Actor Joaquin Phoenix, last year, became the talk of the town for all the right reasons when he delivered a critically-acclaimed performance in Todd Phillips' Joker and left fans spellbound. His stunning portrayal of the DC supervillain ultimately helped him bag his third Oscar nomination in the 'Best Actor' category.
While the powerhouse performer failed to win the big prize when he was nominated for Walk The Line (2006) and The Master (2013), many feel that lady luck might finally smile on him this time around. Here is a look at the main reasons that make Joaquin Phoenix a hot favourite to win the 'Best Actor' award.
He beat the odds: The late Heath Ledger, a few years ago, floored one and all when he played the dreaded Joker in The Dark Knight and emerged as the proverbial scene-stealer. In doing so, he became the face of the iconic character. Actor Jared Leto played the Joker in the ill-fated Suicide Squad and failed to match the Aussie star performance. While there were several reasons behind the debacle, it proved that doing justice to the character would not be an easy task
As such, the odds were already stacked against Phoenix when he played the titular character in Joker. Despite this, he managed to make the character his own and arguably took it to greater heights.
Not an easy role: The Joker was in many ways one of the most complex characters to grace the silver screen in 2019. The iconic baddie was portrayed as an underdog who embraces the dark side following the series of unfortunate events. Phoenix quite beautifully used his expressive eyes to highlight the failed comic's inner trauma, underplaying things like a pro.
In the second half, he shifted gears quite effortlessly and let his intense body language do the talking. All in all, the Joker was a layered character, which made Phoenix's gripping performance all the more gripping.
Heart and soul: Not many may realise this but the Joker character could have ended up becoming a caricature or a forgettable gimmick had Phoenix not been able to do justice to 'that smile'. He worked on his body language, ensuring it came across as organic rather than forced. His physical intensity also ensured that the dance sequences highlighted the 'decay' of the character while not reducing it to a spoof. All in all, Phoenix was the heart and soul of the most talked-about movie of 2019.