The story is about the life of two abused and tortured souls revealed from opposite ages and genders. Both Joe (Joaquin Phoenix) and Ekaterina Samsonov character have been victimized by society. Joe bares the physical scars by his abusive father who wanted him to become a straight male by beating his homosexual preference out of him. Then there is Ekaterina who has been sold as an underage sex slave to the wealthy and powerful sexual deviants such as top politicians. Joe is still trapped by the mental cell his father has left him with. He takes on "manly" jobs such as a hired gun to support himself and his elderly Alzheimer afflicted mother who is completely unaware of what he does for a living.
Joe is eventually hired by a wealthy man to find his kidnapped daughter and bring her back. But a twist in the film reveals he wasn't aware of the total circumstances behind her kidnapping. He finds himself being hunted.
Joaquin Phoenix does what he always does best. He becomes the character to the point it no longer feels like we are watching an actor play a role in a film. He really wraps himself up in the character and provides a fabulous performance. He does the subtle nuances of a man in strong conflict with his himself and the image his father had tried to project on him. The film does have a slow pace, but that is intentional. Phoenix takes his time to develop the character very well on screen. This is his hallmark and what makes his film so great. He puts in the hard work to make us understand Joe. Unfortunately, many of today's instant gratification generation don't have the patience to experience real storytelling. I wish more actors took this art form to the heights that Joaquin Phoenix does. He is truly one of the best actors in Hollywood.
Joe is eventually hired by a wealthy man to find his kidnapped daughter and bring her back. But a twist in the film reveals he wasn't aware of the total circumstances behind her kidnapping. He finds himself being hunted.
Joaquin Phoenix does what he always does best. He becomes the character to the point it no longer feels like we are watching an actor play a role in a film. He really wraps himself up in the character and provides a fabulous performance. He does the subtle nuances of a man in strong conflict with his himself and the image his father had tried to project on him. The film does have a slow pace, but that is intentional. Phoenix takes his time to develop the character very well on screen. This is his hallmark and what makes his film so great. He puts in the hard work to make us understand Joe. Unfortunately, many of today's instant gratification generation don't have the patience to experience real storytelling. I wish more actors took this art form to the heights that Joaquin Phoenix does. He is truly one of the best actors in Hollywood.