Nomadland was added to the AP best films and National Society of Film Critics 2020, and as well as beingan Oscar contender will now be available for viewers to watch starting February 19, 2021. Movie-goers can either visit the big screen available anywhere movie theaters are open, or opt for a stay-at-home watch.
PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN
Ben Browning, Ashley Fox, Emerald Fennell and Josey McNamara, Producers
Two newly released Joker images played by Jared Leto, give fans a glimpse of a very different type of villain, free of his face tattoos as compared to the Joker in the 2016 “Suicide Squad”.
The director did not initially have Joker as part of the original plan and decided to add him into his version of the DC Comics team up. The hotly anticipated release details and content reveal is now beginning to emerge, as weekly a new character seems to be featured in a missive from the director.
“The Joker is really the only thing that I thought of in retrospect,” Snyder says in an interview with VF. “But I will say that it was always my intention to bring Joker into that world.”
In all the DCEU movies, Batman and Joker have never faced off, yet definitely have history (Joker killed Robin) thus the director is ultimately teasing fans, who will have to wait until its release on March 18, 2021 on HBO Max to finally see the two come head to head.
The official full trailer as Snyder has shared in his twitter post, will be released on Valentine’s day, 2/14/2021.
Trailer hints at a major over-haul which led to the upcoming 4 x 1 hour Segments
Zack Snyder let loose a new trailer on Vero and Twitter for the upcoming “Synder-Cut” of Justice League that will be released on HBO Max in 2021. The director purposely gave fans an opportunity to experience the trailer on the exact 3 year anniversary of the theatrical release of the Justice League, originally released on Nov. 17, 2017.
The new, crazy Snyder-esque full version will run nearly 4 hours and be jammed-packed with never-before seen footage from the DC FanDome, and this time around, (surprise!), it will be in black and white. He culled the new content from previously-shot clips (of which he no doubt has a boat-load in his archive). Apparently, according to sources, in the release will be separated, and the marathon will get further cut into one hour sections, presumably, to remove the medical dangers that could arise from any binging into a four hour watch-a-thon without a break…
In an even more thrilling tidbit, for the obsessed, there will also be 4-5 minutes of brand new footage, including some featuring Jared Leto is his role as (the new) Joker. The director shared the new trailer with the hashtag: #UsUnited, as a homage to the now-famous line Batman uttered at the end of the 2017 Justice League.
An introduction for fans meant to build the buzz, in anticipation of the new longer, darker version to come
The world’s greatest super heroes, the Justice League, comprising of DC’s unprecedented team, including the likes of Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash, who are known to have fought to restore faith, and recover the humanity in humanity.
“It will be an entirely new thing, and, especially talking to those who have seen the released movie, a new experience apart from that movie.”
The God of Evil himself, Darkseid, as played by Ray Porter, is said to be notably featured within the movie, giving the “Snyder-Cut” a unique story-arc emphasizing a different and darker perspective, one that only Zack himself can produce.
Justice League stars:
Ben Affleck as Batman
Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman
Henry Cavill as Superman
Amy Adams as Lois Lane
Jason Momoa as Aquaman
Connie Nielsen as Hippolyta
Ezra Miller as The Flash
Ray Fisher as Cyborg
Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth
Diane Lane as Martha Kent
Ciarán Hinds as Steppenwolf
Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor
J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon
Jared Leto as Joker
Ray Porter as Darkseid
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ScarJo and Joker cast shadows over the hope for new faces
On the morning after a Critics Choice Movie Awards ceremony that heavily paralleled the Golden Globes—“Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood” won best picture, Joaquin Phoenix won best actor, Renèe Zellweger best actress, Brad Pitt best supporting actor, Laura Dern best supporting actress, etc., the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences released their nominations for the 92nd Oscars, the pinnacle of the awards season that will take place in early February as per tradition at the famed Dolby Theater on Hollywood Boulevard.
