When Martin Scorsese directed "Taxi Driver" in 1976 and "The King of Comedy" in 1982, he directly commented on the contemporary world and the damaged individuals who were trying to survive it. When director Todd Phillips chose to create "Joker" in 1981, it looks a lot like those movies (Gotham City is nicknamed "Fun City") and seems to be an amalgam of Travis Bickle by Robert De Niro and Rupert Pupkin. two classics he seems to do because he's a fan of Scorsese.
After all, if you want to make a film about the working class people crushed by the rich and about a sociopath who inspires violent supporters after committing crimes and on television, 2019 is just sitting here.
The viewers will probably disagree over whether "Joker" should have been a vintage piece, but there is no doubt that it is a wonderfully crafted piece. Photo director Lawrence Sher ("Godzilla: The King of Monsters") and supervised Artistic Director Laura Ballinger ("The Greatest Showman") have obviously studied not only these two Scorsese films, but also "The French Connection", "The taken from Pelham One Two Three, "" Shaft "and many movies where New York is described as a hellish landscape of graffiti and garbage (Gotham City's sanitarians are on strike), where the wet streets reflect the sleazy neon of porn theater marquees.
Watch the video: Joaquin Phoenix's "Joker" faces Robert De Niro in the new Creepy trailer
DC Comics fans will probably want to know how cinematic the film is, and without getting too bothered by developers, the answer is: More than what it leaves at the beginning. And if Phillips borrows countless films here, he also lifts an entire section of Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns" for good measure.
Is it an original story? Oh, is it still? And Phillips (who co-wrote with Scott Silver, "The Fighter") is he proposing something more interesting in Joker's story than "because of mental illness and child abuse"? He does not do.
Joaquin Phoenix is played by Arthur Fleck, a potential clown and comedian who lives in a dirty apartment with his invalid mother, Penny (Frances Conroy). Arthur has been institutionalized and now holds weekly meetings with a dedicated psychiatrist in the city (until the city reduces its budget). After a group of children assaulted him while he was at the clock, another clown gives Arthur a weapon. When he falls from his baggy trousers during a performance at the children's hospital, he loses the job.
Read also: Joaquin Phoenix Receives Award for Best Actor at the Toronto Film Festival
His life goes from bad to worse: he murders three stockbrokers in the subway and inadvertently inspires crowds of protesters painted for harlequin after Mayor Thomas Wayne's candidate (Brett Cullen, "True Detective") calls the poor city of "clowns" in a television interview. But this act of violence allows Arthur to feel himself seen for the first time. And after the animation by Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro, because who else?) From the famous late-night talk show, which plays scenes of Arthur's terrible routine, to make fun of him, Arthur arrives at a critical point.
If you strip the Joker and his nearly 80 years of history as a cultural icon of this film, as well as all the tributes of the 1970s, you will not have much left, except the performance of Joaquin Phoenix, and that's all you need. is the kind of turn to which he is destined to be divisor. If you like an actor who disappears into a role and affects what appears to be organic human behavior on the screen, this is not your case. Phoenix puts the "performer" in the "performance"; he never stops laughing or laughing (this is part of Arthur's psychiatric illness), hyperventilating or dancing. Some will like it and others will look awkwardly, but it is certainly the kind of work that matches the tone of the film.
Read also: Oscars start: Fall festivals bring a moment of truth to "Joker", "Jojo Rabbit" and many more
The magnitude of Phoenix's work allows the rest of the ensemble – particularly Conroy, Zazie Beetz as a single neighbor and MVP actors such as Bill Camp, Shea Whigham and Brian Tyree Henry – to reduce it. and give performance on a human scale.
The number of times in the film where we are clearly supposed to recognize another movie or a little Batman legend seems to be a play that arouses Phillips' general mistrust of the audience; There is a great revelation that appears unexpectedly, but as a magician who thinks you're not paying attention, Phillips and publisher Jeff Groth ("War Dogs") come back and guide you, step by step, just in case where someone's back might have missed.
The "Joker" policy is also unstable. Web experts from all walks of life will no doubt explain this idea or this line of dialogue to claim what "Joker" represents "really", which means that there is ultimately nothing to do. It will be tempting for some to claim that it is the first art film based on a DC or Marvel property, but that it certainly will be the most important thing. 39, a departure and a kind of risk, "Joker" is ultimately a dark and realistic nihilism. In the nth degree, wrapped in a convincing but ultimately hollow simulacrum of smarter movies.
36 most anticipated films from the fall of 2019, from "It Chapter Two" to "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" (Photos)
We are in the home stretch. The last quarter of the year is marked by mega blockbusters, Oscar hopefuls and independent darlings. As part of our autumn preview, here are the 36 films for which we are the most enthusiastic in the coming months.
Universal / Sony / Disney / Warner Bros./Paramount
"It: Chapter Two" – September 6th (new line)
Andy Muschietti's first film "It" has grossed $ 700.3 million worldwide following a terrifying performance by Bill Skarsgård in the role of the monster clown Pennywise. And the excitement of this film spurred the casting of the new film, including Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy and Bill Hader as adult members of the Losers Club. The rest, however, begins at two hours and 49 minutes.
Warner Bros./New Line
"Hustlers" – September 13 (STX Entertainment)
Look at these money movements. The impressive distribution of pop stars behind "Hustlers", including Jennifer Lopez, Cardi B and Lizzo, helps bring a hip hop attitude and style to the true story of a group of dancers. strip clubs that have swindled their clientele of often corrupt Wall Street brokers. . Lorene Scafaria's film ("In Search of a Friend for the End of the World") is inspired by an article in Jessica Pressler's New Yorker magazine, and the finished product is as if "Ocean & # 39" 8 "met" The Wolf of Wall Street ". Constance Wu Julia Stiles, Keke Palmer and Lili Reinhart also play in the film.
STX Entertainment
"Ad Astra" – 20th September (20th Century Fox)
The sumptuous dramas of characters by director James Gray have always found an audience among critics and moviegoers. His latest film puts him in the world of science fiction and the couple with a cast including Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, Ruth Negga, Liv Tyler and Donald Sutherland. Spectacular space scenes seem impressive, but the film has been postponed several times as a result of the Disney-Fox merger.
20th Century Fox
"Rambo: Last Blood" – September 20th (Lionsgate)
Can Sylvester Stallone draw on the same nostalgia with "Rambo: Last Blood" as in "Creed" movies? The first glances at "Last Blood" were hyper-violent and show Stallone in a "Home Alone" scenario as he fights waves of intruders on his property seeking revenge for his past.
Lionsgate
"Downton Abbey" – September 20th (In the spotlight)
The feature film "Downton Abbey" takes place 18 months after the end of the original series, which ended on December 31, 1926. Today, in 1927, the family is waiting for a visit of the king and the queen. Carson (Jim Carter), their retired butler, to help them plan their stay.
Jaap Buitendijk / Focus Features
"Judy" – September 27 (Roadside Attractions)
Renée Zellweger plays Judy Garland in this biopic that follows the legendary star during the winter of 1968 as she arrives in London for a series of sold-out concerts. Rupert Goold directed the film based on a Garland play entitled "End of the Rainbow" by Peter Quilter.
Road Attractions
"Joker" – October 4 (Warner Bros.)
Todd Phillips "" Joker "still feels like an enigma Rather than your typical original superhero story, the story of the famous villain Batman features Joaquin Phoenix as part of a larger character drama then that he struggles with his acting career and seeks to be accepted into society.Zazie Beetz, Robert De Niro, Marc Maron, Shea Whigham and Brian Tyree Henry are also featured in the movie referring to Martin Scorsese, a big favorite on the scene. cult, like "The King of Comedy".
Warner Bros.
"Lucy in the Sky" – October 4 (Fox Searchlight)
After presenting prolific work on "Legion" and "Fargo," Noah Hawley debuts feature film "Lucy in the Sky," in which Natalie Portman stars as an astronaut who begins to lose touch with reality after a visit in the space. Hawley's story is vaguely inspired by the criminal activities of Lisa Nowak, an astronaut accused of kidnapping an American Air Force captain. Jon Hamm, Dan Stevens, Zazie Beetz, Nick Offerman, Ellen Burstyn and Tig Notaro are also on the bill.
Fox Searchlight
"Bread and Glory" – October 4 (Sony Classics)
"Pain and Glory" may well be one of the most personal films of the Spanish author Pedro Almodóvar and a highlight of his career that deserves the buzz of the Oscars for star Antonio Banderas. As a director, Banderas reflects on his life choices, recalling his life as a young man and his relationship with his mother, played by Penélope Cruz, to whom the film belongs in its infancy.
Sony Pictures Classics
"Gemini Man" – October 11 (Paramount)
Will Smith is an assassin who faces a younger version of himself in Ang Lee's thriller "Gemini Man". But the star of the movie is actually CGI's cutting-edge technology in which Smith is also playing his aged version. The filmmakers accomplished the feat in a different way than the one used in "Captain Marvel" on Samuel L. Jackson for creating a complete digital character based on a Will Smith that resembles the Fresh Prince .
Paramount Pictures
"Parasite" – October 11 (Neon)
"Parasite", the latest film by Bong Joon-ho, director of "Snowpiercer" and "Okja", is a return to his Korean mother tongue and a tempting drama highlighting the gap between the rich and the poor. A poor family of crooks comes in the form of preceptors and expert servants and sneaks into grueling jobs with an eccentric and gullible rich family. But the film naturally has a diabolical twist that helped him to win the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival.
Neon
"Maleficent: Mistress of Evil" – October 18th (Disney)
"Maleficent: Mistress of Evil" goes well beyond the original story of "Sleeping Beauty", while Angelina Jolie returns for a new interpretation of the villain. In the film directed by Joachim Rønning, Maleficent starts a battle after forbidding Aurora (Elle Fanning) to marry a young prince. This time, Maléficefic's war effort is aided by another breed of black and winged beasts led by Chiwetel Ejiofor.
Disney
"Zombieland: Double Tap" – October 18 (Sony)
Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin and director Ruben Fleischer are back for new zombie attacks and zombie attacks in the sequel to the 2009 comedy "Zombieland." The cast, especially Stone, has exploded in the world of stars since the release of the original, so that a sequel now seems to be obvious. The trailers suggest that they are ready to play with more surprise cameos and puns along the way.
Columbia Pictures
"Jojo Rabbit" – October 18 (Fox Searchlight)
Between the "Thor" films, Taika Waititi's new comedy is an "anti-hate satire" in which Waititi plays a caricature version of Adolf Hitler that exists as an imaginary friend in the spirit of a little German boy during World War II. It's an absurd principle, and the film's first teaser is a colorful adventure starring Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson, Alfie Allen and Stephen Merchant.
Fox Searchlight Photos
"The lighthouse" – October 18 (A24)
Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe are unshaven, neglected and disorderly lighthouse keepers who lived in the late 19th century. Their performances anchor a senseless psychodrama of director Robert Eggers, thus following the horror film "The Witch". And all this is filmed in an anxiety inducing aspect ratios almost square in black and white and old fashioned.
A24
"Motherless Brooklyn" – November 1st (Warner Bros.)
For his first work as a director in nearly two decades, actor Edward Norton adapts and plays the lead role in Jonathan Lethem's famous novel. Relocating the Neo-Black narrative in the 1950s to New York City, he plays a private detective at Tourette Syndrome who finds himself trapped in a city-wide conspiracy at the hands of the police. a master builder played by Alec Baldwin. The film also includes a score by Daniel Pemberton, an orchestration by Wynton Marsalis and an original song by Thom Yorke.
Pictures of Warner Bros.
"Terminator: Dark Fate" – November 1 (Paramount)
There have been several "Terminator" sequels since James Cameron's classic "T2: Judgment Day", but "Dark Fate" is the first to bring Cameron back into the fold and aims to complete the established storyline in the movies. originals. It is not only Arnold Schwarzenegger who is back, but also the first Sarah and John Connor, Linda Hamilton and Edward Furlong, who are fighting for the war for humanity. The director of "Deadpool", Tim Miller, should be well equipped to make it an action show.
Kerry Brown for Skydance / Paramount
"Harriet" – November 1st (In the spotlight)
Cynthia Erivo plays legendary freedom fighter Harriet Tubman in this biopic by director Kasi Lemmons ("Eve & # 39; s Bayou"). The historical drama also stars Janelle Monáe, Joe Alwyn and Leslie Odom Jr.
Characteristics of the focus
"The Irishman" – November 1st (Netflix)
"The Irishman", eagerly awaited by Martin Scorsese, will be released in theaters in November, just before its debut in streaming on Netflix. It's a mass return of gangsters to the pinnacle of "Goodfellas" and "Casino" of Scorsese, which brings back Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel and even Joe Pesci in retirement. He even associates Al Pacino with Scorsese for what is incredibly the first time. But much of the film is based on a technology of aging reduction that gives De Niro and Pacino a younger face of several decades in a saga about the man who claims to have killed the boss of the union, Jimmy Hoffa.
Netflix
"Wedding Story" – November 6 (Netflix)
Noah Baumbach's "Marriage Story", starring Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver, is launched before its premiere at the Venice Film Festival with two trailers for her and him. The film approaches the divorce from two distinct angles and the story of love that leads to the deterioration of the relationship.
Netflix
"Sleep Doctor" – November 8 (Warner Bros.)
Stephen King's second sequel this fall, "Doctor Sleep" follows "The Shining" and stars Ewan McGregor as Danny Torrance, an adult. He is now facing a girl with powers of "brilliance" more incredible than ever. Mike Flanagan 's horror film has a severe R rating and strongly evokes Stanley Kubrick' s horror classic.
Warner Bros.
"Charlie's Angels" – November 15 (Sony)
A restart of a 2000s action franchise, based on a spy television show from the 1970s, can it work? If you have the colorful direction and story of Elizabeth Banks as well as many "wigs, toys, clothes" and peppermint explosions, it's possible. Kristen Stewart looks like having a ball alongside Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska. And the sumptuous single from Ariana Grande's dream team, Miley Cyrus and Lana Del Rey, who accompanies the film, is a nice touch.
Sony Photos
"Ford v. Ferrari" – November 15 (Fox)
The American talent and talent A-list presented in "Ford v. Ferrari" James Mangold are the kind of clean biopic that is not done often enough. Christian Bale and Matt Damon play the lead role in the story of how Ford recruited Carroll Shelby (Damon), a major automaker, and pilot Ken Miles (Bale) to beat Ferrari in the legendary race the 24 hours of Le Mans, in 1966.
20th Century Fox
"A nice day in the neighborhood" – November 22 (Sony)
How do you make a movie about one of the nicest guys who have entered the entertainment industry? Get the best guy in Hollywood. It's almost magical to see Tom Hanks putting himself in Fred Rogers's skin (and vest) in "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood", which filmed some of the original scenes where "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood "has been produced for so many years. "Can you forgive me?" Director Marielle Heller focuses on a moment in Rogers' life where he has managed to warm the heart of a cynical journalist who writes the profile of the famous children's animator.
Lacey Terrell / Sony Photos
"Frozen 2" – November 22 (Disney)
It's been six years since "Frozen" became a modern Disney classic and a new merchandising empire. So many things revolve around "Frozen II," which goes beyond Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale and finds Elsa leaving the kingdom of Arendelle to discover the source of his enormous power. The first trailer looked inspirational, but the question is whether the film can deliver another hymn to the outbreak comparable to that of the original "Let it Go", which won an Oscar .
Disney
"Dark Waters" – November 22 (Main Features)
From director Todd Haynes ("Carol"), Mark Ruffalo is the star of this environmental drama inspired by the true story of a lawyer who attacked the huge chemical company DuPont after associating it with a series of unexplained deaths. It is based on a New York Times Magazine article titled "The Lawyer That Has Become DuPont's Worst Nightmare", and is also co-starring: Anne Hathaway, Bill Camp, Victor Garber, Mare Winningham, William Jackson Harper, and Bill Pullman.
Getty Images
"Knives Out" – November 27 (Lionsgate)
After conquering galaxies with "Star Wars: The Last Jedi", Rian Johnson tackled this mysterious murder as an ambitious animal project. Daniel Craig plays the role of detective with a wealthy southerner who is investigating a rich, eccentric and stabbed family for the murder of the patriarch of the family. This comical and sinuous film also stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Ana de Armas, Chris Evans, Toni Collette, Michael Shannon, Katherine Langford, Lakieth Stanfield and Christopher Plummer.
Lionsgate / Claire Folger
"Queen & Slim" – November 27 (Universal)
"Queen & Slim" is more than the story of "Black Bonnie & Clyde". Director Melina Matsoukas' first film, with a script by Lena Waithe, is an American odyssey about an ill-matched couple who sees the country and all its colors. Both are on the run for the murder of a police officer during a roadside check that went wrong. But it's also a universal story of being black in America as seen by stars Daniel Kaluuya and newcomer Jodie Turner-Smith.
Universal images
"The Aeronauts" – December 6 (Amazon)
Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones go headlong in Tom Harper's visually impressive period drama. The film, which takes place in 1862, associates a sheepish scientist (Redmayne) and a wealthy widow (Jones) as they attempt to reach unprecedented heights in a hot air balloon. The film features a breathtaking aerial cinematography and also includes secondary depictions of Himesh Patel and Tom Courtenay.
"Aeronauts" / Amazon Studios
"Jumanji: the next level" – December 13 (Sony)
"Jumanji: The Next Level" mixes the entertainment of the latest movie by playing video game avatars portrayed by Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Black Jack and Karen Gillan, who mingle their human counterparts. The twist allows the original cast to come back without repeating the same jokes and performances. And this time, Danny DeVito, Danny Glover and Awkwafina join them as they face an arid desert and a snowy mountain in the world's most dangerous game.
Sony
"A hidden life" – December 13 (Fox Searchlight)
At its Cannes premiere, "A Hidden Life" earned Terrence Malick his best critics since "The Tree of Life" of 2011. The drama of the WWII era is as witty and free than all his recent movies. But this one is based on the true story of an Austrian farmer named Franz Jägerstätter (August Diehl), a conscientious objector who refused to fight for the Nazis. The saga of nearly three hours tells his story of love with his wife, played by Valérie Pachner.
Fox Searchlight
"Cats" – December 20th (Universal)
The trailer of "Cats" broke the Internet when it was released. Online viewers have launched countless memes and parodies at the sight of digital cats with the faces and bodies of Taylor Swift, James Corden, Idris Elba, Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen and Judi. Dench. Whether you like it or hate it, Andrew Ho Webber's adaptation to the big screen by Tom Hooper has created a huge buzz, and we're purring with the chance to finally see him.
Universal images
"Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" – December 20 (Disney)
"Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" marks the conclusion of the Skywalker saga and perhaps a staging of what fans can expect from future big-screen trilogies from the "Game of Thrones" and Rian Johnson series. J.J. Abrams, back on board after directing "The Awakening of the Force", has already revealed that Emperor Palpatine still threatened the galaxy. And he teased that there was "more in the story" of Rey's filiation than Kylo Ren had left him before.
Walt Disney Studios
"Bombshell" – December 20th (Lionsgate)
Director Jay Roach's view of Fox News' fall of Roger Ailes is narrated from the perspective of women who have accused him of sexual harassment. Margot Robbie serves as fictional information producer for the cable giant, Charlize Theron plays Megyn Kelly, Nicole Kidman is Gretchen Carlson and John Lithgow is Ailes. The script is from the writer "The Big Short" Charles Randolph.
Lionsgate
"Little women" – December 25 (Sony)
Louisa May Alcott's classic novel has been the subject of many film adaptations, but the cast that director Greta Gerwig put together for her follow-up of "Lady Bird" resembles that of the "Avengers" of the awards season. Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Timothy Chalamet, Laura Dern and Meryl Streep appear in the story that has been updated to adapt to new gender norms, with a modern sensibility.
Columbia Pictures
"1917" – December 25 (Universal)
Just like "Dunkerque" from two years ago, "1917" tells the story of a heroic British military effort against all odds, but the action has now been transferred to the First World War. Director Sam Mendes has assembled a cast including Benedict Cumberbatch, Richard Madden, Colin Firth, Andrew Scott and George MacKay for this power-packed epic.
Universal
"Joker", "Cats", "Charlie's Angels", "Terminator: Dark Fate" and many more soon
We are in the home stretch. The last quarter of the year is marked by mega blockbusters, Oscar hopefuls and independent darlings. As part of our autumn preview, here are the 36 films for which we are the most enthusiastic in the coming months.
