Joaquin Phoenix Booed While Promoting Film

Joaquin Phoenix Booed While Promoting Film

Director Paul Thomas Anderson acknowledges that Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard was the inspiration for the title character in “The Master,” but says the focus of the film is the relationship between a charismatic spiritual leader and his troubled follower, not the movement itself.

The movie, set in the 1950s, stars Philip Seymour Hoffman as a charismatic cult leader who captivates a tortured but sympathetic World War II veteran portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix.

"The narrative is just driven by these two guys, and their love for each other," Anderson told a news conference on Saturday ahead of the highly anticipated film's world premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival.

Anderson sought to quickly dispel any speculation about the film's influence on his friendship with Tom Cruise, who starred in Anderson's 1999 film "Magnolia" and whose Scientology beliefs are well-documented.

Phoenix's character, Freddie Quell, is completely unhinged, unable to keep a job, drinking anything that will give him a buzz, including liquid siphoned from a ship's missile, and displaying a wide range of inappropriate behaviors throughout his journey in Dodd's entourage.

Phoenix, appearing in his first movie in several years, himself displayed some mildly erratic behavior during the news conference, fidgeting, lighting up several cigarettes and leaving the dais to go back stage at one point for two minutes.

Hoffman, Phoenix's costar, on one side and Anderson on the other tried to ignore the antics.

Phoenix responded to just one question, about how he approached the character, appeared impervious to the others, and he drew boos from news photographers when he cut his photo call off after just 14 seconds.

"I'll just say, I'll say I don't think, maybe Paul gives, or gave me, the impression I had leeway. But I don't think I ever did," Phoenix said. "I don't know where it comes from and I don't care."

Whether or not the aloof demeanor was sincere or an act was impossible to tell.

Posted by Kade Quinn on Monday September 03 2012, 2:37 AM EDT. Ref: Google. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Entertainment, Featured News. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0