Alternate Best Actor 2021: Joaquin Phoenix in C'Mon C'Mon

Joaquin Phoenix did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite being nominated for a few minor awards, for portraying Johnny in C'Mon C'Mon. 

C'Mon C'Mon is a well told simple tale of a semi-estranged Uncle taking care of his nephew while his sister deals with her troubled husband.

Joaquin Phoenix recently won an Oscar for his "greatest hits", the quotations are very important to note there, collection of his work in Joker, which represented kind of a more generalized form of Phoenix's exceptional ability at playing men either in the midst of or currently having a mental breakdown. His performance here is a wonderful change of pace from that as he plays Johnny who really is just an average guy more or less. Phoenix isn't portraying this guy who has suffered so deeply, he's suffered, but more so in a way most people do more or less. Although it is hard to say how Phoenix is as himself, as someone as guarded and awkward as he is in interviews more so indicates a guarded person who struggles to present his natural state, it seems perhaps we might be getting closer to such a person here as Johnny. In way therefore it is an achievement of Phoenix to in a way not play a performance that is built upon a deep character flaw or some other element to start a state of manner as the surface of the character that hides a deeper trauma. Phoenix instead while not extroverted per se here, his work isn't about diving into the deep dark core of the man, it is rather just being a man. What I think here then is a challenge for Phoenix, or at least the potential for Phoenix to in a way silence any naysayers who think he needs to be mannered to deliver fine work. This as there is none of this, no different physical manner, no different type of speaking voice, this seems to be Phoenix as he is, or if not Phoenix is damn amazing at constructing someone who feels like just a normal man. Either way doesn't matter because this is just a performance to be treasured for its straight forward intention of just being a man dealing with a situation in life. 

Phoenix is wonderful as we follow Johnny as he comes to see his sister Viv (Gabby Hoffmann) and his nephew Jesse (Woody Norman). Why is he wonderful, because it feels just simply like a brother seeing his family. Now there is some great articulation of the history here, of course. The way Phoenix is around Jesse initially is with a warm curiosity of someone who knows his nephew but he hasn't been around for awhile. Phoenix with Hoffmann is pitch perfect in creating the ease of a sibling dynamic. This just in the way they speak to one another has the ease of two people who have been talking all their lives, and there is the right lack of formality about it, even as she speaks to the difficult situation involving her husband Paul(Scoot McNairy)'s mental problems. Phoenix's delivery of the reaction to this isn't casual in the way of man who doesn't care, rather he shows a brother who knows his sister and just naturally speaks to her as he would anyone. The following morning as he takes on full Uncle duties for the first time, Phoenix's approach is fantastic in showing the man kind of walking into the scene with a bemused interest. He shows someone who doesn't quite know what to expect, but is willing to find out. This even with the slight bafflement at his nephew's choice to play loud classical music, which indicates that his nephew who by all signs has autism, Phoenix so beautifully accentuates this natural sense of learning about his performance. Phoenix finds that with the right combination between this kind of moment of hesitation, not of a genuine reluctance but rather having a moment to take it in. 

What the film becomes is based around the relationship between Johnny and Jesse, though we do get glimpses to Johnny's past with his sister Viv, including their minor falling out based on their choices around the death of their mother. Although really what is a relatively brief montage, it is powerfully realized by both Phoenix and Hoffmann as just in the singular scene you get all of their troubles and anxiety in this brief snippet of a moment. Phoenix portraying just the sort of adamant and narrow intensity of grief while trying to be as kind to his mother as, likely suffering with dementia, as possible. With this we also see the siblings combating with one another and both really excel in just being basically so real in presenting the frustrations, often frustrations without intelligent logic but just emotional distress that defines them. We also get glimpses about Johnny's state as a single man as he speaks about his moments of mistakes in both his personal romantic relationships and with his sister. In moments that really are not about big emotions, but really just about quiet nuance, Phoenix is incredible. And again so remarkable to see an actor who often is about the emotional extremes, excels in portraying what are intense emotions so quietly. Phoenix just speaking in the calm reflection that speaks some regret and pain, however as a man who knows how to take it in and deal with it, he brings such a poignancy through such an ease in his performance.  

