The Joker Movie starring Joaqin Pheonix October 2019 release

[The Warlord]

Joaquin Phoenix is a tremendous actor, as has been seen repeatedly these last few years with The Master, Her and You Were Never Really Here, and gave another A-grade performance here. It was a beautiful looking film, and full credit to the cinematography and set design, which were both glorious.

But my God, I hated it. Two hours of misery for no real purpose. Any social commentary was so heavy handed as to be awful. Leaning so heavily into movies such as Taxi Driver and King of Comedy only served to remind me how much more I enjoyed those films. I honestly considered walking out at some point, as it was increasingly clear where it was going, and I was getting absolutely no enjoyment of the ride to get there.

Change a half dozen names within it to take it out of the Batman universe and I don't see this having any mass appeal whatsoever. I'm clearly in the minority but this was just totally ugly and is my most disliked film of the year to date.

I didn't hate it as much as you, I didn't want my money back.

But jeez yeah, I have seen Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy. I've also seen The Warriors and The Taking of Pelham 123. There's being influenced, and homage, and then just straight up copying. This looked and felt like a COVER of a Scorsese movie, or the genre pieces of the era. Sure, give a nod to let us know that you know your place in the grad scheme of cinema, but also, try and be at bit creative or original.

Same with The Fight Club rip off:

Spoiler: Spoiler

Flind Breddy could tell the "affair" with the neighbour was a Tyler Durdin style delusion caused by him going off his meds, and the "reveal" was basically lifted straight from Fight Club.

In terms of the politics/social commentary:

Spoiler: Spoiler

The "Kill The Rich" thing could have been plausible if it sprung up at the end of the movie, but after his first murders, come on, you predicate the thing of the city being lawless and out of control, then three people get shot on the subway and THAT suddenly sparks a massive class conscious movement? Hmmm, but aren't multiple being killed every day in Gotham anyway? Looks to me like they just wanted to cram Anonymous type references in there.

And as good as Phoenix is, and he's great - albeit not as good as You Were Never Really Here, I still think Heath Ledger did the character better.

Ledger in that film, playing the character a touch more serious early, yeah, I reckon that would have lifted it.

(Also, the soundtrack was good but JESUS YOU ARE NOT MARTIN SCORSESE OK STOP PLAYING WITH YOURSELF.)

 

[The Warlord]

Batman still believes in the "system", Joker knows the truth.

Batman's a fascist who believes the system has fallen apart so he has to take matters into his own hands.

 

[squashface]

If was a beautifully made movie with an elite performance by Phoenix (which he always puts in, imo. Underrated actor). The only issue for me being that I can’t see that Joker going against Batman, and for me the Joker can’t exist without Batman because they are the thematic opposites and that’s why they have worked for so long together.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

I felt Phoenix performance on the Master as far more interesting playing a troubled drifter. In fact found Master a better film.

 

[Blackhawk42]

Probably the first film i've watched in about 5 years that left a serious imprint on my brain. It was the movie we all deserved but one I never expected to be made. A full week and a half removed from seeing it I still can't stop thinking about it. This is without considering the actual performance of Phoenix, the directing, the cinematography, the music choices and the directing. The story and character development were already high tier before considering everything else. I know some won't agree, but it's as close to a perfect movie as i've ever seen.
Instantly in my top 5 of all time.

 

[glenferry23]

Probably the first film i've watched in about 5 years that left a serious imprint on my brain. It was the movie we all deserved but one I never expected to be made. A full week and a half removed from seeing it I still can't stop thinking about it. This is without considering the actual performance of Phoenix, the directing, the cinematography, the music choices and the directing. The story and character development were already high tier before considering everything else. I know some won't agree, but it's as close to a perfect movie as i've ever seen.
Instantly in my top 5 of all time.

I resonate with this, and have heard a few of my friends say similar. The movie stays with them for days afterwards. For me, the bathroom scene in particular. Just a fantastic combination of score and emotion, no words or dialogue was necessary. Mesmerising.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Probably the first film i've watched in about 5 years that left a serious imprint on my brain. It was the movie we all deserved but one I never expected to be made. A full week and a half removed from seeing it I still can't stop thinking about it. This is without considering the actual performance of Phoenix, the directing, the cinematography, the music choices and the directing. The story and character development were already high tier before considering everything else. I know some won't agree, but it's as close to a perfect movie as i've ever seen.
Instantly in my top 5 of all time.

Spoiler

The end scene when he shoots Robert De Niro live on his show is still with me after a few weeks from watching it lols

 

[GROTTO]

Joker Set to Earn Almost as Much Profit as Avengers: Endgame

Warner Bros. is counting cold, hard and fat stacks of cash thanks to the box office haul from Joker.

movieweb.com

$500 million profit expected.

They will throw enough money at Phoenix to get him to do a sequel. At first glace, most movies that hit $500 million have led to sequels.


*exception was obviously Titanic. I think even a prequel was toyed around at the time too.

 

[glenferry23]

These numbers are mind blowing.

Box Office: ‘Joker’ Tops ‘Batman V Superman’ Overseas With A $849 Million Worldwide Cume

Joker has earned $571 million overseas, more than Batman v Superman, for an $849 million global cume, which is just under Venom’s $856 million cume.

www.forbes.com

 

[AFDogs]

Great movie. Best I've seen in a long time.

