Phoenix rises to the challenge in ‘C’mon C’mon’

Above: Joaquin Phoenix and Woody Norman star in "C'mon C'mon," which opens on Friday. (Photo/A24)

The last time we saw Joaquin Phoenix on the big screen, he was dressed like a demented character out of a Batman movie.

And, actually, he was. Phoenix was the title character in Todd Phillips’ 2019 film “Joker,” a role that won the actor a Best Actor Oscar.

Now for something completely different. Phoenix stars in “C’mon C’mon,” a film written and directed by Mike Mills that has the actor playing a character about as far from “Joker” as you can imagine.

Phoenix plays a roving radio journalist who, when his sister (Gaby Hoffman) needs help with here 9-year-old son (Woody Norman), agrees to take him on the road to watch over him. Lessons are learned all around.

The film, which opens wide on Friday (including at the Magic Lantern), is attracting a lot of good reviews (95 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes).

Ann Hornaday of the Washington Post wrote, “(I)n a gentle, thoroughly present performance that feels light-years away from the histrionics of ‘Joker’ and other recent outings, Phoenix returns to the kind of unforced naturalism and slow-burn intensity that made him great in the first place.”

Chris Hewitt of the Minneapolis Star Tribune wrote, “Great child performances only happen when the child and director are both excellent and, however he did it, Mills managed to capture one beautiful, real, telling moment after another from Norman.”

Lindsey Bahr of the Associated Press wrote, “ ‘C'mon C'mon’ doesn't really go anywhere in particular. It's a meandering experience, but purposefully so. And it's the kind of film that makes you want to leave the theater and ask the big, cheesy, sincere questions of strangers, family, anyone really.”

I’ll run down whatever else is opening tomorrow.