Joker

Gerade für diese düstere Dimension und schicksalhafte Tiefe mag ich allgemein die DC-Figuren mehr als die bunten von Marvell. Der Joker von Phillips ist ein Drama mit Stil, welches psychologisch gut geleitet und von Phoenix ausgezeichnet gespielt wird. Es erklärt die Entstehung einer wichtigen Comicfigur aus der Batman-Welt. Die Ursachen ihrer sich vertiefenden Ängste, die zu einem völligen Verzicht auf einen Glauben an das Gute führen. Es wird das logische Finden einer Selbstverwirklichung in einem revolutionären Kampf der Unzufriedenen gegen die höhere Gesellschaft gezeigt. Der Film ist eine echte Popkultur-Version von Scorseses Taxi Driver. Zusätzlich hat er eine ausgezeichnete Verbindung mit der Geburt von Batman – sowie im Drehbuch als auch mit der Laune, die batmanmäßig düster ist. Einen fünften Stern gebe ich nicht, weil mich der Höhepunkt des Films nicht überraschte und auch nicht gerade begeisterte – ich habe ihn vorausgesetzt und gehofft, dass es nicht "das Größte“ ist, was der Film am Ende bieten kann. (02.10.2019)

The comic book backdrop is just a lame crutch (thank goodness), this is a totally realistic, wholesome drama about one unfortunate guy's mental breakdown, a kind of Taxi Driver for the 21st century. And believe me, reading here how fantastic Joaquin Phoenix was and then seeing it in a movie with my own eyes is a whole other level. The last time I saw such total immersion in a role was Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood 12 years ago. Every slightest body movement, every wrinkle, the play of his eyes and that over-the-top laugh, it was a great school of acting and just confirms to me why Joaquin, this great, passionate animal rights activist, this noncomforting, unclassifiable shy creature, has been my favorite actor for over a decade. His 'method acting' (of which Daniel Day-Lewis was a devotee), which involves taking on the behaviour and mindset of your character and immersing yourself in it throughout the production of the film, is probably unmatched by any other actor today. (05.10.2019)

An excellent film argument for Barnevernet. (02.10.2019)

A return to The Dark Knight in full glory. I haven't seen such a brutally depressing film in a really long time. Gotham is a city where no one would want to live, with the possible exception ofsome extras someone would pay to do so. At the same time, however, it is perfectly emulating what is probably supposed to be the1970s and is based on the equally beautifully gloomy New York. It’s giving off an incredibly powerful old-school feel, which is why, together with the practically perfect performance of Joaquin Phoenix and no less great music, it creates an absolutely epic atmosphere that has not been seen in similar films for a really long time. I like the way the character Joker is portrayed so that he is neither good nor bad. He has his issues and bad traits but also positive traits and an effort to create a better world… until he loses his marbles. Joaquin Phoenix was given free rein here, and this time I liked his performance immensely. It’s true that he plays one weirdo after another, but Joker is a phenomenon who has both a light and a dark side. So even though I wasn’t exactly rooting for him the entire film, my eyes were glued to the screen in every scene. Some scenes expressing human madness, evil or anarchy belong among the best I’ve ever seen. I won’t hesitate to say that it’s the highest level of filmmaking craft and an experience I will be processing for a long time. Who are we as people? Hasn’t Joker been born out of all the grief and evil we keep inside and try to not let it out so we don’t go crazy? (16.10.2019)

The autumn of film disappointments continues for me, unfortunately. If I were to take Joker as a comic book movie or even a DC movie, I would have to consider it exceptional. However, if I want to approach it as a more ambitious drama that takes the themes of madness, inability to fit into society, and human cruelty seriously, it's not so good already. Joaquin Phoenix is excellent in the lead role, especially in scenes where he can, shall we say, exhibit; when he's alone on the screen and he's just going nuts. But once he's supposed to be part of a larger story and plot, it turns out the film doesn't really have much to offer. All the twists and surprises are pretty banal and the whole descent into madness is actually terribly predictable. Joker looks great, has great music and a perfect lead actor, yet remains too ordinary and not very interesting at its core, as it just copies similar films and relies on similar techniques. Not to mention the fact that the Joker as a character is much more interesting to me as a nutter whose madness and the roots thereof cannot be defined. I find Alfred's "Some men just want to watch the world burn" from The Dark Knight more interesting as a probe into the mind of the Joker than this entire film. (28.09.2019)

Yes, it's basically trivial and in surprisingly many ways less sophisticated than it looks (apart from idea with laughter and the final “relativization"). Yes, its quoting/following of Scorsese’s examples in the form of Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy is too obvious and consistent to be considered a plus. It's not surprising in terms of its course or outcome. At the same time, however, it is undeniable that what Sher can do with the camera, Guðnadóttir with the droning (non-)music and especially Arthur Fle ... Um, Joke ... Um, Phoenix, together make a film that is disturbing, gets under your skin and won´t fade away when movie is over. Even without an apologetic excuse “in the context of a comic-book movie". Which means a lot. (04.10.2019)

Todd Phillips is a director who has made a name for himself with comedies (The Hangover, Road Trip, War Dogs), Joker was his first challenge and he succeeded brilliantly, though I can't do without minor criticisms. DC has its first non-mainstream movie. Joker is first and foremost a dense psychological drama about the transformation of a man into an absolute lunatic who goes on a crime spree, and it's a bit of a shame that we'll have to wait for the sequel to see a proper Joker's rampage. Joaquin Phoenix is utterly disarming and stomps his way to an Oscar, more or less the film stands solely on his perfect performance. The atmosphere of Gotham is also great, but the city and the crime there don’t get as much attention as I would have liked. There's hardly any action and only one person gets killed in a downright brutal way (I expected a grittier and more brutal film in that respect). The finale is quite shocking, but also short. I wouldn't have minded more build-up. So all in all, a solid film that's worth seeing in the theater, but due to the slower pace, I'm not too keen on a second viewing. 80% (10.10.2019)

I did not welcome this origin story with any enthusiasm when I first heard about it, because the fog of mystery surrounding The Joker has always fascinated me, a fog none of the theories about his origin can ever fully penetrate. That's why Todd Phillips's dream project is acceptable just the way it was originally intended: as a standalone story separate from conceivable sequels or spin-offs, a direction that the film itself denies by circling around Bruce Wayne. It is not the approach of delving so deeply into the antagonist's skin that I consider that groundbreaking, to the extent that it is impossible to sympathize with him at least to any significant degree in the specific episodes or timeframes, but instead it is Joaquin Phoenix's immersion in the character á la the Confessions of a Clown. It is extremely difficult to take your eyes off him, despite intentional physical discomforts (emaciation, laughter), which makes this an almost masochistic spectacle. (10.10.2019)

Joker gave me goosebumps sometime in the first few minutes, and then repeated the phenomenon a few more times for me. It's possible that it was just a well-written character that any good actor would have excelled at portraying, but for me, something this well-acted is a minor miracle. Joaquin Phoenix blew me away with his performance and I don't think I'll ever forget his pained smile and laugh, it was etched deeply under my skin. 5 stars, one of the best of the past year. I can see myself rewatching it again very soon. (19.02.2020)

As a part of DC good, very good actually. As a human transition drama, rather average. The movie failed to excite me. I felt like I was always waiting for something while watching it, and in the end I didn't get it. It felt like there was something more to come, a climax, because for me the movie just didn't have a climax. What was the point of the movie? The transformation into the Joker? The situation in the city that helped in the transformation? Did it really help? The film just feels incomplete to me. Sure, Joaquin was good, he lost weight nicely for it, he did a great dance when he was alone on set and drinking it in, so it was fine. Once someone else was there, it almost felt like he was blending into the background. To me, a perfectly ordinary film that didn't really bring anything new to the table except that it wanted to show us how the Joker was born, but is that really necessary with this character? Do we need to "understand" him? (04.10.2019)

Todd Phillips is the man (who would have guessed). He masterfully works with the viewer's sympathy for the title character. Joker is almost unpleasant to watch in places. I’m surprised it’s so popular. The duplicity of the movie trips it up slightly. It’s too comic-bookish for a social drama and too indie for a comic-book adaptation, but maybe I’m just old-fashioned and this is the right way to reach today’s audience. And part of the message is just that. Popularization of serious topics for the masses in practice. Phoenix’s performance is incredible, as he literally embodies his role. The vast majority of the movie’s unpleasantness stems from his acting performance. The supporting characters (King of Comedy) only underpin his brilliance. The somber music interspersed with regular happy songs add to the picturesque image of a city in decay. I’m sorry that it didn’t end with the jig on the car; the epilogue is a little redundant. And now a question for you: did you pity him, did you despise him, or did you want to go and join him? (03.10.2019)

Es gibt wirklich keinen Grund, warum DC sein Black Label einfach aufgeben sollte. Diese Version ihres Storytellings ist einfach die beste. Und wenn es einem nichts ausmacht, alles immer und immer wieder auf dieser einen Szene aufzubauen, in der der kleine Bruce seine Eltern verliert... keine große Sache. Joaquin Phoenix hat sich in den letzten 20 Jahren keinen Fehltritt geleistet. Und als solcher geht und regiert er weiter. (20.10.2019)

A message to the world on a similar level to Stallone's John Rambo in 2008. The only difference is that whereas Stallone wasn't afraid to dive into the dirt of war in the middle of the Burmese jungle, Phillips plunges into the urban jungle, with similar determination, self-confidence and drive, but a little more "neatly" I'd say. After all, Sly’s hero is also about action and muscle, but the Joker is a straight-up freaky good guy who everyone turns their backs on, and it is only the ultimate evil of pure anarchy and rage against the people – primarily the elites – that gives him the proper fuel for his rampage. A very topical film about contemporary socio-political issues, wrapped in a cool retro 1970's look with some iconic scenes where the origins of two great DC stories casually intersect. (06.10.2019)

Ist es ein Comic? Ist es keiner? Es ist egal. Sie sollten nur hoffen, dass mit Ihnen im Kino so wenig Jugendliche wie möglich sitzen, die den Film für eine unterhaltsame Trick-Show halten. Dieser Film ist nämlich keine unterhaltsame Trick-Show, es ist ein neuer Taxi Driver. Ein großes Solo vom ausgezeichneten Joaquin Phoenix, die beste Rolle von Robert De Niro in den letzten Jahren, eine starke Geschichte und ihre perfekte Darstellung. Ein knallharter Witz mit einer ausgezeichneten Pointe. (03.10.2019)

Weak. A shallow pursuit of style and thoughtful social critique that only borrows from other films, without getting under the skin as deep as the director believes it does. The effect of society on the “development” of a mentally unstable individual is truncated to a minimum, represented by media satirical manipulation, while the script haphazardly throws at the viewer motifs around an uprising of the poor masses, an Oedipal complex and the Batman universe, which can hardly fit together (especially when a disproportionally long part of the runtime is taken by scenes that are about nothing). The core rebirth of an individual under the weight of a depressive and insidious environment is almost invisible and the much-praised performance of Joaquin Phoenix relies only on embodying an asshole who’s skinny and laughs like a madman when he shouldn’t. There are a couple of moments that have brilliant, black-humour twists, and I also appreciate the great music and the attempt at being distinctive, but they are clumsy. Phillips should go back to The Hangover, where he belongs. 50% (28.04.2020)

Es freut mich, dass ein Comicfilm herausgekommen ist, der nicht für Jugendliche geeignet und kindisch aufgepeppt ist, aber dennoch finanziell und publikumstechnisch erfolgreicher als andere Comicverfilmungen sein kann (obwohl das bereits vor Jahren mit Logan bestätigt wurde). Ich hoffe ein wenig, dass sich dies in Zukunft auf die Tendenz von Comicfilmen auswirken wird, die bereits alle Ideen ausgeschöpft haben und heutzutage größtenteils gleich sind. In jedem Fall muss gesagt werden, dass auch der Joker nichts Neues mitbringt und nur auf eine ansehnlich stilvolle Weise eine ziemlich oberflächliche Geschichte erzählt. Der Ansatz der Filmemacher hat mich genervt, die einerseits sagen: "Hier habt ihr einen Comicfilm für Erwachsene", aber andererseits dazu tendieren, den Zuschauer an der Hand zu führen. Die Szene, in der der Joker herausfindet, dass er sich viele glückliche Momente nur vorgestellt hat (was schon seit der ersten Einstellung klar ist), muss aus irgendeinem Grund beinahe wie eine Shyamalan-Überraschung präsentiert werden und mit einer mehrere Minuten langen Montage von Rückblenden, in denen der Joker mit einer imaginären Figur spricht, versehen werden. In einer weiteren Einstellung sieht man dann, dass er die ganze Zeit alleine ist, sodass es selbst für die dümmsten Zuschauer verständlich ist. Für einen ansonsten ernsthaften Film ist dies eine sehr billige Vorgehensweise, die für mich das gesamte Prinzip unterminiert, dass die Filmemacher mit uns fair spielen. Ansonsten sind natürlich Phoenix und De Niro großartig, das Styling, die Musik, der coole Soundtrack. Es ist für mich einfach keine Offenbarung wie für die meisten anderen. (15.04.2020)

Joker ist ein solide gemachter Teil des DC-Universums, der vor allem durch die atemberaubende Schauspielkunst von Joaquin Phoenix (#andtheoscargoesto) und seine düstere Optik beeindruckt, die Hand in Hand mit einem düsteren Soundtrack geht, der Gotham zu einem noch schmutzigeren und böseren Ort macht. Ein großes Plus für einen Film über die Geburt von Batmans größtem Erzfeind war, dass gerade "Batman" auf ein Minimum beschränkt wurde. Der Film bietet einen schonungslosen Blick auf einen psychisch kranken Mann, der es leid war, Prügelknabe für andere zu sein, und beschloss, sich zu erheben und eine kriminelle Revolution auszulösen. Ich war sehr erfreut über die Besetzung der Nebenrollen mit Robert De Niro und Frances Conroy. Schon jetzt ist klar, dass Joker nächstes Jahr bei den Academy Awards angreifen wird, und ich persönlich wünsche ihm zumindest eine Statuette in den Kategorien Bester Schauspieler und Beste Musik. (12.10.2019)

A decent psychological drama about an incurable reprobate or the excellent comic origin story of an elusive and provocative bad guy. The latter contains everything that is most essential to revitalizing a classic comic book character – revision and updating. Daring to make the Wayne Family the most negative element we can without any major frills may seem to pander to current commercial demands reflecting contemporary class friction, but it's still a terribly radical step, because that’s the position Batman, as a pure symbol of the guardian elites who decide good and evil from a position of inherited position and wealth (thanks largely to Nolan's visions of a chaotic enemy coming from below), has maintained thus far. If, in the end, Joker does indeed launch a new Gotham universe, it'll be fun to watch the Batman get tossed to filmmakers who have more sympathy for radical incels than those who want to make decisions about them and stop their actions. (31.12.2019)

I was pleasantly surprised. I was expecting another one of those comic book-inspired films that have become one big boring blur to me, unlike similarly themed series. Instead, I got a decent drama starring the excellent Joaquin Phoenix, and because we cripples have to stand up for each other, I’m adding an extra star. (02.03.2020)