Renée Zellweger as “Judy”
The Oscar Nominations for 2020 offer the usual suspects in most categories. Like the Critics Choice Awards’ Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Golden Globes’ Foreign Hollywood Press, the Academy is big on yesteryear’s work from Tarantino, Mendez, and Scorsese. Likewise, they favor performances from Phoenix, Pitt, and Zellweger.
That being said, there are still a few head turners on this year’s nomination list, from the names included, to the names left out, to the handful of names that dominated.
First off, it should really be no surprise at this point in the awards season that Netflix got a lot of love for its 2019 filmography.
The Academy nominated both Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman” and Noah Baumbach’s “Marriage Story” for best picture and Fernando Meirelles’ “The Two Popes” appeared in several categories as well.
This bodes well for the streaming service that clearly spent the year trying to produce and promote prestigious original content.
If one film dominated the list, however, it was Todd Phillips’ “Joker,” which garnered eleven nominations including best picture, best director, and best actor.
This is significant as not every year does a movie based on a comic book character lead the race, especially not when that comic book character is a controversy-inducing villain brought to the screen by the director of “The Hangover.”
Nevertheless, “Joker” stood out amongst the competition. In terms of noms, the film was narrowly followed by “The Irishman,” “Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood,” and “1917,” all fellow best picture contenders that received ten nominations each.
Moreover, while there weren’t really any surprises on the best actor or best actress fronts, Scarlett Johansson managed to snag both best actress and best supporting actress nominations for her respective roles in “Marriage Story” and “Jojo Rabbit.”
Snubs and Overlooked Talent that was Coincidentally Diverse Abounded
Adam Sandler went unsung for his groundbreaking performance in “Uncut Gems,” and critic favorites Awkwafina from “The Farewell” and Jennifer Lopez from “Hustlers” were similarly snubbed, not receiving any accolades from the Academy despite earning praise elsewhere.
This brings us to the biggest elephant in the room, which has been a persistent topic for the past few Academy Awards—how diverse are this year’s nominees?
The noticeably whitewashed 2016 Oscars sparked this long overdue conversation about diversity in the Awards. Since then, the Academy has been seemingly more inclusive, nominating and honoring racially-charged films like “Moonlight,” “Get Out,” “BlackKklansman,” and, “Black Panther”, feminist features like “Lady Bird” and “Roma,” and queer narratives like “Call Me By Your Name” and “The Favourite.”
This year, however, despite all of the progress over the past couple of several telecasts, the Academy seems to have relapsed into yet another celebration of a white male dominated Hollywood. The only big 2020 nominees that deviate from this norm are Greta Gerwig’s female-centric “Little Women” and Bong Joon-ho’s Korean “Parasite.”
Both of these films were nominated for best picture and Bong Joon-ho was nominated for best director.
The rest of the nominations in these categories are filled with the work of white men. Characteristically, the films are overwhelmingly white as well—from the Western European World War I narrative in “1917,” to the Nazi-Germany satire in “Jojo Rabbit” to a movie literally titled “The Irishman,” there is not a whole lot of diversity going on.
Likewise, many of these movies also sideline female characters to subordinate roles such as wives, mothers, and girlfriends to the male leads.
While these skewed nominations may be mere products of their not being as many women or minority filmmakers in the industry, that very underrepresentation is a testimony to Hollywood’s systemic gender and racial inequality both in front of and behind the camera.
Thus, when the red carpet rolls out on February 9th, we can expect to see a lot of talent on it, but probably not as much color as we’d prefer.
Following the success of last year’s hostless ceremony, the Academy also recently announced that the event will again not have a host. Hence, there will be no central figure on stage to comically quell (or egregiously highlight) the Academy’s systematic issues regarding representation.
Still, if the Golden Globes were any indicator, we will probably still hear a lot of social commentary through the acceptance speeches.
In total, the Academy has taken a big step back this year, not showing the level of diversity that the public might desire or expect.
