A Rung Up The Ladder

After playing second-fiddle too well for too long, Joaquin Phoenix looks to have finally scrambled up a rung to become Hollywood's next leading man in new film, Ladder 49. With flick-stealing performances in both Gladiator and Signs under the none-too-small noses of topliners Russell Crowe and Mel Gibson, Phoenix has ensured his time has well and truly come. And what a change from Gladiator 's wonderfully oily Emperor Commodus or Signs' slightly-less-than-quick baseball star, Merrill. Joaquin is in negotiations to come over all gallant and brave as Hollywood's latest favourite hero figure, the fire-fighter. OK, Kurt Russell did a passable job in 1991's Backdraft and Dennis Quaid made a brave stab at the old climbing out of windows with a fair damsel over the shoulder shtick in 2000's Frequency, but Arnie made a complete hash of it as vengeful fire-fighter in last year's controversial but cruddy Collateral Damage. It's now Joaquin's turn to pull on that mask, strap an oxygen tank to his back and show us what he can do. Ladder 49 will see him play a veteran fireman trapped in a burning building who understandably gets all nostalgic over his past professional life, his heroic career and family, as he awaits either a last-minute rescue or getting fried to a crisp. It being a Walt Disney film an' all, our money's on a happy ending.