A real success at the global box office and praised by our readers, this “upsetting” and “disturbing” film did not leave anyone indifferent and even caused controversy.
It’s not always easy to know which program to sit down for in the evening given the multitude of available content. A series on a streaming platform, a cinema release or a TV show? This Sunday, you have to go to the good old small screen to discover one of the most memorable films of recent years.
Readers of Linternaute have also given it an excellent rating of 4.5/5 since its cinema release on October 9, 2019, praising a “shattering”, “disturbing” and “masterful” work. This feature film returns to the genesis of one of the most memorable protagonists in comics… Or rather one of the most memorable villains! You may have guessed, this film is Joker. Directed by Todd Phillips (Very Bad Trip), this psychological drama was a real slap in the face when it was released.
Joker imagines the transformation of Arthur Fleck, a miserable man suffering from serious mental disorders and rejected by a chaotic and violent society, into Joker, the dangerous psychopathic clown who will become Batman’s sworn enemy. Inspired by Martin Scorsese films, Todd Phillips also offers a political reading of DC Comics’ most mysterious and emblematic super-villain, while criticizing the excesses of our modern and ultra-violent society.
Joker was a real critical and public success, earning more than a billion dollars in revenue. It is particularly the “shattering” performance of Joaquin Phoenix which is unanimously praised. He will even win the Oscar for best actor in 2020 for his unusual performance. The film does not, however, escape controversy in the United States, being accused of advocating violence (the Joker is the victim of a sick society and itself violent and would “only” take revenge, according to this reading), which the director firmly disputes.
The success of the film logically gave rise to a sequel, Joker : Folie à deuxreleased on October 2, 2024, with Lady Gaga in the cast. However, this greatly disappointed the critics and the public, who did not respond to the meeting. Anyway, the first episode is now visible on TF1 this Sunday October 13 at 9:10 p.m.