Quentin Tarantino Praises ‘Joker 2’ and Says Joaquin Phoenix Gives ‘One of the Best Performances I’ve Ever Seen in My Life’: It’s a ‘F— You’ to ‘Comic Book Geeks’ and Hollywood

As a cinephile who has spent countless hours immersed in the world of cinema, I must admit that Quentin Tarantino‘s admiration for “Joker: Folie à Deux” has piqued my curiosity. The film, while divisive among critics and audiences alike, seems to have resonated deeply with the visionary director.

Despite receiving negative reviews and disappointing box office numbers, “Joker: Folie à Deux” didn’t fail to impress Quentin Tarantino. The filmmaker expressed his admiration for the controversial sequel on “The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast”. The movie has only managed to earn around $60 million domestically since its release, a far cry from the original 2019 film’s billion-dollar gross. Globally, it has amassed $201 million, significantly lower than the previous movie’s total.

Quite frankly, I was greatly captivated by it. Initially, I anticipated being blown away by its cinematic elements, but I assumed it would be an intellectual exploration that might not entirely resonate as a film. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself fully immersed in it rather than just appreciating it for its intellectual merits. The musical segments particularly drew me in. In fact, the more ordinary the songs were, the more intrigued I became. Strangely enough, I found myself paying closer attention to the lyrics of ‘For Once in My Life’ than ever before.

In my opinion as a film enthusiast, Quentin Tarantino pointed out an intriguing similarity between the “Joker” sequel’s characters, Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck and Lady Gaga’s Lee Quinzel, and the chaotic duo from his own movie, Mickey (Woody Harrelson) and Mallory (Juliette Lewis) from “Natural Born Killers.

Just as ‘Taxi Driver’ influenced the first one significantly, this seems heavily inspired by ‘Natural Born Killers,’ a work I myself penned. This is the ‘Natural Born Killers’ I had envisioned; it’s exactly what I would have wanted to see on screen. As the creator of Mickey and Mallory, I found their interpretation delightful. I admired the direction they took with it. Essentially, the entire movie embodies the madness of Mickey Knox in a dream-like state.

Apart from everything else, I found it incredibly amusing,” Tarantino remarked, explaining that he watched the film in a nearly vacant IMAX cinema, allowing him to laugh “without disturbing others since there weren’t many people around. I understand that not everyone would find those scenes funny.

Director Quentin Tarantino was particularly impressed with Joaquin Phoenix’s acting, which earned him the Best Actor Oscar in 2019 (over Leonardo DiCaprio in Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”). Tarantino went as far as to say that Phoenix delivered “one of the best performances I’ve ever witnessed in my career” for the movie titled “Folie à Deux.” Additionally, he praised Todd Phillips for embodying the essence of the Joker himself.

“The Joker directed the movie. The entire concept, even him spending the studio’s money — he’s spending it like the Joker would spend it, all right?” Tarantino said. “And then his big surprise gift — haha! — the the jack in the box, when he offers you his hand for a handshake and you get a buzzer with 10,000 volts shooting you — is the comic book geeks. He’s saying fuck you to all of them. He’s saying fuck you to the movie audience. He’s saying fuck you to Hollywood. He’s saying fuck you to anybody who owns any stock at DC and Warner Brothers […] And Todd Phillips is the Joker. Un film de Joker, all right, is what it is. He is the Joker.”

Tarantino greatly preferred the sequel over the 2019 original, finding the original film “monotonous” throughout most of its duration except for its final, climactic scene where Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker shoots Robert De Niro’s talk show host live on air. The director deemed this scene as one of the top scenes produced in the last 20 years and praised it highly, stating that the entire movie was worthwhile just for that moment.

In the movie “Joker: Folie à Deux,” many viewers found its numerous musical sequences and shocking climax off-putting. However, director Quentin Tarantino sees these daring decisions as positive aspects. For a deeper dive into his thoughts, check out his interview on “The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast” here.

2024-10-29 22:16

Quentin Tarantino Praises ‘Joker 2’ and Says Joaquin Phoenix Gives ‘One of the Best Performances I’ve Ever Seen in My Life’: It’s a ‘F— You’ to ‘Comic Book Geeks’ and Hollywood

Read More

Minority Mindset