However, the Academy Awards are only the opinions of a handful of aged industry professionals. Just because they don’t recognize certain talent does not mean that there won’t be eventual recognition, at the latest once the demographics change in the voting block (cold comfort till then).
Academy Awards, Oscars, Joker, Scarlett Johansson, Whitewashed Hollywood, Netflix, Bong Joon-ho, Todd Phillips, Awkwafina, Jennifer Lopez, Movie,
Oscar buzz and predictions are building ahead of the Golden Globes, which are traditionally used as a gauge of what will most likely be among the Oscar nominations. The Globes are slated for January 6th, 2020 and the Oscar’s, a.k.a. 91st Academy Awards telecast is on Sunday, 24 February.
Some of the films that are getting the most buzz and are favored to be in the running can be seen by peeking at the trailers (with links to our in depth articles) below:
New Zealand director Taika Waltiti’s movie “Jojo Rabbit” was released October 18th. The critic’s reactions have been positive, and the film won the Toronto Film Festival audience award putting it in line, if past years winners are any indication, for a possible Oscar nod. Waititi was also awarded the Festival’s new Ebert Director Award.
Waltiti is known for directing wacky comedies such as “What We Do In The Shadows,” “Hunt For The Wilderpeople,” and the borderline parody Marvel hit, “Thor: Ragnarok.” His latest film, “Jojo Rabbit” follows this same vein of outrageous, yet charming humor, but there is one key difference… “Jojo Rabbit” focuses on Germany’s Nazi party during World War II, making its hilarity just a touch more complicated.
More specifically, “Jojo Rabbit” is about a young boy in the Hitler Youth. Like many German kids of the time, he aspires to be a Nazi soldier when he grows up. He buys into the party’s ideologies and believes their propaganda. That is until he comes face to face with a Jewish girl and learns, despite what the Nazis have taught him, that she is harmless, pleasant, and appealing.
On the surface, the premise seems like the bones of a complex and sophisticated historical drama. With Waltiti behind the camera, though, such is obviously not the case. Instead of dry historical accuracy, Waltiti makes the Hitler Youth look like a summer camp filled with likable children and goofy leaders. Most boldly perhaps, Waltiti himself plays Adolf Hitler in the movie, but rather than depict him as the brutal dictator that he was, Waltiti makes him out to be the kind-uncle archetype, a socially inept, hilarious motivator and idol for the children in the story.
Quentin Tarantino has had success with his ninth movie, “Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood”. In a slight departure from his stark early 70s styled crime dramas, this time Tarantino pays homage to the late- 60’s genre and his love for his hometown, Los Angeles.
The film takes place in 1969 Hollywood, amidst the chaotic events of that year, including the infamous Manson Murders. Much like The Altamont Free Concert, as chronicled in the film Gimme Shelter (with it’s high profile murder during the show), the gruesome, violent Manson murders are often cited as an historical moment marking the end of the free love 60’s and a pivot towards the darker times in the me decade of the 70’s.
The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Rick Dalton, as an actor on a Western television series alongside Brad Pitt as Cliff Booth, Dalton’s stuntman. The two work and live closely together as they carry out their urban cinematic adventures. The characters and their friendship are said to be based on 70’s icon Burt Reynolds and his stuntman Hal Needham.
Even before seeing “Joker” the origin-story from Warner Brothers, there is a sense that this is an epic not easily categorized within the Comic-Book movie genre.
Starring Joaquin Phoenix (Oscar nominee for “Walk the Line”, “The Master” and “Gladiator”), directed and co-written by Todd Phillips (“Borat” and “The Hangover Trilogy”) and with Robert De Niro (as TV host Murray Franklin), the focus on how Arthur Fleck becomes “Joker” screams a muted, uneasy tension, that’s oozing from every pixel revealed so far.