Can't believe there's people who hated it, but not everything can be liked I guess.

Who would've thought we'd get a Joker standalone movie and it'd be this good.

 

[King Elvis]

Fantastic movie, and Phoenix was absolutely unreal (proving yet again what a fantastic actor he is)...

But I don't understand why people are going crazy about it's themes, and potential impact?

While I felt uncomfortable and incredibly sympathetic for him in the movie (which annoyed me a little, as I don't like the idea of the Joker being an object of pity), for a lot of people, life does suck, and is completely unfair.

Falling Down was a similar movie - tragically, some people have terrible, sad lives, or a good life where everything falls apart and goes to s**t; and this type of reaction is a reality, we've seen it plenty of times.

The world isn't fair, so many people live in tragic or desperate and unfair circumstances - some people are complete ******* arseholes - none of this is exactly a revelation.

 

[Crankitup]

Then it's definitely worth seeing.

Don't be sad it's over, be glad it happened.
Live, laugh, love - that's what Arthur Fleck would want.

 

[glenferry23]

Box Office: ‘Joker’ Tops $300 Million U.S. And $900 Million Worldwide

The $60 million flick has earned $934 million worldwide, passing Bohemian Rhapsody ($905 million) as the biggest-grossing straight-up drama of all time.

www.forbes.com

Sensational numbers. Might be able to clinch the $1b mark by the time it’s run ends.

Which is all the more impressive given a) it’s off ~$70m budget and b) it didn’t have a China release, normally a massive revenue source for comic book films.

 

[Exe Gesis]

 

[Sonny Bonds]

[QUOTE="JeanLucGoddard, post: 63475936, member: 191229"

Same with The Fight Club rip off:

[/QUOTE]
Fight club rip off?

Oh dear. There's probably 3500 movies that have used this method. I don't think Todd Phillips was ripping off Fight Club champ.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Since when was the Joker a pimp wearing/tattoo guy? worst Joker ever

 

[glenferry23]

Box Office: ‘Joker’ Tops $1 Billion

In a cosmic irony that the Clown Prince of Crime would appreciate, 'Joker' will top $1 billion on the second anniversary of 'Justice League.'

www.forbes.com

Amazing milestone for R rated comic book movie without the usual ~$250m from the Chinese market.

 

[Exe Gesis]

 

[edgie]

Pretty good movie, but not great.

Spoiler

I don't feel Pheonix's performance is that amazing either. It's still quite one dimensional. He's essentially just a weirdo for most of the movie. It needed more moments like him out the front of the hospital when the cops find him and he interacts with them in a relatively normal way to add a bit of depth to the role and performance, and to the character, because that final part where he takes a stand before he shoots Murray really does come out of nowhere.

Also when the social worker is flicking through his book and see's 'I hope my death makes more cents than my life'. I wonder if there is a joke in there somewhere more than 'lol he's dumb and can't spell'.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

Pretty good movie, but not great.

Spoiler

I don't feel Pheonix's performance is that amazing either. It's still quite one dimensional. He's essentially just a weirdo for most of the movie. It needed more moments like him out the front of the hospital when the cops find him and he interacts with them in a relatively normal way to add a bit of depth to the role and performance, and to the character, because that final part where he takes a stand before he shoots Murray really does come out of nowhere.

Also when the social worker is flicking through his book and see's 'I hope my death makes more cents than my life'. I wonder if there is a joke in there somewhere more than 'lol he's dumb and can't spell'.

^^^

It was a joke?

I also disagree that he’s just a weirdo for the whole movie. He transforms from broken loner to total anarchist symbol. The normality you speak of wasn’t his character and it would have been out of place.

That last bit in no way came out of nowhere. The whole film had been building up to it.

 

[edgie]

^^^

It was a joke?

I also disagree that he’s just a weirdo for the whole movie. He transforms from broken loner to total anarchist symbol. The normality you speak of wasn’t his character and it would have been out of place.

That last bit in no way came out of nowhere. The whole film had been building up to it.

Yeah I gotta disagree. I think it comes relatively quickly and out of the blue. There's no transformation. Even in the dressing rooms and the start of the interview he's still coming across just as he was in the beginning of the movie. He doesn't become an anarchist symbol of his own volition, others make him that.

 

[Cruyff14]

Watched it today.

Its content is so dark and confronting. But the movie itself is fantastic. Phoenix was outstanding in the role.

The maniacal high pitched laugh is something else.

 

[edgie]

I gotta say though, the stairway dance to Rock N Roll is brilliantly done. The lead up and then it happening the way it does to that song... perfection.

 

[vast]

The intensity of Joaquin in the last half hour is just incredible.

I mentioned it before but the scene while Murray is playing his tape again while he is waiting behind the curtain is becoming one of fav scenes of all time. Just how subtlely he is getting angrier and the score is building is just perfect.

Having watched it twice I do wish now it had ended with him standing on the car would have been epic, even though i love theyou wouldnt get it line in the last scene.

 

[Cruyff14]

It is assumed he killed the psych, right?