TIFF Head Continues To Praise Joaquin Phoenix’s ‘Joker’

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Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker is getting all kinds of praise ahead of its release, especially from co-head and artistic director of the Toronto International Film Festival, Cameron Bailey.

While speaking to the Toronto Sun, Bailey had nothing but positive things to say about Joaquin Phoenix’s upcoming Joker film. He said that the film should play on the largest stage and that it’s a very original take on comic book movies. He then went on to compare Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker to late 70s/early 80s films and goes on to call it a cinematic achievement on a high level:

“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.”

This is not the first time someone has praised Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker film so early on. Early reports regarding Joaquin Phoenix’s role as The Joker have people already praising his performance and saying that he will be nominated for an Oscar.

What do you all make of this? Are you looking forward to seeing Joaquin Phoenix’s performance as The Joker? Will the early buzz translate to mainstream film critics and audiences? Would you like to see Joaquin Phoenix finally win an Oscar? Could it top Heath Ledger’s performance in The Dark Knight? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Here is the official synopsis for Joker:

“Joker” centers around the iconic arch nemesis and is an original, standalone story not seen before on the big screen. Phillips’ exploration of Arthur Fleck (Phoenix), a man disregarded by society, is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale.

Opening in theaters on October 4, 2019, Joker stars Joaquin Phoenix, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy, Marc Maron, Brett Cullen, Bryan Callen, and Robert De Niro. Stay tuned to Heroic Hollywood for more updates on the project!

Soruce: Toronto Sun

Trey Griffeth

Trey Griffeth

Lover of video games, comics, and movies! Writer of all things that involve them!