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Recently Released In Theaters Reviews
Public Enemies Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs The Hurt Locker Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen The Proposal Year One Whatever Works Dead Snow The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 Away We Go The Hangover Land of the Lost Up Drag Me to Hell Night at the Museum Battle of the Smithsonian Recently Added Spotlights Paul Rudd Jason Segel Nicolas Cage Rose Byrne Zach Cregger and Trevor Moore Jared Padalecki Amanda Righetti Clive Owen Naomi Watts Joaquin Phoenix Steve Martin Renee Zellweger Liam Neeson Maggie Grace Dustin Hoffman |
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 Joaquin Phoenix
Interview By: Dan Portnoy
Joaquin Phoenix, it’s not a name you easily disregard. It has flash, pizzazz, it just sounds like the name of someone who should be in show business. And it just so happens that acting is the business, and the talented man attached to the name is not one you’ll soon forget. Joaquin made his appearance on screen in the mid 1980’s, however many remember him most as Commodus, the sinister emperor with a thing for his sister and a vendetta for Russell Crowe in the 2000 hit, Gladiator. This year Phoenix steps into the shiny black shoes of the Man in Black himself, rock and roll legend Johnny Cash in the new film, Walk the Line. When you tell the story of a man like Johnny Cash, there are a number of roads that can be taken. Walk the Line chronicles the life of Cash from his early life in Arkansas to how he got his start in music and above all, the relationship with his wife, June Carter (Reese Witherspoon). Throughout the film, the hardships and triumphs of Cash’s career are touched upon and the audience is able to become closer with Johnny Cash the man rather than just Johnny Cash the celebrity. Phoenix’s portrayal of the rock and roll icon makes a resounding impression as an emotional testament to the life of one of country music’s most unique and influential stars. When first stepping into the role of Johnny Cash, Phoenix had some serious preparation ahead of him. “Honestly, I knew so little about John’s life so it was amazing to get into the research.” Joaquin dedicated himself entirely to becoming the man, and doing justice to his character. This of course meant many sleepless nights of practice and rehearsal and research. The likeness of Phoenix to Cash in the final product of the film is remarkable. But being the kind of actor he is, Joaquin always thought he could improve or do something that would allow him to embody the character even more. “It’s really hard to tell when you get there. I never really have had the experience in acting where I’m like ‘yes I’m there, I got this nailed.’ I feel like every day you’re constantly striving to work on it.” Well folks if you want my opinion, I think he got it, particularly with his ability to successfully recreate that distinctive Johnny Cash sound. What it all boils down to for Joaquin as he researched and sang and acted and sang some more, was that the root of Johnny cash was his music and his lyrics. “That to me was the gateway into discovering John. I feel like I found the speaking voice through the singing voice and really learned about him through his music.” As he listened to old albums and old recordings that Johnny made, he was ... |
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