Thoughts on Joaquin Phoenix's filmography?

How's his filmography look now after Beau Is Afraid and Napoleon? Or are we waiting for the Supersized Napoleon Meal ?

lol

Well timed hit piece on Wock by Glieberman, considering Napoleon is actually looking like it's going to do solid box office, so won't be easy to tarnish with the "flop" label.

Napolean all told, looks like it may actually be a good thing for Phoenix's career. It's a big movie and there's an audience for it. So it cements him as a movie star/draw. Napoleon will do far more for his legacy than so many of his overpraised indie projects that no one watches ( C'mon, C'mon, The Sisters Brothers, You Were Never Really Here etc).

If anything, his filmography needed a project like Napoleon. Also, the fact that it's not flopping may actually put Phoenix in with a shot at some awards recognition, despite mixed notices. I don't think he'll get an Oscar nod, but I can see BAFTA nominating him just to be different, for example.

Anyone who wants to spin Napoleon as a bad thing for Phoenix's filmography is a fool. Reviews are mixed, but he's opened a big budget adult skewed period film this year higher than Leonardo DiCaprio. He's likely to open his film higher than a Disney tentpole on the same weekend. That is fucking impressive. Wock is now a draw in the right role/movie, and it's Napoleon that's confirmed it. Good for him and fuck the haters

Interesting/would watch again (regardless of him)
To Die For
Walk the Line
The Master & Inherent Vice
Her

[in indifferent Napoleon voice] "good."
Quills
Gladiator
Two Lovers

Nah.
The Yards
The Immigrant
Joker
Beau is Afraid
Napoleon

Want to watch
8MM
Signs
The Village
Hotel Rwanda
You Were Never Really Here
The Sisters Brothers
C'mon C'mon

I am probably the biggest fan of the movie here but I could also easily see it being the kind of thing that's held in higher critical esteem 10-15 years after it comes out as happened with Ridley with Blade Runner and Kingdom of Heaven. Especially with how good people think the longer cut it. So it could eventually become another feather in his cap in his filmography. As it stands I'm kind of dumbfounded by the critical response being so mixed and the criticisms are for the most part really flimsy and shallow (too old/no French accents/not historically accurate/not enough battle scenes/didn't tell me how to feel about Napoleon). 

It would be interesting to see Phoenix try to do the kind of middlebrow prestige projects that Leo does, although I think that's just generally not where his interest lies. Here you had his previous relationship with Scott and not a lot of good actors would pass up the chance to play Napoleon. Plus I think it actually is a good script despite what some critics are saying. 

I mean, it's a decent box-office total given how weak his track record has been outside of Joker, but we can't forget the movie is ostensibly about one of the most famous humans in the history of the world. I would hope a movie called "Michael Jackson" or "Jesus Christ" (not Mary Magdalene) directed by a director of the stature of Ridley Scott could open to $30m domestic.

I think some of this could be the intersection of actor and subject matter. I don't think Wock could "open" a generic action movie or thriller, but it's the combination of someone commonly viewed as a "great actor" doing an "important" large scale historical film with a holiday season release to get adults to the movies. I think it's similar to the success of the Daniel Day Lewis Lincoln (Napoleon is on pace to get around the WW gross that did albeit with a much higher budget). I think if Ridley had cast someone like Adam Driver or an unknown French actor this is another Last Duel. Which makes me wonder if Last Duel could have been a success if you'd had Wock in the Driver or Affleck roles (hard to see him doing the Damon one). So I hope he follows this up with a mid budget prestige film so we can put it to the test.

I don't think Napoleon explains it. The public seems to have no interest in these kind of large scale historical films these days despite Hollywood still trying to make one every few years and it bombing every single time until now.

My IMAX screening was pretty packed tonight, so people are clearly craving spectacle.

I'd like for the fans of the movie to clear these up for me:

1. WHY did all those people follow such a non-charismatic cuckold?
2. WHY does Napoleon fall this hard for a woman like that?
3. she refers to a mother once, WHO IS that mother? WHY should I go and do the research by myself? like suddenly good writing doesn't count anymore? 
4. WHY we all pretending this is anything but British propaganda? (debatable, but not really)
5. WHY does Scott movies end up with 2 versions anyway? How many more times should we fantasize about a second cut left somewhere in the sutio turning up to be a MUCH better turkey?

I would've said it's a passable watch (the production/costume design has some staying power, Phoenix made me chuckle twice max - as Beau and not Napoleon mind you) if it wasn't five hours long. unlike this masterpiece which actually is, but...