I believe that the Joker-Phoenix topic is incredibly fascinating. On one hand, there is a great actor who can almost be considered overdue for an Oscar, next to that, his performance is well-received and his film is a box office hit. On the other hand however the film itself is a bit divisive (59% on Metascore, 68% on Rotten Tomatoes) and Phoenix is not necessarily your typical charming media personality who would campaign for the win. In fact, if I remember correctly, he had already expressed a negative opinion about awards shows. Of course, there are performances that are undeniable – even after his comment, he was nominated for an Oscar (The Master), which is proof that the voters are voting for a great turn even if someone criticizes the system. A few years have passed since then – the question is how much Phoenix has changed? Will he campaign or will he speak against himself again? Because Adam Driver is a likable figure who has been making good films for years (Paterson, Silence, BlacKkKlansman etc.) and people love him. He’s sure to do the important campaign rounds, so I can’t help but wonder that while Joker is really impressive, Driver will prove to be a more sympathetic choice for the prize.
Absolutely.
Also with Driver, he has had very well respected directors like Spike Lee and Martin Scorsese giving him acclaim, with Scorsese even popping by his Telluride tribute just a few months ago calling him the finest actor of his generation, which says a lot. To top it off with him possibly sweeping critic awards and campaigning, it’s going to be interesting to see what happens in the next few months.
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