AlthoughJoaquin Phoenixis clearly one of the most talented actors working today, the “Method” approach he has taken for some of his more famous roles has been somewhat divisive within the acting community. His performances in modern classics such asYou Were Never Really Here, Her,andThe Sisters Brotherswere met with serious critical acclaim, but in the instance of a film like theJokersequel, it appeared as if Phoneix’s commitments were applied to flimsy material that needed more depth.Beau is Afraidis one of the most polarizing films of Phoenix’s career, and not just because of his performance; those who enjoyed the brutal, unforgiving tone ofAri Aster’s first two horror films were left baffled whenBeau is Afraidturned out to be an absurdist romp. Although he attempted to use the same method techniques that had yielded him success within his past roles,Phoenix got some advice on how to be funnythanks to a salient tip from the legendary comedy starNathan Lane.
Nathan Lane Helped Joaquin Phoenix on ‘Beau Is Afraid’
To Phoenix’s credit,Beau is Afraidis an extremely strange filmthat would have been very challenging for any actor to approach; Phoenix stars as the titular character Beau Wassermann, a childish loner who wakes up amid a nightmarish crisis. Although it begins on a very exciting note,Beau is Afraidslows down for a bit when Beau wakes up in the home of the seemingly loving homeowner, Roger, who is played by Lane. Although Phoenix’s instinct was to continue the state of pure panic and horror that he was in during the first segment of the film,Lane understood that the segment that took place in the suburbia was intended to be satirical.Although they worked together on improvisational lines, Lane eventually told Phoenix that the scene “is supposed to be funny,” and that his character was “safe in suburbia with these nice people, but something is a little off.”
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The film, which also starred Anna Paquin and Michael Peña, was deemed to be “unpatriotic” and “offensive.”
Lane was able to engage with Phoenix’s acting techniquesby getting him to talk to stuffed animals on set, as the scene involved Beau being heavily medicated, and unable to speak in anything other than gibberish. It was the perfect approach for the scene in particular, as the jarring tonal shifts are a key component as to whyBeau is Afraidissuch a strange arthouse film. The film satirizes the opaque, blissfully ignorant mindset of suburban living by placing Beau in an environment in which he seems to be the only one aware that there is a full-scale nightmare occurring outside. The scene becomes hilarious because Beau is so out-of-place, but it wouldn’t have worked had Phoenix still been acting like he was in a horror film. Lane, a veteran comedic actor on both the stage and screen, had a lot of insight on how to use humor to advance some of the film’s more nuanced ideas.
‘Beau Is Afraid’ Is a Very Dark Comedy
Beau is Afraidisable to find humor in tragedy, as the film is nearly three hours of Beau being tormented, humiliated, and embarrassed; Phoenix’s performance was effective because, despite how ridiculous he acted, it was possible to still feel empathy for Beau based on the way that he was treated. Although the length may have opened up Aster to criticisms that he was padding the running time and adding in repetitive moments, the shifts within the specific type of comedy on display is what makes the film so consistently entertaining. Going between slapstick humor and more pointed social critiques indicated a versatility on Aster’s part, which drew out some of Phoenix’s finest moments.
The scenes between Phoenix and Lane are among the film’s best, as the two stars have completely different styles of humor. The fact that Phoenix is an actor who takes himself a bit too seriously is ironic, as Beau is a character that does not have a healthy way of dealing with anxieties. Although it was never going to be a mainstream success andturned out to be a massive box office disappointment,Beau is Afraidis already on its way to being a cult classic as a result of its stars.
Beau Is Afraid
Following the sudden death of his mother, a mild-mannered but anxiety-ridden man confronts his darkest fears as he embarks on an epic, Kafkaesque odyssey back home.
