Dec 20, 2019

Star Wars Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker

Time to say good-bye.
 
"Hey!, it's only a movie" ("Notebook: Hey, it's only a movie, says Lucas - but who's listening to him?", 2011)
 
It's funny how Disney spent months saying bitter fanboys trolled The Last Jedi so that audiences would think it was a bad movie, and two years later they themselves make a move that screams fanservice, nostalgia and playing it safe. Had The Last Jedi not being the bummer it was, I'm sure Mickey Mouse would have continued the "subvert expectations" concept boldly defended by Rian Johnson, and yet they didn't. 

With a large budget, one has to wonder who aids Disney into hiring people who can't direct, write or produce something worth remembering beyond toy aisles. Obviously, J.J. Abrams had things going south even before he replaced  Colin Trevorror as the director. Moreover what he envisioned two films earlier had to be retconned with surgeon's hands.

Star Wars Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker is a film that may or may not suffer from the divisiveness caused by the earlier episode. People who loved having their expectations subverted will probably dislike this final entry, as essentially J.J. decided to pay Johnson back the same way he did in the previous episode: by keeping what's substantial & wiping out remaining secrets he (Abrams) proposed in Episode VII The Force Awakens

But what does this mean to audiences?

Stunning visuals of bad weather.
Stunning visuals of bad weather warfare.
Well, if you're like me, and didn't love Johnson's take, you will like Abrams' better. Let's face it, the new trilogy didn't have much of a story to tell. New characters and new stories do resemble, or try to resemble the best moments the original trilogy had, and perhaps that's the main problem this new trio of flicks has. Lifelong fans may have been misled by the constant homage Episode VII paid to the original holy trilogy. The sequel tried to bring new ideas to the table, and while I openly bashed the movie in both my review, and when discussing it with friends, I can say my opinion has positively changed a lot thanks to the re-watch effect.

Running two hours and 20 minutes, IX is a fast lane roller-coaster ride where the action, revelations and answers happen with speed. At times I felt there could have been more movies to explain a few things better. However, I think this is the only possible grand finale the new trilogy could have had. So, while it's not a masterpiece (none of the films from this trilogy are), it delivers enough content to play it safe, and satisfy the most fans.


Rey is the ultimate Jedi.
Is it Kylo Ren or Ben Solo?

OK boomer, what is Episode IX about?

After the resistance is defeated by the First Order, the good guys went in hiding, while Rey continues her Jedi training. However, a secret message coming from the outer realms, reveals Darth Sidious is still alive!, while no one calls him THAT on the film, Palpatine is the son of a bitch that helped build the First Order from the dark in order to conquer the galaxy once more. Moreover, he created Snoke and was behind Ben Solo's transformation into Kylo Ren. Now that Ren is the new supreme leader, he decides to track down the Sith lord in order to defeat him and become the ultimate evil in the galaxy.

On the other hand General Leia Organa knows the threat this bastard poses, and sets her own team to find the location of this ultimate evil. Fortunately, the resistance has the extremely talented Rey on their side. Honestly, Rey is the most powerful Jedi ever seen on film. She's so skilled, she can overpower any threat within miles of distance. Unless, it's her dark side equivalent she's fighting against. Kylo Ren gets in the way of the resistance, namely Rey all the time. Unsurprisingly, both resistance and first order will meet once more for a final  battle. Only this time the first order will have the advantage of a powerful Sith ally.

The first hour feels like the direct sequel to Episode VII, as if nothing of relevance took place in Episode VIII, which feeds my theory that J.J. Abrams didn't like how Rian Johnson handled the sequel, and like Kylo Ren's restored helmet, J.J. picked up all the pieces left, and carefully bandaged everything to build a new movie.


This is our movie!
Psst, we're here too!
From here on there will be subtle spoilers, so stop right here if you haven't seen it yet.

The new trilogy lacked a grand story to tell, and it shows throughout every film. The Force Awakens was a remake of Episode IV, and The Last Jedi was the most original out of the bunch, yet it didn't have a story to tell. I for one, see this new trilogy as an opportunity for the Disney company to sell Star Wars toys with their label on it. Throughout the saga we get a lot of action scenes, dogfights, lightsaber duels, new force powers, modern visually stunning scenes but, and this is the big but of this new saga: Not enough story, undeveloped characters, overpowered characters, no balance! no balance whatsoever. 

The previous trilogies were balanced. Main characters, antagonists, and secondary characters were all there for a reason, and the reason or reasons, were clearly explained, allowing the viewer to feel the need for these characters to exist in each film. The new trilogy took the main features of classic characters and poured them into new characters that were nothing, but a weaker, unfinished,  and underdeveloped version of the original characters. The fact that Rey is now the grandniece of Darth Sidious creates a big hole where fans would ask themselves "Wait, so did this bad motherfucker have a family with kids and everything?". In addition, his survival, and time spent in the shadows building The Final Order (his new army of clones) make Darth Vader's redemption  a lot more irrelevant in the canon. He did redeem himself and saved his son from certain death but ultimately, didn't stop the forces of evil from securing their galactic dictatorship. Moreover, The Resistance was completely clueless about their true enemy, although they had Leia Organa & Luke Skywalker, the two surviving Jedi knights on their side! What the hell? Not even The First Order knew about Palpatine's survival and plot. 



Dark Rey.
The first order's finest.
Let's set that aside and move on to the other characters. Kylo Ren the "I want to be badder than my granddad" tryhard, finally gets his redemption and returns to the light side as Ben Solo with the aid of Leia's final sacrifice. Obviously, this is a required Mcguffin, in order to allow Rey to even the odds against the powerful Emperor, and speaking of Mcguffins, the way to access the emperor's secret planet is via a wayfinder (they were spoiled long before the movie premiered) a two of a kind Sith artifact that gives the exact location of Sidious hideout. In addition, there's a Sith dagger that was also spoiled long ago. The dagger provides the same info as the Wayfinder.

Now, let's move on to Fanservice. If bringing Palpatine back from the death isn't enough, don't worry! J.J.'s got you covered!. IX features tons and tons of ripped off quotes from the previous trilogies. From "I got a bad feeling about this" to "The dark side of the force is a pathway to many abilities, some consider to be unnatural". In addition, there are the unexpected scenes that will take fanservice to the next level. Particularly one scene where a young Luke is training his young sister Leia. How ironic is that? a CGI scene that is more emotional than real scenes. On the other hand, the whole Reylo garbage some fans have been pushing through memes and fan fiction all over the internet, sadly pays them off with the lamest scene in the film. BECAUSE, in the previous films Kylo Ren & Rey were allegedly attracted to each other. I always saw them as enemies. One wanted the other turning to the dark side, while the other wanted the exact opposite. I guess, under J.J.'s eye that's reason enough for you to fall in love with your sworn enemy.



Leia, our princess.
Lando's back from geriatric care management.

Character wise I'd say this is Rey's movie. She's on the most scenes, and we get to see her do a lot of things, and I really liked that because she's my favorite new character. On IX she (Daisy Ridley) delivers some of her best acting in several emotional scenes. The fight scenes were she's in, are incredibly well staged and visually stunning. She is truly a convincing character, perhaps the most powerful Jedi knight out of the franchise.

Moreover, characters that weren't popular had far less onscreen time than they previously did. Namely, Rose Tico, and the new characters (Zorii Bliss, Jannah Klaud, Commander D'acy) are all forgettable save for Babu Frik due to the role he plays when aiding the resistance. Other characters play minor roles and don't really add much to the story, save for being there in the background doing stuff while the main characters take the lead.

Droid wise, C-3PO & R2D2 return to spend a more crucial role on this film. Especially 3PO who serves as the vessel to unravel Palpatine's location. D-O, the new droid that looks like a hair dryer, is there to sell toys. Which reminds me of The Knights of Ren! Who finally show up in the movie to make you want to buy more toys! As action figures, I'm sure they look great but plot wise, they're as useless as a Stormtrooper playing darts.



C-3PO gets into the action.
Rebel, rebel!
The Rise of Skywalker was clearly a difficult movie to make. Perhaps, the most difficult of the decade. A significant portion of SW fans wasn't shy about sharing their thoughts and views on social media. Times have changed. Today people don't need official media reviewers, they got their opinions, their own sites, and this poses a new threat for film making. Remember when people bashed Sonic The Hedgehog's design? Well, they listened and fixed it. Same with Star Wars. The Last Jedi really turned the tide for Disney, and after all their futile attempts to say Episode VIII was well received, the final episode is all about listening to the fans, which lastly are the reason these movies are made. IX is the best final chapter we could ever ask for despite its ups and downs. 

Music wise, John Williams has always been the secret character hidden in the background of the franchise. Key classic compositions are brought back in the movie in order to foster the hype for nostalgia. Nevertheless, the new compositions aren't as stunning as what he did in the previous episodes, which is by no means implying his new work is bad or mediocre. 


Knights of Lame, ahem! Ren!
The real bad guy.
The third and final act in IX is the expected duel between Rey, Ben Solo & Darth Sidious. It is here where the final revelation takes place. Ben & Rey form a dyad in the force. If the word sounds strange, In sociology, a dyad is a group of two people, the smallest possible social group. As an adjective, "dyadic" describes their interaction. The pair of individuals in a dyad can be linked via romantic interest, family relation, interests, work, partners in crime, or on this case, the force. Palpatine knows this is an opportunity for revitalizing his agonizing body and he sucks out the force energy of Reylo. As soon as he's ready to take matters on his own, he throws Ben Solo into a large fall, just like Vader did 30 years ago with him. Rey is exhausted and her only chance for survival is to summon the spirit of all the previous Jedi before her. "Be with me" takes a whole new meaning. Her first scene in the movie starts with that phrase and we can see why at the climax. 

Overall, a decent finale but not a perfect movie. However,  I do salute J.J. Abrams effort for putting things in perspective. He even took some of the previous episode ideas and respectfully turned them into a fitting finale.

On a lighter note, let's hope this meme is the last one:

No one's ever really gone.
Here's the teaser trailer:


Here's the second trailer:



Here's the final trailer:


Here's a movie clip:



Here's the revealing preview clip:


The red carpet show:

Nov 20, 2019

ベルサイユのばら / The Rose of Versailles / Lady Oscar

Beautiful art.
Making a review after Joker seemed like an impossible job for weeks. Obviously, that's not the main reason I was away from this blog. The social revolution that started in my home country, made me prioritize my duties, and yet I found the perfect excuse to return to our Animé reviews. 

The Rose of Versailles (ベルサイユのばら), also known as Lady Oscar, is a very popular Japanese shōjo manga series written and illustrated by Riyoko Ikeda. It has been adapted into several Takarazuka Revue musicals, as well an anime television series, produced by Tokyo Movie Shinsha and broadcast by the anime television network Nippon TV. The series remains incredibly popular in Italy and some countries of Latin America including Chile, my home country. 

Today's review will focus on the 40 episode Animé adaptation from 1979, which I for one, think is the most beautifully drawn series from the 70's. 


More astonishingly beautiful art.



The Blu-Ray box. Go get it!


Background 

The Rose of Versailles focuses on Oscar François de Jarjayes, a girl raised as a man to become her father's successor as leader of the Palace Guards. A brilliant combatant with a strong sense of justice, Oscar is proud of the life she leads, but becomes torn between class loyalty and her desire to help the impoverished as revolution brews among the oppressed lower class. Also important to the story are her conflicting desires to live life as both a militant and a regular woman as well as her relationships with Marie Antoinette, Count Axel von Fersen, and servant and best friend André Grandier

It features elements of the yuri genre embodied in the relationship between Oscar and her protégée Rosalie Lamorlière, the secret daughter of the scheming Madame de Polignac. Rosalie refers to Oscar as her first love. Many of the court ladies also greatly adore Oscar, openly admiring her at parties and become very jealous when she brings female companions to them.

Rosalie.
Marie Antoinette.
In 1979, The Rose of Versailles was released in Japan as a 40-episode (and 1 recapitulation) animated television series, which ran from October 1979 to September 1980. Besides Japan, the series has also been broadcast in several other countries of Europe and Latin America under the title of Lady Oscar. The anime was directed by Tadao Nagahama (episodes 1-18) and Osamu Dezaki (episodes 19-40), who brought a cinematic approach to the series. Shingo Araki was the animation director and co-character designer along with Akio Sugino and Michi Himeno. Kōji Makaino was in charge of the soundtrack.
 
