Posted on 08/31/2019 11:18:30 AM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
The clown prince of crime is alive and mentally unwell in Gotham City in Todd Phillips' grippingly atmospheric supervillain origin story, Joker. While a never-better Joaquin Phoenix paints on the famed maniacal smile with his own blood at one memorable climactic moment of messianic rebirth, what's most noteworthy about this gritty entry in the DC canon and the lead actor's sensational performance is the pathos he brings to a pathetically disenfranchised character — just like countless others in a metropolis in which the social chasm separating the haves from the have-nots has become a pit of incendiary rage.
The smart screenplay by Phillips and Scott Silver anchors the story in a fiercely divided city with echoes of a contemporary, morally bankrupt America, albeit in the dire economic straits of a decade ago, or the next crisis that's just around the corner, depending on which financial forecasts you believe.
(Excerpt) Read more at hollywoodreporter.com ...
Oh, and DeNiro’s in it.
He’s not getting one cent from me.
Thank you. And isn't it already a bad sign that Heath Ledger's mental state before his overdose had largely to do with playing this character? And Joaquin himself admitted to going a bit mad? Do we ALL really need this right now?
They need to make a new academy award for original content. Of course there would only be enough content every 5 years or so
“And isn’t it already a bad sign that Heath Ledger’s mental state before his overdose had largely to do with playing this character? “
I challenge your premise. I think it more likely that Ledger was already a druggy. He may have taken whatever he OD’d on to “prepare” for the role, but he likely had a problem before he got the gig.
*sigh*
Heath Ledger’s father reveals dead actor’s ‘Joker diary’ written during The Dark Knight
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001618/
He’s been a VERY busy actor. Loved him in, ‘Walk The Line’ and ‘Signs’ and ‘Gladiator.’
Unlike the other films, this movie shows how The Joker became The Joker psychologically. I always thought the explanation in the first Batman film, where the transformation occurred from him falling into a vat of chemicals, was unrealistic. I think this one is worth a look.
Yes, DeNiro will make some $$ off it, but he’s old and very rich anyway.
Sorry. Nobody will ever be able to top the nuance and depth of Cesar Romero. Though many have tried.
(Man I’m tired of this comic book crap.)
“Messianic Rebirth”:
No, thank you. I am past tired of seeing the evil rehabilitated, and the good disenfranchised, in Whollyweird propaganda.
As I recall that’s how it was done in the comic books (Joker fell into a vat of acid at a playing card factory). I thought that was a good backstory.
No, thank you. I am past tired of seeing the evil rehabilitated, and the good disenfranchised, in Whollyweird propaganda.
Agreed.
It sounds like Occupy agitprop. I’m glad I don’t care about movies.
To each his own.
Although I enjoyed the entire Nolan trilogy, I preferred The Dark Knight Rises to The Dark Knight.
I collected comics long ago. I owned many hundreds of both Detective Comics and Batman Comics (more of each than of any other DC or Marvel titles) - my oldest Detective Comics went back to 1945. In other words, I know the genre - and this title - exceedingly well.
Heath Ledger played an idiosynchratic psychopath more than he played The Joker. The best portrayal of that actual character from the canon was by Jack Nicholson.
The Joker character was introduced in Batman #1 [1940].
The vat-of-chemicals origin story was introduced in Detective #168 [1951].
Perhaps. Or he may be waiting for his moment with this movie. Which is obviously trying to give its take on the current state of our society. Good actor...but I am tired of demented states of mind propagated to the masses.
...CESAR ROMERO!!!
...CESAR ROMERO!!!
Don't bother watching the Tim Burton Batman. Even back then it was corny (though I think Batman Returns was excellent and could have easily been part of the new series).
I'm sorry, but Michael Keaton was NEVER batman. It's like casting Eddie Murphy as Bob Hope.
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