Tag: Joker

Monday Morning Movie Review: Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)

The Portly Politico2 Comments

This blog is not one to shy from controversy, so yours portly is going to come out and say it:  2024’s Joker: Folie à Deux is an excellent film.

Yes, yes—critics and audiences have panned it.  That is an indication that it’s not just the smarmy critics panning a flick that audiences love, but that it’s actually an unenjoyable slog.  Indeed, much of the criticism I’ve read or watched of the film describes it as bleak and hopeless.

Having seen Joker 2 (as I will call it for the rest of the review so I don’t have to type out that ridiculous title), I can say it’s good because it’s bleak and hopeless.  Indeed, that is the entire point.

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Milo on Generation Joker

The Portly Politico10 Comments

Earlier this week, I finally had the opportunity to watch Joker, the movie that DC got right (I also watched black-and-white indie film The Lighthouse, which I also heartily recommend).  It’s one of those films that has stuck with me, as I keep contemplating its title character’s woeful arc.

That’s unusual for a superhero movie.  I’m not a film snob, and I enjoy the action-packed, high-gloss hilarity of [insert Marvel Cinematic Universe movie here].  But I’ve usually forgotten most of the details of those superhero movies by the time I get home from the theater.

Joker is different.  Indeed, I wouldn’t even call it a “superhero” (or even a super villain) movie.  Yes, it’s the origin story of the The Joker, Batman’s greatest rival.  It does follow some of the tropes of the standalone superhero flick:  the discovery of the character’s powers (in this case, a 38 Special and mental illness), his utilization of those powers, and his full acceptance of his new role.

But it’s more than a superhero flick.  It’s the brooding, angsty cry of a generation.

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