Joker strives to capture our cultural moment – but it’s smug and banal at heart

By Simran Hans

 

Joaquin Phoenix as Joker: ‘not political’ – just an anarchic and ultraviolent vigilante. Photograph: Allstar/Warner Bros/DC Comics

 

Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is on seven different types of medication.

 

He has a rare condition that causes him to cackle uncontrollably and carries a card that reads “Forgive my laughter”.

 

Fleck dreams of being a successful standup comedian but earns minimum wage as a pathetic party clown named Carnival.

 

He is sad, single and living in a cruddy apartment with his ageing mother Penny (Frances Conroy).

 

Full Story: https://www.theguardian.com/film/shortcuts/2019/oct/01/joker-cultural-moment-smug-and-banal-joaquin-phoenix

good or bad, it'll get rave reviews being based on a leftist-type character 

36 minutes ago, cyril sneer said:

good or bad, it'll get rave reviews being based on a leftist-type character 

Sounded like it wasn’t “left” enough for the review writer although she was able to get all kinds of buzzwords in.  Incel, Trumpian, #Metoo.  Thank goodness they were able to nix all the “white supremacy” by having a cross cultural “crush” between the Joker and his African American neighbor.

9 minutes ago, Airalee said:

Sounded like it wasn’t “left” enough for the review writer although she was able to get all kinds of buzzwords in.  Incel, Trumpian, #Metoo.  Thank goodness they were able to nix all the “white supremacy” by having a cross cultural “crush” between the Joker and his African American neighbor.

I haven't seen this yet but your comment makes me feel as if I have. 

this and bird of prey with Margot are both on my list, nice to see displays of actual acting vs just a plethora of special effects..

16 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

this and bird of prey with Margot are both on my list, nice to see displays of actual acting vs just a plethora of special effects..

they should of just made a harley movie. margot is going to capture most of the screen time. she is the movie. the trailer doesn't look too good either. 

This might be one of those movies where the critics give it 35% and the actual audience gives it 95%.

Please Thailand let me go and watch The Joker in English, at my local cinema??

It can't be too far left as the director blamed PC for taking all the laughter out of comedy, which is his usual area of interest.

I saw it. I hated it. I kept waiting for something to happen and it never did. This was a giant <deleted> <deleted> <deleted>, and a waste of 2 hours or something of my life. I left in the middle to use the bathroom and nothing happened while I was away.

2 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I saw it. I hated it. I kept waiting for something to happen and it never did. This was a giant <deleted> <deleted> <deleted>, and a waste of 2 hours or something of my life. I left in the middle to use the bathroom and nothing happened while I was away.

Now do you know?

Edited October 7, 20196 yr by Kadilo

On 10/3/2019 at 5:06 PM, Mac98 said:

It can't be too far left as the director blamed PC for taking all the laughter out of comedy, which is his usual area of interest.

All real comedy is hurtful to someone. Listen to any really funny comedians and they are not PC. Monty Python, among many others was racist. Even Fawlty Towers was racist.

Have you told any "there was an Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman" jokes recently?

1 minute ago, Kadilo said:

Now do you know?

Sorry- know what?

I liked it. The performance of Joaquin Phoenix was amazing. An instant classic. That it upsets some people is part of its power.

Edited October 7, 20196 yr by Jingthing

8 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I liked it. The performance of Joaquin Phoenix was amazing. An instant classic. That it upsets some people is part of its power.

It didn't upset me. It was just very very boring. I could have done something better with my time, like watch grass grow.

Spending 2 hours or something watching someone slowly going insane is not my idea of a worthwhile investment of my time. I go to the movies to be entertained, and it's just not entertaining on any level.

On 10/3/2019 at 9:42 AM, arun1 said:

Please Thailand let me go and watch The Joker in English, at my local cinema??

??

cant say i have ever had an issue seeing a film in its original language in Thailand.

On 10/2/2019 at 6:18 PM, snoop1130 said:

Full Story: https://www.theguardian.com/film/shortcuts/2019/oct/01/joker-cultural-moment-smug-and-banal-joaquin-phoenix

 

The BBC REVIEW IS VERY SIMILAR REVIEW almost identical

I also wanted to leave but persisted not worth the hype & now its getting the Gary Glitter backlash

See it yourself folks. People are talking about it. Do you want to be left out? Make up your own mind. 

 

https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/joker-2019-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray

Edited October 7, 20196 yr by Jingthing

On 10/2/2019 at 7:41 PM, Airalee said:

Sounded like it wasn’t “left” enough for the review writer although she was able to get all kinds of buzzwords in.  Incel, Trumpian, #Metoo.  Thank goodness they were able to nix all the “white supremacy” by having a cross cultural “crush” between the Joker and his African American neighbor.

I thought incels are alt-right

9 minutes ago, hobz said:

I thought incels are alt-right

You thought correctly. I think it's moronic to view this movie as a political screed for any agenda. 

Saw it and liked it. too each his or her won, but my family gave it a thumbs up.

39 minutes ago, hobz said:

I thought incels are alt-right

 

29 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

You thought correctly. I think it's moronic to view this movie as a political screed for any agenda. 

If you both read my comment a bit more closely, you’ll see that you misunderstood what I wrote.  The reviewer (click the link in the OP) was the one grasping at straws trying to bring politics into it.

1 hour ago, Airalee said:

 

If you both read my comment a bit more closely, you’ll see that you misunderstood what I wrote.  The reviewer (click the link in the OP) was the one grasping at straws trying to bring politics into it.

Politics obviously IS part of it but it's not an agenda political screed movie. In my opinion, it's a work of art that will have different impacts and meanings to different people. That includes many people being bored by it. So what?

43 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Politics obviously IS part of it but it's not an agenda political screed movie. In my opinion, it's a work of art that will have different impacts and meanings to different people. That includes many people being bored by it. So what?

I never said it was.  I’m excited to see it myself this week.  I think Joaquin Phoenix is perfect for the role.  My comment was based solely on the desperate attempt for the reviewer to turn it into something political hence my comment on her “buzzwords”.  

 

You really should work on reading what people say in their comments rather than coming up with knee jerk reactions.

 

Listen more.  Speak less.

14 minutes ago, Airalee said:

I never said it was.  I’m excited to see it myself this week.  I think Joaquin Phoenix is perfect for the role.  My comment was based solely on the desperate attempt for the reviewer to turn it into something political hence my comment on her “buzzwords”.  

 

You really should work on reading what people say in their comments rather than coming up with knee jerk reactions.

 

Listen more.  Speak less.

Uh huh. (How was that?)

Huge pile of excrement...streamed it via Kodi....so not too upset about it.

Nothing political about it...nothing to do with trump either. 

Just the usual fiction about an American psycho in a big

lonely city. Have seen far more violent Korean films. 

 

The only satisfying part was what the Joker does to de niro's

character in the end.

Edited October 7, 20196 yr by JHolmesJr

The film is great.

The review in the OP is garbage.

The writer appears to trying to make a name for herself by being contrarian about the movie.

The review is valuable only to tell us what's in her head rather than what the movie is about.

Edited October 7, 20196 yr by Jingthing