Les Toiles Héroïques Forum

“The film really goes into just the origin story villains are never born that way, they’re made. There’s something that happens in their lives that they give up their faith in humanity; they see the flaws of humanity and mankind and feel like they must correct it. And what happens with ‘Joker’ is you start to see how he really was a happy person. He really was trying to find this hope in humanity until it broke him down and he just had to give up and reshape it.”

Henry then went on to describe more about the Joker movie and specifically what relationship drives the film.

There’s going to be a connection [made] about a boy and his mother, that is another thing that you’re going to see — that he was capable of love at some point. But, at the end of the day, I think it’s all about how he was made that way, how he didn’t start being that kind of person.

artistic director Cameron Bailey noted the project is unlike most superhero features and praised Joaquin Phoenix for a “career-best” performance as the Clown Prince of Crime:

“It’s an original story, not part of the existing canon. It does take the character and a lot of the elements that we know from Joker’s backstory. But it’s an original story that allows the filmmakers to go in an original direction. It’s got some real dark tones to it, but it’s just grounded in this career-best career performance by Joaquin Phoenix. I think all the awards bodies will be taking notice.”

In an interview with Variety, Venice artistic chief Alberto Barbera noted Joker director Todd Phillips was the one who pushed for the Joaquin Phoenix film to compete at the festival in Venice. Barbera then noted that Joker is “the most surprising” entry they have at the 2019 Venice Film Festival before predicting the Joaquin Phenix film will be present at the Oscars next year:

I have to say, Warners was convinced pretty rapidly, because it’s a really surprising film. It’s the most surprising film we’ve got this year…This one’s going straight to the Oscars even though it’s gritty, dark, violent. It has amazing ambition and scope.

NiradZedjati a écrit:Autour du Directeur Artistique de Venise de parler du projet...

I have to say, Warners was convinced pretty rapidly, because it’s a really surprising film. It’s the most surprising film we’ve got this year…This one’s going straight to the Oscars even though it’s gritty, dark, violent. It has amazing ambition and scope.

NiradZedjati a écrit:Le directeur artistique du Festival de Toronto à propos du film et de la presta' de Phoenix...

artistic director Cameron Bailey noted the project is unlike most superhero features and praised Joaquin Phoenix for a “career-best” performance as the Clown Prince of Crime:

“It’s an original story, not part of the existing canon. It does take the character and a lot of the elements that we know from Joker’s backstory. But it’s an original story that allows the filmmakers to go in an original direction. It’s got some real dark tones to it, but it’s just grounded in this career-best career performance by Joaquin Phoenix. I think all the awards bodies will be taking notice.”

“First of all it’s terrific. So it should play on our largest stage. But it’s a really original take on comic book movies and on the Joker character in particular. It’s not based on an existing story, it has one of the greatest actors in modern cinema, Joaquin Phoenix, in the lead, and Robert De Niro is in it as well, one of the best actors that has ever lived. It’s set in the late ’70s, early ’80s and it feels like it was made then. It’s gritty in its look. It has references to Martin Scorsese’s filmmaking and it feels like a cinematic achievement on a high level. Although it’s working with very populist material, it has great ambition. That’s why it’s a Gala.”

“I started from here. I saw videos showing people suffering from pathological laughter, a psychic dysfunction that makes mimicry uncontrollable.”

You lost a lot of weight for this role. Why?

“I had already lost a lot of weight to play Jesus in Mary Magdalene (opposite fiancée Rooney Mara) and to be honest I had promised myself to never do that again. This time I suggested to Todd an overweight Joker, but most people with the same issues of abuse as Arthur Fleck tend to eat poorly, take drugs (medicine), and so lose weight. So I didn't have a choice. And I went on a diet.”

How long did it take?

“A little more than 3 months, but it was so intense I had to forget my social and private life. I couldn't go out, I didn't see anyone in order to avoid temptations. My only relationship during the period before shooting began was with Todd: I called him everyday to talk about Joker. But in spite of the big sacrifice, this is one of my favorite roles ever.”

My goal wasn't to take Joaquin Phoenix and put him in the comic book universe," Todd Phillips explains. "My goal was to take comic books (universe) and put it in the Joaquin Phoenix universe.

At this moment in time, when comic book movies/TV are saturating the marketplace, I think ‘cookie-cutter’ sequels and movies are not the answer.

I think the most important thing needed are films that are different, bold, unique.

If, in order to do this, rules need to be broken by filmmakers with informed and creative visions, then break some rules and spin our heads around.

Jerry Robinson, co-creator of The Joker, was a dear friend of mine and a mentor. I met and talked with his Joker co-creator, Bill Finger twice. I knew Batman co-creator, Bob Kane well.

I have zero doubt that once meeting Todd Phillips, they would have fully endorsed what he has masterfully and artistically accomplished.

T.P. : "I really think there have been a lot of think pieces written by people who proudly state they haven't even seen the movie and they don't need to.
I would just argue that you might want to watch the movie, you might want to watch it with an open mind.
The movie makes statements about a lack of love, childhood trauma, lack of compassion in the world. I think people can handle that message."

J.P. : "Well, I think that, for most of us, you're able to tell the difference between right and wrong. And those that aren't capable of interpreting anything in the way that they may want to.
People misinterpret lyrics from songs. They misinterpret passages from books. So I don't think it's the responsibility of a filmmaker to teach the audience morality or the difference between right and wrong. I mean, to me, I think that that's obvious.
I think if you have somebody that has that level of emotional disturbance, they can find fuel anywhere. I just don't think that you can function that way. The truth is you don't know what is going to be the fuel for somebody."

Todd Phillips : “Go try to be funny nowadays with this woke culture. There were articles written about why comedies don’t work anymore – I’ll tell you why, because all the f–king funny guys are like, ‘F–k this shit, because I don’t want to offend you.’ It’s hard to argue with 30 million people on Twitter. You just can’t do it, right? So you just go, ‘I’m out.’ I’m out, and you know what? With all my comedies -I think that what comedies in general all have in common – is they’re irreverent. So I go, ‘How do I do something irreverent, but f–k comedy? Oh I know, let’s take the comic book movie universe and turn it on its head with this.’ And so that’s really where that came from.”