Guys, I don’t even know where to begin, because Warner Brothers and DC just dropped the final trailer for Joker and let me tell you: THEY. ARE. NOT. MESSING. AROUND.
I mean hot damn, there is a lot to unpack here.
Firstly, we should note that this movie takes place in it’s own universe. Meaning that we will not see Ben Affleck’s Batman or Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman come in a take over this movie. It is not part of the known Joker canon either, although it is possible that the film draws on several stories for inspiration. Overall, this is to be a unique stand-alone film rather than another big budget carbon copy tent-pole Avengers style movie.
Back in April, Warner Brothers released this synopsis of the film:
Director Todd Phillips “Joker” centers around the iconic arch nemesis and is an original, standalone fictional story not seen before on the big screen. Phillips’ exploration of Arthur Fleck, who is indelibly portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, is of a man struggling to find his way in Gotham’s fractured society. A clown-for-hire by day, he aspires to be a stand-up comic at night…but finds the joke always seems to be on him. Caught in a cyclical existence between apathy and cruelty, Arthur makes one bad decision that brings about a chain reaction of escalating events in this gritty character study.
How can you not be excited after reading that! Finally, a studio decides to take an artistic risk rather than focusing on action figures and lunch boxes. Not since our first look at Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins has a comic book movie felt so real. So raw. So poetic.
The film’s director, Todd Phillips, is well known for raunchy comedies like Old School, Road Trip, and The Hangover Trilogy, yet here he looks to have to tap into his inner David Lynch, assuring us of a visual spectacle and a cacophony of violence. Moreover, the film seems to be reminiscent of the gritty and violent movies of the 1970’s like Serpico and Taxi Driver. This is not surprising as Taxi Driver director and overall master filmmaker Martin Scorsese is serving as this films Producer.
To say that I am excited about this movie would be an understatement. I can easily say that this is the film I have been most eagerly looking forward to seeing all year.
Joker is out October 4th. Don’t forget to smile.
