"Double Folly": Will This Be the End of Joaquin Phoenix?

2024 has undoubtedly not been a good year for Joaquin Phoenix. This 2020 Oscar-winner actor is now caught in a double defeat: his new film Joker 2: Folie à Deux has flopped both at the box office and with critics, and his sudden exit from an untitled LGBTQ-themed film with Todd Haynes just five days before shooting has severely tarnished his reputation. Together, these two incidents have cast a huge shadow over his career.

Image description

Among the two, his abrupt departure from the Todd Haynes film challenges our usual understanding of Hollywood actors. We've heard of actors leaving projects for health reasons before: for example, Nicole Kidman had to leave Panic Room 18 days into filming due to her chronic knee injuries from Moulin Rouge!. We've also heard of directors firing actors deemed unsuitable: Harvey Keitel is famously unlucky (or lucky, depending on how you look at it) for being let go from Apocalypse Now and Eyes Wide Shut by Francis Ford Coppola and Stanley Kubrick, respectively—after working only a few days and still receiving full pay.

But Joaquin walking away from a project without any health issues is simply bizarre. What makes it even stranger is that he is the one who pitched the project to Haynes. He wrote the story concept and, during its development, requested to add a series of explicit gay sex scenes for his character. However, according to a source close to the production, Joaquin got “cold feet” just before filming and abandoned the project, leaving a mess behind: selected locations, built sets, a cast ready to start, and a crew whose work plans were suddenly canceled. The financial loss he caused reportedly amounts to nearly $10 million.

Image description

The failure of Joker 2 may be surprising, but at least it doesn’t defy logic. Although nearly all the original cast and crew returned, it was, at heart, a sequel with little justification. The first Joker was a complete story and wasn’t designed to spawn a franchise. So, when Warner Bros. greenlit this sequel, they were taking on a clear risk.

Nonetheless, some media reports have suggested that Joaquin may bear part of the blame for the film’s failure. Reportedly, the concept of the film originated from a dream Joaquin had, and turning it into a musical was also his idea. Both Todd Phillips, the director, and Lady Gaga, the co-star, confirmed that Joaquin frequently “modified” the script on set. After editing, he and Phillips jointly decided against test screenings, opting to send the film directly to the Venice Film Festival. Perhaps if Joaquin had shown more restraint, the film’s failure would have been less severe.

Image description

Joaquin's odd behavior is hardly news. James McAvoy once revealed that Joaquin was originally cast as the lead in Split but left the project two weeks before filming. Joaquin also expressed interest in leaving Joker, C'mon, C'mon, and Napoleon, though he ultimately stayed.

Joaquin's tendency to improvise scripts is also well-documented. On the set of Joker, he was known for ad-libbing many scenes. During the filming of Napoleon, he expressed doubts about the script and even asked Ridley Scott to hire his longtime collaborator, Paul Thomas Anderson, as a script doctor to craft lines he found more suitable.

Image description

To audiences familiar with Joaquin, none of these erratic behaviors come as surprise. Watching his films, it’s clear he is someone deeply troubled, grappling with mental fragility and turmoil. Without such inner turmoil, he would not be able to portray so many sensitive, self-conscious, quirky, and sometimes even despicable characters with such depth. This is precisely why he resonates as an actor, whether he’s playing Arthur Fleck in Joker, the lonely Theodore in Her, or the forlorn Leonard in Two Lovers.

His troubled background has also been widely reported. Raised in a hippie, cult-like family alongside his brother River and sister Summer, Joaquin had a highly unconventional upbringing. He was present the night his brother died of a drug overdose. The media’s comparisons between Joaquin and his late brother have added further complexity to his emotional landscape. His publicly visible struggles suggest that he may be dealing with mental health issues that come and go. If he were to leave the industry one day, it wouldn’t be a total surprise.

Image description

Still, Joaquin's abrupt departure from the Hayne film has likely closed doors in his career, as he has now cost peers and investors both time and money, making himself a risky presence in filmmaking. When your talent is bringing in money, people are willing to overlook eccentricities. But when you become a liability, the goodwill vanishes.

Joaquin's future in the film business could be impacted by this incident. Although he became a box-office star with Joker, that film was an exception in his career—he has never been one for big commercial blockbusters. His treatment of Todd Haynes may cause independent directors, previously keen to work with him, to think twice. If Joaquin loses this niche, it would indeed mark an irreversible turning point in his career.

Image description

Joaquin's 2024 “double folly” is both a story of mental health issues and one of arrogance. He has always been a challenging figure, but a slight restraint before his huge success might have helped him avoid such extreme situations. How could he possibly believe that he could emerge unscathed from such unprofessional and irresponsible behavior? His actions suggest a significant disconnect from reality.

Joaquin's missteps don’t erase his brilliance as an actor. Hollywood would be a less colorful place without him. While we don’t wish for his career to collapse, perhaps it is time for him to take a step back, reassess his view of the world, seek therapy, and re-evaluate what acting means to him. If he no longer respects his profession, he might as well retire. But if he still values cinema and his talent, he should take responsibility like an adult and leave these foolish actions in the past.

Most popular
Newest
C Vivacos Arizmendi
Without a doubt it is the best.
00:14 08 November, 2024
Reply
6
User-1127748731
great article, great job!
22:52 08 November, 2024
Reply
4
User-1127507660
Great, magnificent article.
23:08 08 November, 2024
Reply
3
WENCESLAU CAMACHO
Much needed article!
20:32 08 November, 2024
Reply
3
Lila Oliva
É uma perspectiva crítica e construtiva
03:29 08 November, 2024
Reply
3
Ismael Siachoque
The film of the year!
02:49 08 November, 2024
Reply
3
Babi Monner
Very interesting.
04:48 09 November, 2024
Reply
2
Nena Sampietro
Great, magnificent article
00:18 10 November, 2024
Reply
1
Alejandro Franco "Arlequin"
I like your analysis!. I invite you to read my article and like it if you like it (thx!): https://www.peliplat.com/es/article/10025703/Los-Pajaros-(1963):-una-historia-de-tensiones-sexuales-y-celos-enfermizos
05:06 27 October, 2024
Reply
Likes
13
comment
9
favorite
0
share
report