Review: Joker, or Exploring the Untapped Potential of Superhero Movies

YouTube

Somebody please give this guy an ashtray.

Much has been said about Joker, even before it was released in the cinemas. Mostly, they've been negative.

Most of the negative reviews for Joker are predicated on the same thing: That Joaquin Phoenix can never surpass Heath Ledger's Joker, and any actor who tries will surely fall flat on his face, as shown by Jared Leto's performance as Suicide Squad's Joker. First, that is a pathetic premise; second, that would be underestimating Joaquin Phoenix's acting prowess.

In order to understand superhero franchises and their penchant for casting new actors, we must go back to Elizabethan times, particularly the plays of William Shakespeare. More specifically, Hamlet. The very first actor to play Hamlet was Richard Burbage, yet there have been countless actors after him who have played the part, both on stage and on film, including Mel Gibson, Keanu Reeves, Jude Law, Christopher Walken... the list goes on. But do we cling to Daniel Day-Lewis's 1989 performance in London's National Theatre as the best Hamlet performance ever, the way we cling to Heath Ledger's performance in The Dark Knight as the best Joker performance ever? Of course we don't. And that's why it's useless to rank Joker performances, because there really is no one true Joker. Even the comic books had different Joker iterations.

YouTube

"I'm a clown in a clown mask. LOL"

What makes Joker great is that it doesn't feel like a superhero movie. It has the grounding of the Christopher Nolan Batman films, and it also has the character instrospection that brings this film out of the realm of superhero fantasy and into serious human drama. It tackles the issue of mental illness like no other superhero film before it, and it does so in a dark, sombre tone, without any explosive action sequences and high-speed chases. It's just pure, gritty human drama.

Director Todd Phillips, known for directing comedies such as Old School and The Hangover franchise, brings his comedy chops to work hand-in-hand with the drama. The result is masterful storytelling, striking just the right balance of drama and comedy that would probably not work were this film handled by another director. After all, the Joker has always had that element of absurdity to him, which is part of what makes him a lovable character.

To answer the question "Will this film have a sequel?", well, that's kind of a grey area. I hope they don't make one, to preserve the artistic integrity of this film. Joker is perfect as it is, a stand-alone film that doesn't quite fit well with the other movies in the DC cinematic canon, and I think that's a good thing.

YouTube

"Already got the Globe. I'm waiting for that Oscar now."

Joker. USA/Canada. 2019.



Original rating: 8/10
Joaquin Phoenix's fingernails: -0.1
Robert De Niro: +0.1
Zazie Beetz: +0.1
Visual homages to the comic books: +0.1
Final rating: 8.2/10

DCT Podcast Episode 12: The Irishman

Highsnobiety

Da Couch Tomato Podcast, Episode 12, discussing The Irishman, the powerhouse cast, and how long running times and de-aging might be the next trends.

Background music used is "Theme for The Irishman" from The Irishman musical score by Robbie Robertson.

Hosts: Sting Lacson and Rachel

Silver Linings Playbook

The Weinstein Company

What makes a great love story?

A great love story is one which makes you fall in love along with the characters. That’s because no matter what gender you belong to, you can always put yourselves in one of the character’s shoes. And pretty much everybody could relate to either Bradley Cooper or Jennifer Lawrence.

The Weinstein Company

Or both.

Limitless

Oh, what drug is this? Sounds cool. I want to try it. But it's not really a mind-altering drug. It just enhances the neural connections in your brain. Or something like that. Anyway, I'd prefer psychedelics over this any day.

The universe in pill form.

Sadly, Robert De Niro's roles are always confined to grumpy old men. Is it maybe because he is a grumpy old man? Maybe. But I really should be getting used to his performances by now. I can't expect him to be as versatile as he was when he played Vito Corleone. Although he was great in Stardust, I'll give him that.

The classic Robert De Niro I-don't-give-a-fuck face.

Abbie Cornish, you look like Nicole Kidman. Really. I think it's because you're both Aussie.

Nicole Kidman, Jr.

Finally, to end on an anti-drug note, I don't need something like this drug to be happy. All I need is my brain in Bradley Cooper's body. Once you get that combination, the possibilities are limitless.

"Hey, my brain's okay, you know."

Limitless. USA. 2011.


Ratiing: Seven and a half out of ten.
Lack of Abbie Cornish sex scenes: Minus half a point.
Final rating: Seven out of ten.



*some info from IMDb
pics from VLC

Extras. Series 2

Ricky Gervais is back with his series Extras, and like the first series, this one features A-listers galore. But Series 2 seems to have bigger names on it. Possibly because of the success of the first series, actors felt honored to be asked to guest here. Although there's only one American here (Robert De Niro), compared to two Americans in the previous series (Ben Stiller and Samuel L. Jackson).

In this series, Gervais is not an extra anymore. He's a big shot TV actor now, with his own show, and his own catchphrase. But still, the situations are funny as ever. I think Gervais is the master of awkward situations, which he can turn into laugh-out-loud moments, only because we know we've been through them before, one way or another.

Episode 7: "Orlando Bloom"

"Ooh, look at me. I'm good-looking, but a mediocre actor."

Wouldn't it be cool if Orlando Bloom were really a jerk like this in real life? That way, I'd have a legitimate reason to hate him. We also see Andy's show take off from here. He's really no longer an extra now, but the show's still called Extras, so... Anyway, are there really no funny black people in Britain? Really?

Stone

Edward Norton deserves my "ticket for the party of awesome actors" right here. I kinda' don't like Edward initially because his voice in narratives seems to be just that same, droning voice. But here, his voice is that of a high-pitched, West Coast, white trash thug. He must've done some method acting on this one. Hence, the transformation.

Didn't I tell you not to use drugs during method acting?

Robert De Niro just gives out his usual, vintage, De Niro performance here. You know, the grumpy type like that step-dad in Meet The Fockers. That's all that he's gonna be from here thereon.

I somehow see stagnation when it comes to Robert De Niro's acting.

Now here's the sleeper, Milla Jovovich. Honestly, I don't find her hot in any of the Resident Evil installments. I just watched that shit because I used to play the game back then. And that's it!

Emma Stone and Stone? Why not?

But here, woooh! Dang! Hotness! The boobs though are a liability, but all in all, hot! I like her look with her hair gone wild! Not the prim and sleek hair that she has in Resident Evil.

Now we're talkin'!

I expect nothing less than an Oscar nomination out of Mr. Fight Club himself (well, half of Fight Club that is, sorry Brad!). As for De Niro, your act is nothing new to garner something out of the Academy.

Overall rating is 8 out of 10 because I was kinda' left hangin' in the end, wanting more! Give me my STONE!


*images from i.dailymail.co.uk, www.shockya.com, www.filmofilia.com, joyhog.com,

Everybody's Fine

This movie made me cry. And not just watery-eyed crying. I mean like real, non-stop sobbing crying. Like a sissy.

And because it made me cry, it means it's good. I cried toward the last part. And it takes a lot to make me cry. And since this film succeeded in doing that, it means that the storytelling was damn effective. It built up everything from the beginning, then continued to sustain the emotion, then in the end─boom!─let the tears fall down. Beautiful.

Robert De Niro does a great performance, simply because he didn't act like a tough gangster, which is the character that he can't seem to shake off. Well, he's growing old, and he's talented, so give him a break. He pulled off the lonely American parent perfectly. All I could do was feel sorry for him, and for American parents in general. Filipino parents have it waaaay better.

Kate Beckinsale is still hot. Although I think she's looking more and more anorexic. But she's still hot. And she didn't get enough screen time for me to soak in her hotness.

Sam Rockwell, I haven't seen you in a long time. And I have a feeling you'll be making a comeback.

Drew Barrymore, you're still cute. That's all I can say. And you're acting wasn't bad.

So if you watch this, and you find yourself crying, and someone asks you why you're crying, just answer, "I'm fine. Everybody's fine."

(The line above is an example of how NOT to end a review. I just forced it. So there.)


*some info from IMDb
pic from chicagomaroon.com


Everybody's Fine. USA. 2009 (2010 Philippines).


Original rating: Eight out of ten.
Tear-jerker scene: Plus point two.
Kate Beckinsale's hotness: Plus point three.
Kate Beckinsale's anorexia: Minus point one.
Final rating: Eight point four out of ten.

Righteous Kill

Two great actors and one not-so-great story.

By now, you all know my philosophy: try to give a fair review without giving anything away. Especially in this case, since this is a whodunit, so if I give anything away, nobody would probably watch the film anymore.


Basic plot is this: the two former Corleones (of course I'm talking about Pacino and De Niro) play two detectives, who are out to hunt a serial killer. Two younger cops, the brilliant tandem of John Leguizamo and Donnie wahlberg, think the serial killer is one of their own. So everybody is out to find who did it; hence the name whodunit. There's just one problem: either the story was okay and the directing was weak (in which case I'd have to blame director Jon Avnet for the flimsy storytelling), or the script was terrible to begin with (then writer Russel Gewertz would have to take the blame). Anyway, I don't think it was an effective whodunit, as my girlfriend already knew whodidit in the first twenty minutes of the film (she always does that to annoy me).

Let's just focus on the acting, which is this film's strongest selling point. Fans would love to see Pacino and De Niro onscreen together, as their only two movie credits together were 1995's Heat, and before that, 1974's The Godfather Part II, which I wouldn't really count, as they were never actually onscreen together. So this is one of those rare instances when two Oscar winners of this caliber share the same frame.

The acting is spruced up by Wahlberg and Leguizamo, who are two great actors who deserve a break, and they portray the rookie cop-old cop friction just right, practically limiting the show to the four of them. All the other actors didn't really add anything significant. Rapper 50 Cent appears as the gangster Spider, but I could've sworn he just played himself.

There are only three films where Pacino and De Niro acted together, and it's a shame this latest one pairs lousy storytelling with great acting. I hope the producers pair them up again, as both of them are getting old, and they may not have another shot.


*Thanks to Maynard Maleon for the tickets. Good luck on your Bar Exam bro.

Rating: Two and a half stars.

Stardust

Now this is what I call a great story.

Adapted from the Neil Gaiman graphic novel, this is a love story told in a parallel universe, where stars become beautiful women, witches eat hearts to look young, and shop boys become kings.

Stunning visuals, a great storyline, plus great performances from Michelle Pfeiffer as an aging hag and Bobby D as a queer pirate will make this a classic to watch. Plus the soothing voice of Ian McKellen as the narrator will lull you into bedtime story-state, for greater effect.

An interesting question to ask would be: Would it have made a big difference if they let Peter O'Toole narrate and let Ian McKellen play the king?

Rating: Four and a half stars.