The production staff included the most recognized animation professionals then, who contributed in the making of the 40 episodes of the anime. In spite of the difficulties they had to go through, the staff could continue with their work and took advantage of the problems. The most important of said incidents was the change of direction at the middle of the project, which marked a notable difference between the first half of the anime (directed by Tadao Nagahama) and the second one (directed by Osamu Dezaki).
 
The anime was finally aired on October 10, 1979 in Japan on the channel Nippon TV. From this point on, the series would be aired every Wednesday until September 3, 1980, with the airing of the last episode. 

En garde!
Man up! loser!

Review

Do you need to be a history nerd to like The Rose of Versailles? The answer is both yes and no. Set during the french revolution, this Animé is more of a reflection of a certain type of society rather than a historical research. While it is based upon the French revolution, the main focus is on how the characters deal with what's going on from different social perspectives. Historical facts intertwine with fictional characters in such a natural manner, you'll find yourself believing Oscar was actually there when it all happened. 

The first thing  you  notice when you start watching Rose Of Versailles, are the marvelous character designs done by Shingo Araki. While his style may seem dated to modern Animé fans, I assure you, there's nothing dated with this man. As a matter of fact, I'd say his best work is right here in The Rose of Versailles. Later he'd go on to reprise his skills in Saint Seiya. In addition, the directing approach is top notch, and I'd say that some scenes are so well animated that they even defy the commodity of modern animation from these days. There's this dance scene early on, where every character on screen is doing independent moves!, Hard work at its best!. Unexpectly, Nagahama Tadao died early on in the making of the series and with him died some of the innovative aesthetics the series had in the first few episodes, because the acclaimed 70’s director Osamu Dezaki which came as substitute, didn’t follow that scheme but that's not saying the Animé lacked quality from there on. On the contrary, Dezaki fulfilled his duty with excellence and ended the decade in the highest note. I especially love how the shots of the camera are taken from various angles throughout the series. And a very special Dezaki watermark, the dramatic stills at the end of a scene. 


These are hard times.
Duty or truth?

History wise, there are some true events in a few episodes. Especially, the events that lead to the fall of the French monarchy & aristocracy. However, most of the action is seen from the perspective of the fictional characters. And, that's a good thing. The way reality meets fiction is hard to tell if you're not a history connoisseur.


Plot wise, we get to see a lot of what made humanity a miserable society. Poverty, exploitation, abuse, rapist priests, corruption, greed, arranged marriage, suicide, pedophile aristocrats, the rich getting richer and more powerful, etc. However, what makes The Rose of Versailles a unique Manga and Animé, is how it tells you the story though a varied set of characters that one way or another, end up having something to do with the french revolution, and how Oscar is the character that emotionally connects with each and every single issue taking place both inside and outside of the Versailles palace. How can Oscar serve her duties and at the same time, give a hand to those suffering in poverty? is that even possible? can she be Marie Antoinette's protector and a servant of the people? Those questions will obviously be answered by the time the Animé enters its final five episodes. 


Looks that kill.
Love is just around the bend.

The "bad guys" in the Animé are the aristocrats and monarchs. While the focus is more on the side of aristocrat wannabes manipulating their way into the palace of Versailles, they're still the bad guys, and I can think of a couple of key antagonists. First,  Madame Du Barry, who used to be a prostitute, and thanks to that she manages to enter into the court by becoming the lover of King Louis XV. When Marie Antoinette becomes princess of France, they become enemies.  Maria Theresa of Austria, queen of Austria and mother of Marie Antoinette, sends her advisor, Comte de Mercy, to France. Mercy advises the princess to stop fighting with Du Barry, but Marie Antoinette does not obey the warnings until King Louis XV shows his displeasure with her attitude towards the countess. Marie Antoinette finally speaks to Du Barry. Months later, King Louis XV gets smallpox. Before dying, the bishop, hearing Louis's confession, and orders the removal of the King's sin, that is to say, Madame Du Barry. King Louis XV dies and Du Barry is taken to a convent, where she remains until 1793, the year in which she is guillotined.

