Joker, a daringly nihilistic take on the comic book villain starring Venice film festival. Joker won the Golden Lion for best film at the Venice film festival Saturday.
The movie, which The Guardian had described as one of the boldest Hollywood. The productions for some time have already sparked a heated debate on social media.
Todd Phillips’s dark comic book film “Joker” won the Golden Lion Award at the 76th Venice International Film Festival. The cemented its place as a legitimate contender for the rest of the awards season.
Some have warned that Phoenix’s full-throttle portrait of a needy, embittered clown who lives with his mother could empower incels (or involuntary celibates), the angry, misogynist young men blamed for so much far-right and white supremacist violence.
#JokerMovie wins the Golden Lion for Best Film at #VeniceFilmFestival. pic.twitter.com/qYlAoHpwIR
— Joker Movie (@jokermovie) September 7, 2019
But most critics disagreed, with Variety’s Owen Lieberman saying Phoenix remade Batman’s arch-enemy as a Method psycho, a troublemaker so intense in his cuckoo hostility that even as you’re gawking at his violence, you still feel his pain.
His voice shaking with emotion, director Todd Phillips paid tribute to his star as he lifted the prize, saying Phoenix was “the fiercest and bravest and most open-minded lion that I know… Thank you for trusting me with your insane talents.
In the film, he transforms from struggling stand-up comedian Arthur Fleck into Batman’s classic nemesis.
“Thank you for trusting me with your insane talents,” Phillips said to Phoenix.
Roman Polanski’s Dreyfus affair film, An Officer and a Spy, won the grand jury prize, which recognizes other strong contenders for the Golden Lion.
Polanski, who fled the U.S. after pleading guilty to unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl and has been a fugitive for over 40 years, was not at the ceremony to accept the award.
