Dennis_D_McDonald

I was extremely impressed by the first Joker movie, but the negative reviews for Joker: Folie à Deux initially put me off.

What a mistake! Joker 2 is a tour de force of brilliant performances, unsettling characterizations, bizarre musical interludes, and crisply dark yet vibrant editing and cinematography.

The film continues the exploration of the Joker's dual personality and portrays his entanglement with Lady Gaga's Harley Quinn-a demented pairing as twisted and fascinating as one could hope for in a well-produced Hollywood blockbuster.

What remains unsettling about the Joker is the support and adulation he receives from the public, as contrasted with the harsh treatment he endures at the hands of Gotham's prison facilities and staff.

Brendan Gleeson, as the prison guard closest to the Joker, straddles the line between stereotype and archetype. He portrays someone simultaneously repelled by and attracted to the Joker's weirdness. As the "old prison guard who has seen it all," Gleeson masterfully portrays flashes of horrified realization that the Joker is anything but ordinary.

Phoenix's portrayal of Joker is chilling and is comparable in its unsettling nature to Anthony Scott as Ripley.

Outside the courtroom, the Joker's growing fanbase is chilling. The adoring crowds evoke parallels to the US public's willingness to embrace political leaders who preach hate and contempt for the law. The film's resulting chaos feels like a natural outcome of a world where compromise between opposing ideologies seems impossible.

Joker 2 brilliantly depicts a society where true harmony, repeatedly attacked by voracious media and spineless leadership, remains elusive.

There is a scene early in this remarkable documentary where we see a clip from one of Guy-Blaché's early films, dating back to around 1895 or 1896. In the scene, a laughing woman strolls through a cabbage patch, bending down to pluck live babies one by one from behind the cabbages. The whimsy and humor of the moment are so striking that you can't help but wonder what audiences of that time-just being introduced to the miracle of motion pictures-must have thought upon seeing it for the first time.

The director of that film went on to become one of the founders of the motion picture industry. Over the course of this documentary, we learn about the details of her life, the development of the film industry, and, most significantly, why we've never heard about this pioneering woman.

The amount of research behind this film is amazing. How it was produced could easily be the subject of another documentary. Fortunately, much of that work is described here-not to show off the effort behind the production but to address the central question: why haven't we heard of this woman before?

The easy answer, of course, is, "because she was a woman in an industry eventually dominated by businessmen."

That's only part of the story. We've all heard the phrase, "history is written by the victors." This film provides perfect examples of that. Early histories of the motion picture industry often got the details wrong by attributing Guy-Blaché's work to others or by ignoring her contributions entirely. Over time, these errors compounded. Additionally, most physical copies of her work have been lost or are now prohibitively expensive or nearly impossible to restore due to the deterioration of early media.

My only complaint with this film is the excessive use of graphic detail and animation to illustrate the research process. It occasionally makes it difficult to stay grounded in the era being discussed.

However, this is a minor issue. The history presented here is substantial and will fascinate anyone interested in motion picture history, women in industry, and the research process itself. Highly recommended.

Movie review by Dennis D. McDonald

Kids' movies about imaginary friends might be a dime a dozen, but The Imaginary has several characteristics that make it special.

Artwork

The animation and artwork are exemplary and gorgeous. Both urban and rural environments are rendered using beautiful drawings and traditional techniques, even when rapidly evolving fantastical events are being portrayed. Remember the parade scene in Paprika? Be prepared for some similar imagery.

Story

The story in this PG rated film starts out feeling recognizable. A young girl in a troubled home with an overactive imagination not only has an imaginary friend, but she also constructs amazingly illustrated worlds into which she and her friend escape. But soon we see a darker side of her imaginary world.

Characters

We eventually see that the problems she experiences in her imaginary world must be addressed by her imaginary friend and his newfound allies. The number of characters rapidly expands including-remember this is a Japanese film-a talking cat.

Crossover

While the crossover between real and imaginary worlds is handled initially via a fairly standard Alice In Wonderland style portal, eventually the relationship between the two worlds becomes complicated as danger emerges into the real world and an accident occurs that has repercussions in the imaginary world.

Rating

This is a PG rated film. I would think carefully about how very young children will handle it. The death of a parent is referenced early on but that is a standard Disney plot point. There are some scary scenes that will frighten really young kids accustomed only to formulaic manufactured animated TV series.

My six-year-old granddaughter, already an experienced Miyazaki fan and lover of films like Bubble, Suzume, and My Oni Girl, liked it very much.

Someone with a preference for a Minions-style humor might not appreciate it. The dialogue is very well written. English voice acting is solid. Plot points are revealed in ways that assume the viewer is paying close attention.

Review copyright 2024 by Dennis D. McDonald, www ddmcd com.