 

The central relationship is the key to the film and is so much within Phoenix's portrayal of this really average guy in so many ways dealing with Jesse whose habits aren't the typical childhood behaviors, as Johnny takes Jesse to various places as he records interviews for a radio documentary about kids' views. Phoenix's work really is fantastic just by so well articulating this relationship both the growth of it but also more intimately the complexity of it. We get really this in two ways per sequence as we get both Johnny dealing directly with Jesse and then verbally reflecting by documenting his thoughts afterwards. What's great here is the way both Phoenix and Norman in these scenes in a way portray both connection and disconnection, often in the same scene because of Jesse's unique emotional and communication needs. Phoenix in a singular scene can go from moments of just warm sort of playful manner of trying to keep Jesse on point and trying to be the responsible guardian. In the same moment though this can shift to a tired exasperation which he plays so well as often just being tired but tired respectfully. Phoenix showing Johnny just trying to keep up with his nephew in a way. Phoenix manages to make a completely natural combination between devotion and pure exasperation. Phoenix makes it such a natural state, and in turn gives these scenes such an honest life to them. 

When there is a bigger moment then, like Johnny's fear and anger when it seems like Jesse has run away from him for a moment in a store, or later in the streets of New York, Phoenix not only makes them totally earned, he's also just amazing in them. The raw emotions are wholly real in Phoenix's performance and making the more intense frustrations tremendous. What I think is most notable is that Phoenix in these moments brings an intensity that feels innate to Johnny without in a way falling onto that more expected intensity Phoenix can do. It is great work by calling up the kind of intensity that is true to this kind of more normal sort of man, which shows Phoenix's remarkable range. And that is so much of this performance which is just articulating everything, though with a sensible attempt at calm. The changes to frustration towards Jesse are minor but palatable. Phoenix brilliantly crafts the chemistry with Norman by in a way having Norman set the state of the scene by portraying Jesse's particular difficulty in relating to a moment, whether it is ealing with his own emotions or struggling to see why he might trouble someone else. Phoenix is pitch perfect in just making these moments then so real, and so honest in the interactions filled with just a beautiful truth of the relationship. It really is never so simple as the Uncle growing in his love of his nephew, though that certainly can be felt, but rather it is articulating his way of being able to find connection with someone whose natural state makes it a lot tougher. Phoenix in turn was such strong casting in a way, not only because he's so talented, but also because he can say so much in a given scene. What's amazing though as instead of showing the extreme harrowing state of a broken man in The Master, he instead explores the still extremely detailed emotions of just this simple human connection of Uncle and nephew. 

 

Every scene in the film becomes its own little gem just because Phoenix and Norman's chemistry is just that good. Whether that be in the moments of misunderstandings, frustrations or simple understandings. The film really isn't about big moments that define their relationship, except for one at the end, but rather every little moment between them. And in every little moment you get such a moving sense of the connection that slowly develops between them, and through that such they articulate that understanding of both Uncle and nephew. The big scene as much as it is a break in a way, it does wholly work thanks to the strength of the performances. Phoenix's work here works in basically portraying Johnny as his most direct and in a way now knowing exactly how to connect with Jesse, which is to be expressive and encourage outward expression. Phoenix's delivery of its okay for things to be not fine, is great as he yells them but as this encouraging yell to get Jesse to know its okay to be frustrated at times. It wholly works, but so does the quieter and truly poignant moment of embrace afterwards as Phoenix so genuinely presents the loving warmth Johnny has for his nephew, who he can now successfully connect with it in this way of his. This is a great performance by Joaquin Phoenix, that is one of his least showy in at least a traditional sense, but just establishes that Phoenix does have to have all that to deliver a fantastic turn. It's just a subtle yet wholly powerful turn that based on the little moments that add up to a whole lot.