Joker (2019)

[The Joker]

After watching The King of Comedy a few weeks ago, and now seeing this trailer, I can definitely see the influence that film has on Joker.

[The Joker]

[thecolorsblend]

Final trailer:

One teaser and two trailers. So far, I still haven't seen anything I don't like.

I'm really getting excited for this film.

Bummer, it's just Joaquin's regular voice. I thought he was going to transform into a completely different persona when he had the makeup on. It's just Arthur Fleck with makeup on. And it looks like he can go in and out of being The Joker. We see him walking around as Arthur, as he's happy that people are dressed up as The Joker. And that's Joker-ish, in the sense that he would like it, but not so much of him going in and out of the persona like Batman can with Bruce Wayne and Batman. But I guess this has little to do with the comics, so whatever.

So I dunno, we'll see. I'm still skeptical of this movie.

The thrust of the film seems to be that the Joker is not a transformation so much as a state of mind. It's all about Arthur's perspective on his own life. It's not him that changes; it's his perception of himself and his world that shifts (or so I gather).

On that basis, I think it makes sense for him to use his normal voice while wearing the makeup.

[The Dark Knight]

Ledger was good, but overhyped. It means his performance has been placed on an impossibly high pedestal that some think cannot be competed with. That's not Ledger's fault considering the circumstances. But here's my prediction: Phoenix is going to make Ledger look tame. JOKER will be more personal, more intense and more graphic. JOKER will be a movie that makes people uncomfortable in ways Ledger's Joker could only dream about.

This isn't a mainstream blockbuster like TDK, even though people will walk in with that expectation. It's a man who laughs because it's an uncontrollable illness, and his life is a constant misery. That automatically gives an edge to Phoenix.

Phoenix is going to have more time to shine. We'll be told this is a bad thing because the Joker is *always* meant to be a mysterious cameo character, apparently. But that's a load of bull. More screen time means more content to enjoy. More time to connect with a character and their plight. More content being a bad thing is peak stupidity, and peak jealousy. Ledger is good, and Phoenix will be also. But I feel like this is going to be a huge step up and will knock audiences off their feet.

[thecolorsblend]

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2019-08-27/joker-todd-phillips-joaquin-phoenix

Phillips lays out his agenda a little bit with JOKER in this article. No real spoilers or anything so it's a safe item to read to get an idea of the tone and style that Phillips is aiming for.

Look here, boys and girls. I'm on the record from way back for being a bit tired of the MCU formula. It's a virtual conveyor belt of product. It really sounds to me like Phillips had a higher ambition and for that reason alone JOKER already has my respect.

I have no idea if the movie will turn out to be anything special. Maybe, maybe not. But at a minimum, I appreciate Phillips wanting to do something different and a bit more original with his film.

It would be hypocritical of me to do anything but be a cheerleader for this film.

[The Joker]

'Calm down with the label — how about you do one movie?'

That approach alone automatically makes this film something that is clearly non-traditional, rather than the typical route of thinking we have grown accustomed to when it comes to these kind of properties. And for that, I applaud them. As it's very much a breathe of fresh air at this stage.

Joker is clearly a film brought to life out of both passion and creativity, and certainly looks quite engaging going off the trailers. Now, do I continue to remain suspicious about this being something of a Hollywood political "message" movie? Sure. Especially so when it comes to Thomas Wayne and his portrayal. We'll have to see just how pervasive and heavy handed it is.

As for the peanut gallery crying foul cause this movie explores the Joker's backstory ... wanna bet these same clods would also go on to name "The Killing Joke", to which this film is clearly taking some influence from, as a favorite Joker comic book story?

[The Dark Knight]

As for the peanut gallery crying foul cause this movie explores the Joker's backstory ... wanna bet these same clods would also go on to name "The Killing Joke", to which this film is clearly taking some influence from, as a favorite Joker comic book story?

Indeed. The Killing Joke gives us a lengthy depiction of the character pre-transformation. I have no reason to doubt what that comic shows is his origin, being a failed comedian who wears a red hood and gets bleached. They go to a lot of trouble depicting something important for no reason? If that's what some people want to believe, go right ahead. The multiple choice comment IN MY OPINION is what gives justification for OTHER DEPICTIONS in OTHER BATMAN MEDIA. The Killing Joke being one, B89 being another, and so on. And that includes the Phoenix movie. Seeing the human behind the costume is what makes Phoenix's incarnation so intriguing, instead of just being dread and nihilism incarnated for a brief number of scenes.

[Silver Nemesis]

The first reviews are in following the premiere at the Venice Film Festival: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/joker_2019/

[The Dark Knight]

The first reviews are in following the premiere at the Venice Film Festival: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/joker_2019/

Positive reactions there which will please colors. I've seen hypothetical talk about a sequel by the director, and people hoping this becomes a Pattinson prequel. I find the latter request to be out of reach. FleckJoker would likely be too old to face up against RoBat considering Bruce is a child as shown by the trailers.

[thecolorsblend]

I don't think I want this to become a franchise. I think I prefer it if this is a onetime, standalone sort of thing. Not everything needs to get milked dry. Still, the enthusiasm for a hypothetical sequel tells me a lot about how much people care. I see that as a positive thing.