2009’s Top 10 Repeat Offenders in James Gray and Joaquin Phoenix

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#9. TWO LOVERS

Gray placed Phoenix in a far more venerable role in their third time out. After The Yards (2000), We Own the Night (2007), the 2008 Cannes title that got release early 2009 Two Lovers saw Phoenix in his own Betty and Veronica dilemma. What will be known as Phoenix’s last role before he took on the fake rapper project with buddy Casey Affleck, it was fun to see the actor play the tortured soul in a situation that many folk would welcome. His performance actually lingered on beyond the film’s run time, and I hope to see this pairing work again in the new decade.

 

Eric Lavallée
Eric Lavalléehttps://www.ericlavallee.com
Eric Lavallée is the founder, CEO, editor-in-chief, film journalist, and critic at IONCINEMA.com, established in 2000. A regular at Sundance, Cannes, and Venice, Eric holds a BFA in film studies from the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema. In 2013, he served on the narrative competition jury at the SXSW Film Festival. He was an associate producer on Mark Jackson’s "This Teacher" (2018 LA Film Festival, 2018 BFI London). He is a Golden Globes Voter, member of the ICS (International Cinephile Society), FIPRESCI and AQCC (Association québécoise des critiques de cinéma).

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