MovieChat Forums > Joaquin Phoenix Discussion > Is he SUCH a lock for the Oscar?

Is he SUCH a lock for the Oscar?

posted 5 years ago by JohnMcCock (136)
10 replies | jump to latest

Remember last year, Hellen Mirren didn't win, even though she was "an absolute lock" since she, literally, won every single major awards prior to the Oscars.

Yeah, when it was time to give an Oscar to Leo DiCaprio because he was "due" for an Oscar for a shitass role for which he didn't deserve it, they gave it to him. Not because it was "his time". No! Because Oscars decided to be a bunch of fucking pussies who didn't want to disappoint everyone in Hollywood, DiCaprio is a great actor, but he won an Oscar for a REALLY undeserving role in a REALLY shitty movie.

Now, Joaquin said some stupid stuff when he won his Golden Globe, so the Academy (a bunch of arrogant fat guys who think they are the lings of the universe with a big dick in their asses) may really well snob him.

It happened in the past, look at Rourke, Stallone, Murray, Murphy, Mirren, etc. They were all a "sure win", and still failed. This community (the academy members) are stubborn assholes and if they don't want you on that stage, you'll never make it to that stage.

I'm afraid it'll happen to Phoenix. And unfortunately (yes, for the possible haters, UNFORTUNATELY), if he actually does win, it will make the Academy a bunch of hypocrites again like when they gave an Oscar to Matthew McCohneygey (however his name is spelled). Now again, Matthew deserved it, he was outstanding. But they refused to give people Oscars for the reasons that describe him as well..

[–] rudeboymurray (3270) 5 years ago

I think you mean Glenn Close, not Helen Mirren. Close was the favourite going into the night, but Olivia Colman did not exactly come from nowhere - The Wife was a tiny film, while The Favourite was a much-loved hit with ten nominations.

Phoenix has it in the bag - if there were any doubts, the fact that Joker pulled in 11 nominations has sealed the deal. Yes, his Globes speech was not the best but he more than made up with a terrific, gracious showing at the SAG awards.

He is a hugely respected actor and it has been decided that it is his time, as it was with DiCaprio four years ago. I would love for Antonio Banderas or Adam Driver to take it, but Joaquin is not losing this year.

[–] samoanjoes (56646) 5 years ago

I was confused about Helen Mirren. I couldn't think of a single thing she was nominated for last year. Glenn Close makes so much more sense.

[–] JohnMcCock (136) 5 years ago

Yes Glenn Close, sorry. And DiCaprio sucked balls in The Revenant, so again, Oscars are a joke sometimes.

[–] BuckSwope (3511) 5 years ago

I haven't seen "Joker" yet(and I have a DVD, no less) so I can't judge his performance. Judging from his work I feel he has some great acting chops.

And yes, MM deserved the Oscar, although I generally don't care for him.

[–] Ace_Spade (9544) 5 years ago

It's never a "lock". Plenty of upsets happen. But Phoenix has a lot of buzz, he's delivered one of his best performances in a career of really great work - it might even be his best. Which brings us to his competition...

Banderas doesn't seem like he's really in it. I haven't heard much of anything about this film or this performance. It might be great, but the buzz just ain't there.

Same with Jonathan Pryce. I have heard that he's phenomenal in the movie, but it's not "buzzing". Neither Pryce nor Banderas have been "denied" Oscars before, either, so I doubt the Academy will feel like they're "due".

Adam Driver is early enough in his career that I think they won't give him one yet. He's not due, either. He could dark horse in with this one, though.

DiCaprio is, I think, Phoenix's closest competition, but he was outshone in Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood by Brad Pitt, so that might make his work less memorable in a voter's eyes. He also "got his" recently, so, there's that.

But, you're ultimately right: I can picture Pryce, Driver, or DiCaprio taking it home almost as easily as I can Phoenix. He is the frontrunner, but that might not be the case. The Joker was one of those movies that got politically charged and if the voters perceive it as being "right wing" or "incel culture", they might turn up their noses and decide to hand Leo his second trophy, Driver his first, or Pryce a "career trophy".

Who knows? Nobody, really...

[–] JohnMcCock (136) 5 years ago

"He also "got his" recently, so, there's that."

Aannndddd didn't deserve it. Leonardo "overrated" DiCaprio (even some members of the Razzie awards agree with that).

That being said, he would deserve it for Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood though.

[–] JohnMcCock (136) 5 years ago

WEll, as I said, Leonardo DiCaprio is overrated.

[–] Ace_Spade (9544) 5 years ago

I think he's mostly rated right. People I've talked to seem to think he's good, but not the best. They like him in things like Django Unchained and Once Upon a Time in...Hollywood, stuff like that.

He's not the best, but he does good work.

[–] JohnMcCock (136) 5 years ago

I used to have an acting teacher who would use DiCaprio as a prime example of overrated actor.

Oddly enough, he would use names like Sylvester Stallone as an example of underrated actors. Go figure..

[–] Ace_Spade (9544) 5 years ago

Stallone was brilliant and kinda undervalued himself, both as an actor and a writer. He did First Blood and Rocky - brilliant, artistic, engaging films - and then dived into action schlock and never looked back.

Maybe I'm using "overrated" differently? I think of "overrated/underrated" as different from "good/bad". I mean "Does public perception/rhetoric match the quality of X?"

So, for instance, you could make the claim that The Beatles were one of the best rock bands of all time while simultaneously saying they were overrated because of the sheer mythology around them. (I personally don't think they're overrated; that was just an example).

In DiCaprio's case, most of what I see is people going, "Oh, DiCaprio - big deal!" and saying he's average at best, or maybe begrudgingly saying he's pretty good or has gotten better.

Well, I don't think that's far from the mark.

DiCaprio turns in fine performances and does his thing very well. I'd point again to Django (one of his finest roles) to prove his capabilities. Then I'd say that my observation has been that people say he's good, but not brilliant, and that's about where I think of him: he gets the job done. He's not in the league of Tom Hanks or Lawrence Olivier, but I'm not putting him down at a Paul Walker level, either.

He's above average, and I think that's roughly what his rep is.

As for the Oscar, I didn't see the movie and I don't know his competition from the year that The Revenant came out, so I can't comment.