The curious case for Joaquin Phoenix

There are two general opinions about actor Joaquin Phoenix: He's crazy good or he's just plain crazy.

Count me on the side of crazy good, and I'm not even considering his Oscar-nominated work in "Gladiator" or "Walk the Line."

Some of the actor's best recent work is now available for instant streaming on Netflix. "The Master," from 2012, is the most recent anomaly from "There Will Be Blood" auteur Paul Thomas Anderson. It stars Phoenix as a broken and addiction-fueled war veteran taken under the wing of an enigmatic cult leader, played by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Phoenix, Hoffman and co-star Amy Adams all earned Oscar nominations for their performances, and Phoenix's work in particular is a demonstration of otherworldly commitment to a role. The character is simultaneously pitiful, sympathetic and terrifying, and it's easy to forget this is the same guy who played Johnny Cash or had a fake meltdown/abrupt rap career in the pseudo-documentary "I'm Still Here."

Phoenix and Anderson will reteam again this year with the anticipated adaptation of "Inherent Vice."

Phoenix impressed again in last year's "Her" from Spike Jonze. He played a lonely romantic who falls in love with his computer operating system (albeit voiced by a sultry Scarlett Johansson). It was the polar opposite of the performance in "The Master" and every bit as convincing. You'll have to rent "Her" on disc or VOD, but it's well worth your bucks.

Now there is "The Immigrant," a barely-released drama from earlier this year about Ewa, a Polish woman (Marion Cotillard) arriving at Ellis Island circa 1921 without a means to pay for her sister's sudden medical bills. At risk of deportation, a seemingly kind club owner (Phoenix) convinces her that a life of prostitution is the only way to make ends meet.

"Seemingly kind" is a bit of a stretch, considering Phoenix is a natural at expressing inherent repugnance that's bubbling just below the skin. Still, the character is much more complicated, especially as his feelings for Ewa grow beyond your typical pimp-prostitute dynamic.

This is Cotillard's movie, and she's predictably excellent as a woman who holds fiercely to her religious convictions despite her forced descent into sin. Phoenix, though, is always a fascinating presence, especially in scenes alongside Jeremy Renner, who appears as a romantic rival for Ewa's affections.

"The Immigrant" is directed by James Gray, who has an extensive working relationship with Phoenix (notably 2007's "We Own the Night," also starring Mark Wahlberg). Gray definitely has a knack for channeling Phoenix's intensity without it overwhelming the greater story. "The Immigrant" works because it maintains focus on the titular character even as Phoenix invades and disrupts her character arc.

Both "The Master" and "The Immigrant" are available for instant streaming on Netflix. Other Phoenix titles available for instant streaming include Gray's crime-drama "The Yards" from 2000 (more Wahlberg!), Best Picture winner "Gladiator," romance "Inventing the Abbotts" with Liv Tyler, and a brief turn in the acclaimed "Hotel Rwanda" with Don Cheadle.

Tyler Wilson can be reached at twilson@cdapress.com.