Academy Awards’ Special: Joker

Much has been said about Joker, the new version of the Batman villain. It is among the nominees for Best Film, which premiered outside the awards season. It did not manage, however, that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences forgot it in recent months. Directed by Todd Phillips, this is perhaps one of the darkest versions of the evil villain. Here everything about this movie.

A new version

This new version of the Joker is the most nominated film for the Oscar Awards. It has nominations for: Best Film, Best Actor (Joaquin Phoenix for his starring performance), Best Director (Todd Phillips), Best Soundtrack (Hildur Guonadottir), Best Adapted Screenplay (Todd Phillips and Scott Silver), Best Cinematography (Lawrence Sher) , Best Sound (Tom Ozanich, Dean A. Zupancic and Tod A Maitland), Best Costume Design (Mark Bridges), Best Makeup and Hairstyle (Kay Georgiou and Nicki Ledderman), Best Editing (Jeff Gorth) and Best Sound Editing ( Alan Robert Murray). Account, then with eleven Oscar nominations.

It is without a doubt one of the favorites of the Academy and the public. Batman, Joker and DC comics fans in general are hard to please. No film about the hero or his super villain has been able to satisfy them completely since the trilogy directed by Christopher Nolan. The sequel to this trilogy, in fact, is the one starring the last great Joker, Heath Ledger, who preceded the much-criticized Joker of Jared Leto.

In this new version, director Todd Phillips decided to focus only on the origin of the villain, so scattered and mysterious in the other film versions of the Joker and in the comics. He then decides to comment on the bullying of society and the millionaires to the working class to explain the origin of the evil clown.

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The revolutionary Joker

In the version of Todd Phillips, the Joker becomes a super villain as well as a super star almost by accident. His resentment and frustration mutate almost organically in the face of the revolt that will then take place in Gothic City. This is a shy Joker, different from Heath Ledger, who gave a speech whenever he could. This Joker of few words but a lot of laughter (he has a nervous tic that makes him laugh even when he doesn't want to) is darker. His uncontrolled laughter ceases to be funny or empowered and becomes terrifying.

As for the interpretation of Joaquín Phoenix, it is impeccable. He knew how to make a sad laugh of hopelessness. It honors the character who plays and tries to understand it. Much has been said about how much he worked on this role to achieve proper laughter and precise expressions. This is seen on the scene, it is a studied character.

He has already won many awards for his performance in this season of prizes, so it can be predicted that he will take this one as well. However, it is a role that does not risk, that does not expose its actor in the interpretation (other than Antonio Banderas, nominated in the same category for his interpretation in Dolor and Gloria, which will not win even if he has been masterful). It is a role, as already said, studied.

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In this sense, it is obvious how this is the role that the Oscar would give Joaquin Phoenix, which always rewards the Academy: the actor who lost weight and risked his health for the role he acts. Although it is very good, it is not the peak of Phoenix's career, as the Academy will paint it.