Joker

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.

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.

The movie affects you in a way that makes it physically painful to experience, but in a good way.

Every once in a while a movie comes, that truly makes an impact. Joaquin's performance and scenography in all it's brilliance. Grotesque, haunting and cringy. Hard to watch at times,... but so mesmerizing, you won't blink an eye watching it. Tragic, but with seriously funny moments. Emotional rollercoaster - sometimes, with multiple emotions popping-up at the same time.

this is far from a typical action-riddled predictable super-hero movie - it's a proper psychological thriller/drama, with the single best character development I have ever seen.