With his performance in Casey Affleck’s fly-on-the-wall documentary “I’m Still Here” still generating a lot of buzz surrounding its (in)authenticity, and after nearly a year on the outs with the acting world, Joaquin Phoenix’s next project is definitely one that will have a lot of hype surrounding it.
Vulture reports that Mia Wasikowska has been cast opposite Phoenix in Steven Shainberg’s “Big Shoe,” one of the handful of projects previously reported to be on the actor’s slate.
Described as an “out there” indie with comedic and dramatic elements, the story centers on a foot and shoe fetishist, presumably to be played Phoenix, who doubles as an amazing footwear designer. At the time of the original report but, with only Phoenix linked, financing was still non-existent though whether that’s still the case remains to be seen. Certainly the pairing of Phoenix and Wasikowska raises the stakes for potential investors.
But, financial struggles for Shainberg’s fourth directorial effort shouldn’t surprise considering the topic at hand and the fact the helmer has been absent for nearly five years. Shainberg broke out in 2003 with his successful sophomore effort in fellow fetishism-tinged tale “Secretary,” which earned lead Maggie Gyllenhaal a Golden Globe nomination. That film was then followed by 2006’s “Fur: An Imaginary Potrait Of Diane Arbus,” which received mixed reviews even with the stellar duo of Nicole Kidman and a pre-revival Robert Downey Jr. starring.
Hopefully things come together and the project moves forward; we’ve nearly forgotten how good an actor Phoenix is. Remember how great he was before his elaborate Andy Kaufman-esque stunt? Hard to believe that his amazing performance in James Gray’s “Two Lovers” was only last year. Wasikowska, meanwhile, is already set for a big 2011 with “The Kids Are All Right” likely to perform strongly in the upcoming awards season and with leading roles in Gus Van Sant’s “Restless” and Cary Fukunaga’s “Jane Eyre” due for release next year.
