Joaquin Phoenix is not a man whose performances inspire a shrug.
Whether he’s impersonating an actor opting for a radical career change on David Letterman’s talk show, being the villain of Gladiator, or depicting the origins of The Joker, Phoenix is someone whose bold swings as a performer are bound to inspire strong opinions.
Not all of his performances are going to be universally beloved or interpreted in the same fashion, but that’s what makes his works as an actor so interesting to talk about.
Another trait that’s come to define some of his most recent performances, especially in the wake of Joker, is a sense of eccentricity.