The first reviews for Joker are in – and it sounds like it’s going to be one hell of a movie.
The Todd Phillip-directed movie, based on the DC Comics character of the same name, premiered at the Venice Film Festival on 31 August and the first reactions have been very positive, with critics hailing it as ‘dark’ and ‘f*****g cool’.
Joaquin Phoenix stars as the titular character (aka Arthur Fleck), with the film taking place in 1981 and also starring the likes of Robert de Niro and Zazie Beetz.
Plot wise, the film concerns Arthur, a failed stand-up comedian, who is driven insane and turns to a life of crime in the fictional city of Gotham.
Fans have already been left shook following the release of the movie’s trailer, and now, these highly positive critical reviews give fans even more of an incentive to watch the film when it’s released.
Film lovers, critics and journalists in attendance at the premiere have since taken to Twitter to share their thoughts on the movie.
‘I can’t quite believe how good Joker is. It’s a masterpiece,’ one review said.
‘Funny, dark, beautiful, full of rage, and really f*****g cool. Joaquin Phoenix is masterful and every shot is sublime.’
Another critic went on to call the film ‘gnarly’ and ‘audacious’.
‘There will be before Joker. And there will be after Joker,’ he said.
‘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.’
While one critic singled out Joaquin’s performance as ‘roaring’ and ‘monstrous’.
‘#JokerMovie is an efficacious and disturbing film that’s equally meritorious and 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.’
If that doesn’t excite you enough already, then we don’t know what will.
The film’s artistic director, Cameron Bailey, also previously revealed that the film was a ‘really original take on comic book movies’.
Speaking to the Toronto Sun, he said: ‘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. But it has an interesting tone and approach to it.’
Joker is set to be released to UK cinemas on 4 October.
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