Second, Duchess of Polignaca singer of the Palace of Versailles, but she does not live there. Marie Antoinette listens to her and quickly makes her best friend. She impelled Marie Antoinette to bet in clandestine casinos, without the permission of Marie Antoinette's husband, King Louis XVI. She manipulated the queen for her own benefit and made the queen believe that lies would fix her difficult situations. Following her advice, Marie Antoinette lied and announced that the heir of France was on way. In order to remedy the situation, Polignac blamed the death of the heir on Lady Oscar. However, you can't say you despise Marie Antoinette, or Oscar's father, or some other minor characters working for the "bad guys". The producers not only did an excellent job in transferring the Manga to the screen, but also managed to go the extra mile and make you feel sorry for some of the antagonists, that at times look like innocent bystanders.


Who's the prettiest?
Rosalie, the innocent stereotype.
Interestingly enough, characters like Maximilien Robespierre, Louis Antoine de Saint-Just & Bernard Châtelet (fictional character, the Black Knight) are well represented as men of the people, carefully crafting the revolution, and opposite to Du Barry & Polignac greedy personal motivation, their struggle is for a better future, and that's quite clear whenever they show up in the final episodes, and there's no need for the viewer to do a full research on who these men were during the actual french revolution. The Animé producers wanted to make clear that all the antagonists in the series are the aristocrats & monarchs. Some of which try to sabotage their own kind in order to satisfy their greed.

On the other hand, the Animé does feature positive topics like love, friendship, loyalty and compassion. Oscar François de Jarjayes, André Grandier, Rosalie Lamorliére and every other good guy adds positive vibes in each episode. While Marie Antoinette starts as a naive princess, she ends up swallowed by her privileges and becomes the very thing the people hated with their guts.

Another interesting aspect (for a 1979 Animé) is how love is depicted as more a duty, than a choice. André Grandier has loved Oscar since day one but, since he's nothing but a servant, he can't marry her. On the other hand Oscar is secretly infatuated with Marie Antoinette's lover Hans Axel Von Fersen. Moreover, Oscar acts more like a man throughout the first half of the series, and only in the last episodes, she realizes she's loved André her whole life. In addition, but to a minor degree, Rosalie seems to be bisexual. The way she sees Oscar, clearly suggests she felt more than sister love for her. Obviously, nothing ecchi takes place on screen, since this is a classy work ladies &gentlemen!


The queen?, or the people?
Fearsome lady.

Overall, The Rose of Versailles is one classic Animé you don't want to miss. If you have any prejudices with Shoujo manga/animé watch this one and be cured!



Here's the opening:



Here's the (clean) ending:



The opening theme live with Yuki Nishio!



Another live version by Hiroko Moriguchi:



The live action film trailer:


Oct 4, 2019

Joker

Put on a happy face!
Wow! just wow! for a 37 year old man that has read comic books since he was 6 years old, I can definitely tell you we've come a long way since the Joker from the 1940's. Not to mention the on screen versions we've been offered by the film & animation industry throughout the years. I can honestly say, this is the best comic book movie of all time, and I'll tell you why on today's review.

It's no secret that superhero films are making a ton of money, and companies are squeezing the hype as much as they can so that you not only buy the movie ticket, but the home version, apparel, funko Pops!, action figures, soundtracks, underwear, and limited edition dildos. Well, I got some news for ya popcorn girl! Joker is unlike any other comic book movie you've ever seen. In fact, Joker makes every other superhero film look like a Saturday cartoon show from the 80's (a glorified TV ad). 

When they announced the end of the DC Comics Extended Universe, I had already grown tired of the superhero hype, so once the Joker's solo film announcement was out, I didn't give a damn about it. I think I stopped reviewing superhero films by the time Avengers Infinity War came out. Good versus bad, green screen and computer generated graphics where just too much for me. Before I was a fan of superhero films, I was a fan of good film making. Movies that brought human emotions to the table, movies that had you questioning your personal decisions on life, or at least discussing for hours how well depicted was mankind every once in a while in one of a kind films. Joker is that every once in a while kind of movie.

Arthur Fleck.
Family ties.
Todd Phillips didn't have a past directing superhero films. Neither did Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro or the co-writer Scott Silver, and yet their working force gave us a unique film. One that will be discussed, analyzed and dissected for decades to come. One that for sure will be imitated in a short term. 