In “Joker”, Batman’s Gotham City is a cesspool of dirt and depravity where Arthur appears doomed to live and die encircled with nothing but depression and humiliation. Mentally Ill and mercilessly tortured by the “sane” members of society all around him, he finds some respite in his chosen career of clown-for-hire and hopeful comedian wannabe by night.
The potential for the story to transcend the genre of Comic book heroes and villains is hinted at in the placard with the words “we are all clowns” scrawled on it, that can be seen in a flash, about halfway through the new trailer (above).
Followed by scenes showing mobs of clown-mask-wearing demonstrators / rioters (shades of anonymous, Guy Fawkes, Antifa and Hong Kong), there’s an implication that an anti-social movement is growing up around, and identifying with, the anger and twisted humor of the emerging “Joker” super-villain character.
The real life parallels to the fictional world of Gotham City and the way many could relate, after having suffered similar fates to those that produced the madness into which Arthur descends, are scary, already in previews, and could portend a film that is not only horrifically entertaining, but thought provoking, when seen in the shadows of current events and today’s zeitgeist.
In the wake of so many “uplifting” but heavily computer assisted films where Comic book superheroes battle cartoon villains (and each other) the emphasis on live action grit and human emotions and failings is, at first look, refreshing and terrifying (in an interesting way), and that seems to have hit a nerve with the general public, judging from the $1 billion plus bos office take so far.
From “Logan” and “Walk The Line” director James Mangold, “Ford v Ferrari” follows the true story of American engineer Carroll Shelby who is solicited by Henry Ford II to build a car that can beat Ferrari at the 1966 Le Mans World Championship in France. Shelby, determined to complete Ford’s ambitious task, insists on putting the wild and loose British driver Ken Miles behind the wheel. What ensues is the fast-playing tale of a couple eccentric and erratic people infiltrating a world filled with professional industrialists to take on the impossible.
Matt Damon plays Shelby in the film and Christian Bale as Miles. Rather than one being the lead and the other being a supporting role, both actors are co-leading the film, making them both eligible for Best Actor in a Leading Role nominations at the Oscars come February.
Amidst Family-Friendly ‘Billionaire’ Movies, ‘Joker’ is the Only R-Rated Feature to Break the Mold
“Joker” came out nearly two months ago on October 4th. Upon release, it earned an immediate $93.5 million, giving it the highest-grossing October opening weekend ever. Recently, however, “Joker” broke yet another record, this time solidifying it as a financial success and a milestone movie.
Earlier this week, “Joker” became the first R-rated movie to earn more than $1 billion at the box office, edging out “Deadpool” as the most lucrative R-Rated film of all time.
Only a handful of movies have managed to break the $1 billion threshold. This year, “Joker” joins the likes of “Avengers: Endgame,” “Toy Story 4,” and “The Lion King” as a film that managed to earn ten figures. It is also Warner Brothers’ biggest success since “Aquaman,” which came out in December 2018 and grossed $1.2 billion.
Almost every movie to make over a $1 billion has been a family-friendly action-comedy blockbuster, nestled somewhere between a PG and PG-13 rating. This usually allows for a wider range of people to buy tickets. “Joker,” however, stands out as an R-rated sinister drama that made an artistic debut at the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals. The movie even received some backlash for its ultra-violent themes and its humanization of the criminally insane.
Public Obsession with ‘Joker’ Brings Alarm as Many Fear it could Spawn Copy Cats
Of course, the movie is about Batman’s arch nemesis and is technically under the DC Entertainment label. Thus, it was bound to find success from the beginning. Nevertheless, given “Joker’s” mature nature and radical subject matter, it remains quite impressive that the film is doing as well as it is.
Like most big-budget films nowadays, the majority of “Joker’s” success came from foreign ticket sales. The movie has earned $694 million abroad compared to $322.6 million domestic. However, Warner Brothers also managed to make this hefty figure without releasing the film in China, which is the second largest movie market in the world.
Some may find it disturbing that a movie focusing on the antagonist is drawing so much attention. Many fear that audiences will empathize with the Joker too much and perhaps try to follow in his deranged and violent footsteps.
Despite Criticism, Filmmakers Defend Artistry as a Potential Oscar Buzz surrounds the ‘Clown Prince’
Director Todd Phillips and lead actor Joaquin Phoenix (who plays the titular character) have heard these criticisms loud and clear, but they still defend their work. Essentially, they take the stance that filmmakers have artistic freedom to tell the stories they want to tell, no matter how unsavory the characters or how risky the themes. They contend that filmmakers (like any artists) do not have an obligation to teach viewers morality—it is up to the individual to interpret the story ethically and make the right choices.
Regardless, the criticism is not stopping people from seeing the movie. Evidently, millions of people from all around the world are flocking to theaters for “Joker.” Meanwhile, it is also getting positive reviews and potential Oscar buzz, especially regarding Joaquin Phoenix transformative performance as the Clown Prince of Darkness.
“Joker” as a whole is a divisive and morally ambiguous picture. The movie was a risk on Warner Brothers’ part and its ultimate legacy is yet to be determined. At the very least, though, Warner Bros knows that the risk paid off financially, and that they are cashing a big check for their fast and loose quasi-Batman anti-hero project.
In “Joker”, Batman’s Gotham City is a cesspool of dirt and depravity where Arthur appears doomed to live and die encircled with nothing but depression and humiliation. Mentally Ill and mercilessly tortured by the “sane” members of society all around him, he finds some respite in his chosen career of clown-for-hire and hopeful comedian wannabe by night.
“Zombieland: Double Tap” is a follow-up to the 2009 zombie-horror-comedy “Zombieland.” It has been ten years since the first movie hit theaters and surprised audiences with its humor and fresh take on the genre. Fortunately, despite how long it has taken to produce a sequel, the aforementioned original cast and director are back in their rightful places for the new film.
“IT: Chapter 2” is the sequel to Warner Brother’s 2017 blockbuster hit, “IT”, and it was the most anticipated horror movie of the year. Splitting the extensive story into two chronological films will likely be a more enthralling and digestible way to appreciate It, even if it does deviate from King’s literary form. Therefore, what makes this film an anomaly in the world of direct sequels, is that it takes place twenty-seven years after the events of the first film.
Set in the 1890s, this upcoming black-and-white horror movie follows the story of two lighthouse keepers as they battle cabin fever, intoxication, madness, mystery, and mayhem on a secluded New England island.
“The Addams Family” is based off of Charles Addams’ famous 1960s live-action TV series of the same name. Just like the series, it focuses on the title family, which is made up of ghoulish versions of American nuclear family archetypes.
“Sleeping Beauty” is certainly a timeless tale, and thus Maleficent is an everlasting villain. However, there is one recent performance of the antagonist that stands above the rest. And that is Angelina Jolie’s.
“Mary” is not the pleasant melodrama that we might have been expecting or even hoping for. Instead it is yet another horror movie, and while the ship setting looks somewhat original, the possessed little girl trope and the cursed old relic convention cannot help but render the film a little clichéd.
New Trailer is a hit on YouTube and Twitter: Fans are Talking Oscars…
Joaquin Phoenix's performance in #JokerMovie is nothing short of Oscar-worthy. He fully commits to the role mentally and physically. Todd Phillips delivered a game-changing comic book film, and I cannot wait to see it again. #Jokerpic.twitter.com/cnrL9bsdR2
First, there was a Standing Ovation that clocked-in, reportedly, at over eight minutes. Now, tweets and reviews are gushing out with nothing but raves for the film, it’s director and star. It appears that the promise that could clearly be seen in the two trailers released so far (see above and below) has carried over, with a big bang, into the reaction to the full length film.
As one surveys the two trailers, so far released for the upcoming “Joker” origin-story from Warner Brothers, there is a sense that this is an epic not easily categorized within the Comic-Book movie genre.
Starring Joaquin Phoenix (Oscar nominee for “Walk the Line”, “The Master” and “Gladiator”), directed and co-written by Todd Phillips (“Borat” and “The Hangover Trilogy”) and with Robert De Niro (as TV host Murray Franklin), the focus on how Arthur Fleck becomes “Joker” screams a muted, uneasy tension, that’s oozing from every pixel revealed so far.
In “Joker”, Batman’s Gotham City is a cesspool of dirt and depravity where Arthur appears doomed to live and die encircled with nothing but depression and humiliation. Mentally Ill and mercilessly tortured by the “sane” members of society all around him, he finds some respite in his chosen career of clown-for-hire and hopeful comedian wannabe by night.
We are all Clowns, Echoes of Antifa and Guy Fawkes
The potential for the story to transcend the genre of Comic book heroes and villains is hinted at in the placard with the words “we are all clowns” scrawled on it, that can be seen in a flash, about halfway through the new trailer (above).
Followed by scenes showing mobs of clown-mask-wearing demonstrators / rioters (shades of anonymous, Guy Fawkes, Antifa and Hong Kong), there’s an implication that an anti-social movement is growing up around, and identifying with, the anger and twisted humor of the emerging “Joker” super-villain character.
Joker (2019)Reviews:
IGN: 10/10 Variety: 5/5 Hollywood Reporter (THR): 4.5/5 Empire Magazine: 10/10 Total Film Magazine: 10/10 Collider: 9/10 Forbes: 10/10 L.A Times: 4/5 Guardian: 5/5 Daily Telegraph (UK): 5/5#Joker#JokerMoviepic.twitter.com/YqWn2H1o4Z
The real life parallels in the fictional world of Gotham City and the way many could relate, after having suffered similar fates to those that produced the madness into which Arthur descends, are scary, already in previews, and could portend a film that is, not only horrifically entertaining, but thought provoking when seen in the shadows of current events and today’s zeitgeist.
In the wake of so many “uplifting” but heavily computer assisted films where Comic book superheroes battle cartoon villains (and each other) the emphasis on live action grit and human emotions and failings is, at first look, refreshing and terrifying (in an interesting way), an that seems to have hit a nerve with the general public, well before the first public screening of the film.
Once the reviews flood out this weekend, after the Venice Film Festival World Premiere, the question of, to what degree the full length feature will live up to the promise encapsulated in these first two trailers, will have at least a provisional answer.
There will be before Joker. And there will be after Joker. I don't know if the world is ready for this movie. Or maybe it is? It is GNARLY. It is crazy. It is audacious. It doesn't hold back. Wow. I can't believe it exists. But it does. And it's coming.
In the meantime we can just watch and re-watch these tender tidbits and prepare for October 4, 2019, when the film will see wide release across the USA.
New Trailer is a hit on YouTube and Fans are Talking Oscars…
First, there was a Standing Ovation that clocked-in, reportedly, at over eight minutes. Now, critics at the Venice Film Festival, where the world premiere took place last night, have had nothing but raves for the film, it’s director and star. It appears that the promise that could clearly be seen in the two trailers released so far (see above and below) has carried over, with a big bang, into the reaction to the full length film.
As one surveys the two trailers, so far released for the upcoming “Joker” origin-story from Warner Brothers, there is a sense that this is an epic not easily categorized within the Comic-Book movie genre.
Starring Joaquin Phoenix (Oscar nominee for “Walk the Line”, “The Master” and “Gladiator”), directed and co-written by Todd Phillips (“Borat” and “The Hangover Trilogy”) and with Robert De Niro (as TV host Murray Franklin), the focus on how Arthur Fleck becomes “Joker” screams a muted, uneasy tension, that’s oozing from every pixel revealed so far.
In “Joker”, Batman’s Gotham City is a cesspool of dirt and depravity where Arthur appears doomed to live and die encircled with nothing but depression and humiliation. Mentally Ill and mercilessly tortured by the “sane” members of society all around him, he finds some respite in his chosen career of clown-for-hire and hopeful comedian wannabe by night.
We are all Clowns, Echoes of Antifa and Guy Fawkes
The potential for the story to transcend the genre of Comic book heroes and villains is hinted at in the placard with the words “we are all clowns” scrawled on it, that can be seen in a flash, about halfway through the new trailer (above).
Followed by scenes showing mobs of clown-mask-wearing demonstrators / rioters (shades of anonymous, Guy Fawkes, Antifa and Hong Kong), there’s an implication that an anti-social movement is growing up around, and identifying with, the anger and twisted humor of the emerging “Joker” super-villain character.
The real life parallels in the fictional world of Gotham City and the way many could relate, after having suffered similar fates to those that produced the madness into which Arthur descends, are scary, already in previews, and could portend a film that is, not only horrifically entertaining, but thought provoking when seen in the shadows of current events and today’s zeitgeist.
In the wake of so many “uplifting” but heavily computer assisted films where Comic book superheroes battle cartoon villains (and each other) the emphasis on live action grit and human emotions and failings is, at first look, refreshing and terrifying (in an interesting way), an that seems to have hit a nerve with the general public, well before the first public screening of the film.
Once the reviews flood out this weekend, after the Venice Film Festival World Premiere, the question of, to what degree the full length feature will live up to the promise encapsulated in these first two trailers, will have at least a provisional answer.
In the meantime we can just watch and re-watch these tender tidbits and prepare for October 4, 2019, when the film will see wide release across the USA.
New Trailer is a hit on YouTube and Fans are Talking Oscars…
As one surveys the two trailers so far released for the upcoming “Joker” origin story from Warner Brothers, there is a sense that this is an epic not easily categorized within the Comic-Book movie genre. Starring Joaquin Phoenix (Oscar nominee for “Walk the Line”, “The Master” and “Gladiator”) and directed and co-written by Todd Phillips (“Borat” and “The Hangover Trilogy”) with Robert De Niro, the focus on how Arthur Fleck becomes “Joker” screams a muted, uneasy tension, that’s oozing from every pixel revealed so far.
In “Joker”, Batman’s Gotham City is a cesspool of dirt and depravity where Arthur appears doomed to live and die encircled with nothing but depression and humiliation. Mentally Ill and mercilessly tortured by the “sane” members of society all around him, he finds some respite in his chosen career of clown-for-hire and hopeful comedian wannabe by night.
We are all Clowns, Echoes of Antifa and Guy Fawkes
The potential for the story to transcend the genre of Comic book heroes and villains is hinted at in the placard with the words “we are all clowns” scrawled on it, that can be seen in a flash, about halfway through the new trailer (above).
Followed by scenes showing mobs of clown-mask-wearing demonstrators / rioters (shades of anonymous, Guy Fawkes, Antifa and Hong Kong), there’s an implication that an anti-social movement is growing up around, and identifying with, the anger and twisted humor of the emerging “Joker” super-villain character.
The real life parallels in the fictional world of Gotham City and the way many could relate, after having suffered similar fates to those that produced the madness into which Arthur descends, are scary, already in previews, and could portend a film that is, not only horrifically entertaining, but thought provoking when seen in the shadows of current events and today’s zeitgeist.
In the wake of so many “uplifting” but heavily computer assisted films where Comic book superheroes battle cartoon villains (and each other) the emphasis on live action grit and human emotions and failings is, at first look, refreshing and terrifying (in an interesting way), an that seems to have hit a nerve with the general public, well before the first public screening of the film.
Once the reviews flood out this weekend, after the Venice Film Festival World Premiere, the question of, to what degree the full length feature will live up to the promise encapsulated in these first two trailers, will have at least a provisional answer.
In the meantime we can just watch and re-watch these tender tidbits and prepare for October 4, 2019, when the film will see wide release across the USA.
