterman. Weird stuff.
TTL had pointed me to the Phoenix/Letterman video, and I asked him: "If you don't think he was stoned, what did you like about his performance on Letterman here?"
He answered:
He portrays an eccentric that is very sensitive and at the same time gutsy, also blurry and at the same time perceptive.
The overall rhythm of his acting (movements) is interesting. The way he remarks about that small cut on Letterman's thumb, and the way he places his chewing gum under the table (being apologetic about the habit) to later pick it up again, is brilliant.
If he is simply acting, he is a genius actor. There are several moments where for a long time he says absolutely nothing and moves very little, and the audience is exhilarated. The tension is unbelievable.
If this is a PR trick for marketing the new movie, it is brilliant marketing (on par with Salvador Dali's best stunts), witness the fact that everyone is talking about this event. Even Demi Moore tweeted about it earlier today and was blown away by it. And even she, a professional actress herself, couldn't tell whether it was a role or not, which is saying a lot.
What I liked about his performance? Rhythm and tension.
Here's one somewhat informed take on his performance:
ReplyDeleteNational Post: The same weirdo he's always been
Daily News: The cryptic order of the Joaquin Phoenix
ReplyDeleteLetterman should have asked permission from the Judge to treat him as a hostile witness... ;-)
ReplyDeleteThe producers have to put on someone like that every once in a while, so that Letterman, by contrast, won't seem like a perfect idiot. On second thought, nobody's perfect.... least of all Letterman. Get the picture?
ReplyDelete