Is it possible to bring to life the most human depiction of a comic book psychopath? Is it possible even when you didn't based your story or characters in some of the must read comic book stories featuring The Joker?  The answer, as unexpected it may be, is a thunderous yes!. Joaquin Phoenix was born to play this role. Every minute you see him, he owns the character with absolute grace. The intensity of his laughter, his theatrical moves, the suffering, the neverending pain easily make you root for team Joker, despite the fact he is a horrible criminal that is way too far from setting the example as a citizen of the year. In addition, and this is what really sets this film apart from all the other superhero flicks, Arthur Fleck (The Joker's name) is not a chosen one type of character. He isn't going to fulfill a destiny, he doesn't have a mission. In fact, he's got absolutely nothing worth fighting for. His whole existence is subdued to being underpaid, looked over the shoulder, misunderstood and most importantly, he's completely loveless. Add his mental condition to the recipe, and you get not one but, millions of potential Joker characters in real life.  Phillip's Joker is a loner, someone who's nothing but a cipher within hundreds of ciphers, someone who's there, but no one sees. Someone who's speaking, but nobody's listening to. Someone who desperately needs serious help from a society that is probably sicker than he already is. Of course, the "support cast" is there too with great characters and some stunning performances that only add more substance to the already established decadent world where everything takes place. 

Talk show man.
Time to shine!
But where's Batman?

The movie title makes it clear: This film is about the Joker alone. Where he started, how he mutated into the legendary criminal everyone knows, and simply there's no room for other comic book characters. My wife said, she's always been fascinated by the character. Every depiction, from César Romero to Heath Ledger offered a different set of nuances on how this 79 year old villain has evolved along with each decade passing by. I have no doubts, Bob Kane, Bill Finger & Jerry Robinson would be immensely proud of this film. Back in the day they worked with what they had. Resources were limited, and censorship created barriers that granted the kid friendly aspects of the character will be secured for as long as possible. Moreover, Alan Moore & Frank Miller only showed a side of the madness behind the character, but didn't quite explorer it as deep as this film does. Batman wise, and this isn't a spoiler because you see them in the trailers, we do get some scenes with Thomas Wayne and a very young Bruce Wayne but then again, this isn't their movie. 

In the past The Joker was confined to the antagonist boundaries, there was always a Batman to be defeated by. In this film, Arthur Fleck fights against his own life, his dreams, the lies he's been told, and the social and mental abuse. This guy just wants to break free, and in doing so, he will be liberated by violence and murder.


The solution to Gotham's crisis.
The future.

Phillips (director) conceived Joker in 2016 and wrote the script with Silver throughout 2017. The two were inspired by 1970s character studies and the films of Martin Scorsese, who was initially attached to the project as a producer. The graphic novel Batman: The Killing Joke (1988) was the basis for the premise, but Phillips and Silver otherwise did not look to specific comics for inspiration. Phoenix became attached in February 2018 and was cast that July, while the majority of the cast had signed on by August. Principal photography lasted from September to December 2018 and took place in New York City, Jersey City, and Newark. Joker was the first live-action Batman film to receive an R-rating from the Motion Picture Association of America, due to its violent and disturbing content. 

Disturbing Reality?

Arthur Fleck is the flesh and bone incarnation of a person with a mental disorder. He laughs uncontrollably because it is a condition, not happiness. Besides, he's a special needs person in 1981. Social security isn't doing much to deliver seven different prescriptions that allegedly don't work. Moreover, he's in charge of his ill mother and he barely makes ends meet. If we set aside the fact this is a movie, and that The Joker is a fictional character, we could easily be in front of a universal mental health system critique. Shrinks don't listen, medicine doesn't work, job opportunities are highly limited, and people don't want "freaks" around them. In addition, and this only applies to the country where this film was made, guns are incredibly accessible, even for people that shouldn't have them for security reasons. In a nutshell, I feel the movie is telling its audience societies in general have a shared responsibility with murderers. The lack of prompt action may feed some mentally unstable people, and drive them into killing themselves or those around them. 

Make that change!
Reveal your true self.
The Beauty behind the beast.

Before Arthur Fleck becomes the beast, he's nothing but a hopeful citizen. He dreams to pursue a career in stand up comedy. He tells everyone her mother told him if there was a reason for him to exist, it's because he's here to bring joy and laughter to the world. He sees no evil, he wants his job, he cares about his colleagues, he always takes good care of his mother, and is a huge fan of Murray Franklin's talk show. One day, he'll be a guest there, and make the whole world laugh with his carefully crafted jokes which he keeps in a notebook. What could go wrong?  

For years I thought Sin City (2005) was the best live action movie based upon a comic book. Today, that changes forever. In fact, I'd even say Christopher Nolan's holy Batman trilogy pales next to the Joker in terms of realism. I urge everyone to go see this movie. I would even recommend it to MCU fans, so that they get a chance of seeing a caffeinated good movie. Remember it's R-Rated for a reason, so make sure your kids stay home. 


Todd Phillips directing DeNiro.
Neighbors.

Production wise, the movie costed around $50 million dollars, a modest budget considering how much is spent in the superhero film industry these days. The soundtrack is plain beautiful! classic songs from Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and an brand new score by Emmy Award-winning composer Hildur Guðnadóttir (Chernobyl, Sicario: Day of the Soldado), whose composition features the cello as the centerpiece of the score, leading string-based melodies played by a symphony orchestra of 90 musicians. WaterTower Music will release the picture disc and colored vinyl editions of the soundtrack on December 13th. The album is already available on digital format in your streaming platform of choice. 

Now, moving on to more interesting stuff, here's a selection of some of the behind the scenes situations that led Joker to be the fantastic movie it is:

Laughter.

Joaquin Phoenix called perfecting the Joker's laugh the toughest part of playing the character.  He based his laugh on "videos of people suffering from pathological laughter." He also sought to portray a character with which audiences could not identify. 


Who's laughing now.

The joke "When I was a little boy and told people I was going to be comedian, everyone laughed at me. Well no one's laughing now" is inspired by the late British comedian Bob Monkhouse's "People used to laugh at me when I said I wanted to be a comedian. Well they're not laughing now." 

Villain or victim?

Joaquin Phoenix was cagey during interviews at the Venice Film Festival when asked about siding with Arthur. Phoenix told press that any questions they might have about "Joker" will be left up to the audience to decide. "The great joy of the film for the audience is that they get to decide for themselves [what to think about Arthur's transformation]," Phoenix said. "That's what I was attracted to. In most movies, certainly in genre movies where there is a hero and the villain, the motivations of the character are clear. What I like about this is that I was never certain what was motivating him. I have my own opinion. I think I know what it is for me. But I wouldn't want to impose on anyone who hasn't seen the movie."  

No DCEU .

This version of Joker exists separately from DCEU movies like Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Justice League--a fact Phillips has been clear about. But at the Toronto International Film Festival recently, the director also insisted that Phoenix's Joker and the upcoming new iteration of Batman played by Robert Pattinson will not collide. "I don't see [Joker] connecting to anything in the future," Phillips said. "This is just a movie." 

Pogo's makeup.

The Joker's make-up is very similar to John Wayne Gacy's, a serial killer who would often entertain children while dressed as Pogo the Clown. This make-up style was shunned by working clowns at the time, as they strictly prohibit "sharp" ends in their make-up, as it scares children. 

Golden Lion Award.

Todd Phillips won the Venice film festival's prize, the Golden Lion, for Best Film. During his acceptance speech, Phillips thanked "Warner Bros. and DC for stepping out of their comfort zone and taking such a bold swing on me and this movie," according to The Hollywood Reporter. Phillips also thanked Phoenix, who joined him on stage. "There is no movie without Joaquin Phoenix. Joaquin is the fiercest and brightest and most open-minded lion I know. Thank you for trusting me with your insane talent," said Phillips. 

-Joaquin Phoenix was good friends with the late Heath Ledger who won an Oscar for his portrayal as The Joker in 2008's The Dark Knight.  

Monster, or...
...helpless victim?
Overall, Joker is the most intense comic book character study film ever made. No other movie will ever come close to what the team behind it delivered here.
Joker, a cautionary tale based upon fictional characters. That's life!
Here's the teaser trailer:

Here's the first trailer:



Here's the second trailer:



here's the third and final trailer:



Here's Joker official Q&A: