Joker

I have seen Joker yesterday at Venice an early ill-fated screening. We had some trouble with audio that lead to a near-hour delay, but it definitely was worth it.

Joker deserved to be presented at Venice Film Festival, an event that regards cinema as a form of art, because this film is far from a blockbuster or a mere entertainer movie, as most films in the genre are.

It focuses on the psyche of the main character, as it slowly crumbles under the pressure of society. And thus, Joaquin Phoenix does a wonderful performance, earning almost surely a nomination at the oscars at least. It's a take on the Joker that differs from Ledger's, but I'd say that both are equally as good. The main difference might be that Ledger's joker is a rational that acts insane, while Phoenix's is insane to the root.

Despite being a movie about a superhero villain, Joker is much superior to most of the movies of the genre (I'd exclude the Dark Knight Trilogy only, but Joker is easily as good as Nolan's movies, or at least very close). It is a small-scaled film, with a distinct style and cinematography (that cannot but be appreciated) and a set of very cinephile references that however do not feel too forced or overly opressive. (most notable are the similarities to Scorsese's 'Taxi Driver' and his 'The King of Comedy', but also Chaplin's 'Modern Times' is somewhat referenced).

I am eager to see more non-comedic efforts by Todd Phillips. This movie was so far probably the best of 2019 (at worst contested so far only by Dolor Y Gloria or Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), and that should be very convincing.

What can I say about it that hasn't already been said? It's not a terrible film, but it's not a great (or even a really good one) either. The technical aspects are great. The score and cinematography are really good. Many individual scenes are also good. But as a whole, it just feels unnecessary. Not just that, but tone deaf as well. What it's trying to say about mental illness is problematic. Why? Because it's not really sure what it's trying to say or if it's even trying to say anything about it at all. Instead, it was added in there because, well, it's easy right? Joaquin Phoenix really does excel in many scenes of the film, but I'm not sure I would want him winning an Oscar for this. Overall, it's also just not that interesting. It's kind of... boring at times. And for a Joker film to be boring? That's a crucial offense. And I guess everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I seriously wonder if those people calling this a "masterpiece" have even seen Taxi Driver or The King of Comedy.

Most of the time movies are anticipated like this they end up falling short, way short. Joker is the first time I was more than happy with the hype. Please ignore the complaints of "pernicious violence" as they are embarrassing to say the least. We haven't seen a comic movie this real before. If we ever "deserved" a better class of criminal - Phillips and Phoenix have delivered. This is dark, Joker IS dark and you will fall in love with the villain as you should. The bad guys are always more romantic anyway.

Truly a masterpiece, The Best Hollywood film of 2019, one of the Best films of the decade... And truly the Best film to bring a comic book so chillingly and realistically to real ife. Remarkable Direction, Cinematography, Music and the Acting. Some people are surprised to find it DISTURBING and VIOLENT, but it's a necessity and message. It's about society and reflects those underappreciated/unrecognized/bullied people, proving they can do something too. The way it shows class difference, corruption and how rich and talented rule others around them is not exaggerated and that's what makes it different. It's BELIEVABLE. There could be multiple JOKERs living in our society that could shake those around them in much bitter way than the film shows making people uncomforting people. Consider this a wake up call, a message, but first a film. A PERFECT film.

Joaquin Phoenix gives a tour de force performance, fearless and stunning in its emotional depth and physicality. It's impossible to talk about this without referencing Heath Ledger's Oscar-winning performance from The Dark Knight, widely considered the definitive live-action portrayal of the Joker, so let's talk about it. The fact is, everyone is going to be stunned by what Phoenix accomplishes, because it's what many thought impossible - a portrayal that matches and potentially exceeds that of The Dark Knight's Clown Prince of Crime