I was on Netflix the other day looking for a movie to stream when I chanced upon Two Lovers. The film was well-received by the critics. But it’s perhaps most notable as Joaquin Phoenix’s last film before he retired to become a rapper. Some may think this a curious development. And perhaps it is. But actors, I suppose like any other sort of person, are prone to seemingly eccentric behavior. Anyone remember when, in the mid to late 90s, Bill Murray announced he was retiring from acting to devote himself to trying to make it to the NBA? In that case, one might argue, Murray hadn’t put out a great film in a while, and so a diversion, like trying to be a professional basketball player, might be warranted.
But Joaquin Phoenix is on the top of his game. He’s had a slew of very well received films, including Two Lovers and, before that, Walk the Line. He’s also involved with his work in animal rights. (The animal rights film Earthlings, mentioned in an earlier post, was narrated by Phoenix.) So, when I was reading about his recent film online, I was certainly surprised to find he was retiring from acting to become a rapper. And I was more surprised to see a recent interview of him on Letterman
and another video of him rapping in Miami and jumping into the crowd to attack a heckler
Make what you will of these two videos. Gwyneth Paltrow, his costar in Two Lovers, thinks it’s all a hoax.
(I know, it’s not political. But I just had to indulge myself.)
