What does Era think of Joker (2019)?
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It's okay. Very derivative of all the movies it was "inspired" by without really having much of its own take on them. The cinematography was fantastic and Joaquin's performance was great, but it's pretty hollow as a movie.
Cool that it exists, though. I'm happy WB are taking risks with their properties.
Cool that it exists, though. I'm happy WB are taking risks with their properties.
Decent. They wanted some form of realism but tackling mental health issues is going to be hard when the main character is the Joker.
I'm so tired of Batman stuff showing up everywhere so I haven't seen it, even though I'm a fan of Phoenix's acting usually.
I think people tend to overuse pretentious when it comes to films but you are right, it absolutely is.
Nah, Phoenix was good but Ledger disappeared into his character. The thing with Phoenix's take on Joker is that he emulates his character from The Master a lot. Mainly in the sociopathic explosive behavior. He's a pathetic, angry, mentally ill man indoctrinated into a dangerous belief system.
I just saw Phoenix rehashing an old character at times. Still an excellent performance, just felt too samey.
I liked it.
The lead up for it will always be funny to me. Especially on here with the extreme hot takes.
The lead up for it will always be funny to me. Especially on here with the extreme hot takes.
I will say the leaked off camera video of the climax was much more disturbing than the actual film.
Yeah. It was weird to see folks vilify a movie in a similar way to how people used to demonize video games a couple decades back. I lost a lot of respect for critics who acted like releasing Joker was some sort of violent act.
My letterboxd history says I gave it two stars and that sounds about right from what I remember. Movie was pretty poorly written, and I didn't really care about the character or saw any reason to sympathize with him during the course of the film.
There are other movies in this vein that do a much better job with their characters and story, and the only thing that made this film noteworthy is Joaquin Phoenix's performance, which elevates the eye roll worthy script to something that feels special.
I can see people liking it if they haven't seen a ton of films in this genre before. But like, go see Goodfellas or King of Comedy too.
There are other movies in this vein that do a much better job with their characters and story, and the only thing that made this film noteworthy is Joaquin Phoenix's performance, which elevates the eye roll worthy script to something that feels special.
I can see people liking it if they haven't seen a ton of films in this genre before. But like, go see Goodfellas or King of Comedy too.
It's fine with aspects of it bordering on good. It's extremely derivative of the classics that inspired it and I think it would have been a wash were it not for Phoenix's terrific performance. Even still, he channels a lot of the same mannerisms and energy from his character in The Master so for me it wasn't as fresh as Ledger's take. It's pointless comparing them though, they're both different performances suited for their different tales on the character.
Great cast, solid performances, overall technically sound, but the plot is just a meandering mess.
All of the fear-mongering is really funny in retrospect because ultimately the movie has nothing to actually say. It gestures at saying several different things but it never actually makes a point about anything - arguably the only point it makes is that there is not point and that not having a point is the only honest point, though I'm most likely projecting my own impressions at least somewhat. It's surreal, I've never watched a film that I wanted to see and left with no reaction to it whatsoever.
All of the fear-mongering is really funny in retrospect because ultimately the movie has nothing to actually say. It gestures at saying several different things but it never actually makes a point about anything - arguably the only point it makes is that there is not point and that not having a point is the only honest point, though I'm most likely projecting my own impressions at least somewhat. It's surreal, I've never watched a film that I wanted to see and left with no reaction to it whatsoever.
Meh. If the movie wasn't named Joker (and it didn't need to be), I don't think anyone would have cared about it and nothing would have started the whole violence hype thing before it was released.
I just hope it got more people to watch the superior You Were Never Really Here. Or the Scorsese films that it's paying a homage to.
For how not well thought out the politics are, is the tone-deaf needle drop of a pedophile's song.
For how not well thought out the politics are, is the tone-deaf needle drop of a pedophile's song.
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I thought it was good. Joaquin Phoenix's acting was great.
To me, it seemed like a strange combination of a film that was trying to be both entertaining and kind of pulpy but also "artsy" and serious at the same time. This didn't always work, but it overall I thought it succeeded.
To me, it seemed like a strange combination of a film that was trying to be both entertaining and kind of pulpy but also "artsy" and serious at the same time. This didn't always work, but it overall I thought it succeeded.
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A good film, nothing more, nothing less. A facsimile of much better and more original Scorcese films, however. The second best Taxi Driver-inspired film starring Phoenix after You Were Never Really Here.
All of the concern that it would cause an incel crime spree was hilariously pathetic.
All of the concern that it would cause an incel crime spree was hilariously pathetic.
Suuuuuuuuper nihilistic in the very real way.
I thought it was bold and interesting when I first saw it at the time.
But any amount of reflection I put into it since makes me embarrassed. The movie definitely thought it had something to say. I don't actually think it does.
3/5
Pretty though.
I thought it was bold and interesting when I first saw it at the time.
But any amount of reflection I put into it since makes me embarrassed. The movie definitely thought it had something to say. I don't actually think it does.
3/5
Pretty though.
I though it was a silly movie that took itself waaaaaaaay too seriously and was pretty damn boring to boot, but we got some good memes out of it.
Also the whole controversary about it was so unwarranted by what was on screen that I'm gonna becomethe joker a "they made the whole thing up for marketing reasons" truther.
Also the whole controversary about it was so unwarranted by what was on screen that I'm gonna become
I liked it well enough but my general view if the film has been negatively shaped by the "Omg such a deep movie"-cultural discourse around the release from (probably younger) people who mostly watch cookie-cutter mainstream blockbusters.
Yes, I'm this much of an elitist asshole lmao
Yes, I'm this much of an elitist asshole lmao
All flash no substance. I was surprised when Tarantino said it did a good job of putting the viewer in the mind of a serial killer or something along those lines. There's to a single scene in that movie that made me think "Yeah, I want to see the Joker kill these people." The reveal with Zazie Beetz's character was incredibly weak.
5/5 what a ride that movie was. But moreso the absolute paranoia this movie generated from people thinking there'd be some incel uprising or shooting, etc. Some embarrassing hot takes from here especially. I found it to be a once or twice in a lifetime watch and then never re-watch it again. Simply because I remember the movie vividly from start to finish, so I have no desire to ever re-watch it again.
Good film, great acting, but the movie hit a nerve with a lot of people. That raw nerve is what most people will remember about the movie 20 years later.
Sometimes I think people say stuff just to get a whiff of their own asshole.
Sometimes I think people say stuff just to get a whiff of their own asshole.
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Very mediocre and Phoenix carried the entire thing. I feel like if I hadn't seen King of Comedy before it would have been a little better experience for me. Felt like it copied that movie way too much and forced Batman/Joker things into that movie like meeting a young Bruce.
Probably my favorite movie of 2019.
Phoenix obviously carries it. Just a brilliant performance.
And, yeah, there's a lot of King of Comedy / Taxi Driver in there, but I think it has enough of its own voice to stand besides them (again, thanks to Phoenix).
Yeah, I agree.
Phoenix obviously carries it. Just a brilliant performance.
And, yeah, there's a lot of King of Comedy / Taxi Driver in there, but I think it has enough of its own voice to stand besides them (again, thanks to Phoenix).
Yeah, I agree.
Was weak. Phoenix acting was the only decent aspect, but the script gave him nothing to work with and had no idea what it wanted him or the movie to be
Great performance in a movie that did very little for me. The entire Zazie Beetz plotline felt...bad.
