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:

Deadpool 2

DP 2, not cumming alone.

It's hard to believe this humble movies blog opened its doors 10 years ago. It's hard to believe people are still visiting it, while having thousands of better more professional options to go to whenever they need a qualified opinion on whether the film is worth watching or worth skipping. Anyway, I'm glad you're still here after all these years! We've reached the decade milestone! And what better way to celebrate it with the most exploitation superhero film there is to see in 2018!

Deadpool 2, AKA DP 2 (raunchy you!) Far exceeds its expectations and it's not just an excellent sequel to the original but, also a great example of film making done with the heart. The character itself, is probably one of the few superheroes/antiheroes accurately depicted on the big screen. With Wade Wilson, the ideas are limitless, and writers, producers and directors  clearly know why the comic book anti-hero has become a cult character ever since its introduction in the early 90's.

The new X-Men trainee.

Teenage angst.

First of all, and just like in the previous film, DP2 is a work purely based on respecting the fans, therefore the character. Unlike 90% of the MCU characters, here we don't need any of the PG rater bullshit and childish stories softened to appeal to a bigger market (and the retarded fans of the MCU, sorry, not sorry). In fact, I'd say DP2 feels like an independent film about a franchise character. Moreover, Deadpool 2 is the movie for those who were growing tired of superhero films, as the sequel makes fun of everything comic book related, specially the "Lazy writing" joke Wade keeps on tossing in our faces throughout the film. In addition, if you're a true comic book reader, you'll find the sequel comes packed with lots of X-Men related jokes, not just the predictable "DC V/S Marvel" stupid feud and criticism towards other MCU franchises.

When it comes to bringing the laughs, I think Deadpool 2 is just as funny as the original entry. There's even more meta jokes, the same gleefully dirty spirit carries over and some unexpected payoffs left me cackling. They build upon some of the previous memorable bits (I admire Ryan for being so willing to relentlessly skewer his filmography) without it going stale. Luckily, they didn't ruin the movie by putting all the funny bits in the trailer and there's plenty to enjoy. They weren't afraid to push the envelope with the humour and stick around past the finale for a truly epic bit that rolls during the credits.

Friend or foe?

Another metal arm?

We've got all your favourite players back from Deadpool and I want to credit the writers for giving the opportunity for the characters to grow. Wade Wilson/Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) is his typical wise-cracking self but he's found happiness and the change in his relationship with Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) has really impacted his outlook. Colossus (voiced by Stefan Kapicic) and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) return as X-Men members and while they're familiar, they're attitude does change towards Deadpool's antics. We also get back Dopinder (Karan Soni), Weasel (T.J. Miller) and Blind Al (Leslie Uggams) as the rest of Wade's crew and they all bring something new or hilarious to the film. I also really liked the new members of the cast; Cable (Josh Brolin) and Domino (Zazie Beetz) lived up to the hype. Cable has more depth than I expected and a highlight of Deadpool 2 was how they worked in Domino's ability into the action. They were so creative in how her abilities changed the way the action flowed. I also really liked the character of Russell (Julian Dennison) and how they used him in the movie. He becomes the driving force of the plot and they shape his character in a way that finds a nice balance between too soft and too arrogant. If I had any complaints, Eddie Marsan's character is one of the weakest villains I've seen in the genre, he has little dimension and his screen time is limited. I also preferred the treatment of a few of the original characters in the initial installment (Negasonic and Blind Al were stronger in the first movie). Keep your eyes open for a couple of surprise appearances by a few famous faces in the X-Men lore. However, the surprise villain, is a refreshing unexpected addition that will have you laughing by the time he faces his final combat. 

Director David Leitch is well known for his work in stunts and co-ordinating memorable action set pieces. This has carried over into his directorial efforts, I had a general knowledge of this going in, so I was expecting big things. Again, this movie rose to the task. It equals the original and, in some ways, surpasses it. I've already mentioned Domino, Colossus has a standout fight in the finale of the movie, the direction the movie decided to go with the initial X-Force mission was very surprising and I also liked Cable and Wade's first fight in the prison. The movie doesn't have a signature scene like the 12 bullets opening in Deadpool but there was never a moment that I was bored when the severed limbs were flying. Leitch and his team definitely got the job done and they balanced the humour and the thrills superbly. 

Time for new recruits.

The most formidable character of the film.

Ryan Reynolds followed up his signature turn as the foul-mouthed mercenary with an equally impressive performance. He's joined Hugh Jackman and Robert Downey Jr. as the benchmark of acting within the genre and I question if anyone else could even come close to him playing this character. Morena Baccarin still has great chemistry with Reynolds and their relationship remains as sweet as it did before. Brolin is appropriately cast as Cable, he lived up to high expectations and was appropriately gruff. Zazie Beetz is great as Domino, her casting was met with a lot of criticism but she's funny and I wish we had spent more time with her. Karan Soni carried over his charm from Deadpool as did Brianna Hildebrand. Julian Dennison did a solid job as Russell, I hadn't seen his previous work, but I can understand why so many people were excited to see him. Terry Crews, Bill Skarsgard, Lewis Tan and Rob Delaney were all good as the new X-Force members. Delaney was the standout as Peter. I also liked Stefan Kapicic and Leslie Uggams in their respective supporting parts.

One of the more surprisingly successful parts of the original Deadpool movie was the love story between Wade and Vanessa. It was surprisingly effective, and I dug the direction they took with it. Deadpool 2 is a story about family and while it still worked, it didn't tug at my heartstrings like the emotional core of the first one did. This isn't the fault of the actors or even the writers, it just didn't have the same impact.

Yes, Shatter Star is here too!

Cue to music!

In my opinion, this is a great sequel. It delivers a potent mix of both action and comedy. I was impressed that they refused to rest on the laurels of the original adventure and tried to do something new with it. If you found the first one too crude, too violent or too meta, I don't think this one will work for you. Its a movie that stands on its own, but you get the same creative expression as you did in the first one. I wouldn't say this is better than Deadpool, but it is on that same level for me. 

If you're looking for a "fuck you in the fucking ass, motherfucker" type of movie, say no more, Deadpool 2 hides some of the most clever critics ever made to a fast growing industry that forgot its true fan a long time ago (fuck you Disney!), and became a shameless cashgrab derivative money making machine. Of course, only few people will find out the nuances this great film is packed with.

That is all for today, and as Deadpool would say, "fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!"

Here's the movie trailer:

Trailer #1: