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“Joker” has just premiered at Venice Biennale this morning (August 31), and the first reactions are mostly praising the film, with only a few critics deciding not to chime in due to, I presume, the potential of being scolded by fanboys for their negative takes.
Starring Joaquin Phoenix as the iconic DC villain, the Todd Phillips-directed film has been gaining momentum and buzz ever since its first trailer dropped back in early summer, and its subsequent inclusion in prestigious festivals such as Venice and Toronto.
I will only post tweets from actual critics, because, truth be told, there are a lot of fanboy-esque reactions going on all over Twitter.
Both The New York Times’ Glenn Kenny and Time Magazine’s Stephanie Zacharek are also not fans of the film, both having harsh words for the finished product with even Kenny calling it “garbage.” The Daily Beast’s Marlow Stern is mixed on the movie due to its “clunky social themes and thinly-drawn supporting players,” but praises Phoenix, “who’s crafted a layered, terror-inducing antagonist, and earned his rightful place alongside Heath Ledger and Jack Nicholson in the pantheon of all-time-great Jokers.”
Vanity Fair film critic Richard Lawson doesn’t seem to be a fan, neither is London-based critic Billie Melissa who isn’t quite sure what to make of the final result but does praise Phoenix’s performance by stating “So... Joaquin Phoenix really did that. He’s great, you can’t deny it. He deserves a nomination, I’m standing firmly in my “Give it to Adam Driver now” shoes, though. I’m just not sure I love it’s standpoint, nor its execution.”
The Telegraph’s Robbie Collin’s doesn’t seem too keen on it either, whereas IndieWire’s David Ehrlich was rather cryptic about his thoughts.
Now, for the good news, Variety’s Owen Geiberman is raving about it.
Filmmaker James Jones, who is premiering his latest documentary “Mosul” at Venice, loved it:
I can’t quite believe how good Joker is. It’s a masterpiece. Funny, dark, beautiful, full of rage, and really fucking cool. Joaquin Phoenix is masterful and every shot is sublime.
Our good friend Alex Billington has decided to also shower “Joker” with praise:
Alex Billington @ Venice✔@firstshowing
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.
Jak-Luke Sharp @ Venice Film Festival@JakLukeSharp
#Joker Pheonix is phenomenal. Dark, gritty & fucking crazy. More on the lines of Mean Streets than Taxi Driver. It all looks to be serving a masterclass but Phillips stumbles in the last hurdle with the film not knowing if it wants to stand alone or be enticed by lore #Venezia76
International Film Critique@IntFilmCritique
#JokerMovie is an efficacious & disturbing film that's equally meritorious & tragic. Phoenix's roaring, monstrous performance as the Clown of Crime is so immaculate, so maestoso, it's a prodigious accomplishment, and marks the apex of his already superlative career. #Venezia76
International Film Critique@IntFilmCritique
Todd Phillips crafts an audacious & compelling portrait of the disintegration of a man full of ennui, driven to unthinkable extremes, with inspiration from classics like ‘Taxi Driver’, both featuring men whose mental instability drove them to ambiguous extremes. #Joker #Venezia76
International Film Critique@IntFilmCritique
Phoenix evokes a sense of tragic, melancholic beauty in his transformation as the #Joker, going beyond impersonation & disturbingly explodes on screen in an act so flawless in timing & character perception, it's quite frankly one of the most impressive method acting feats.
Joker's artistic director Cameron Bailey previously described the film as "terrific", calling it a "really original take on comic book movies".