For better or worse, I don't think "Joker" really has much to say (unless you really hate Wall Street types that sing showtimes in the subway). But there is a general sadness and a worthlessness that captivates in one way.
I've heard a lot of people mock this little seen movie "I Melt With You" from a few years back, a mostly improvised movie made by privileged white guys about privileged white guys who have a mournful retreat in the desert somewhere to feel better about their lives only to end up feeling much worse. I am Latino, so I've seen more than a few Sad White Guy movies. Several moments of this movie (including the suspense thriller third act) just felt phony and precious.
But also, there was a vibe running through the film, an inarticulate sense of melancholy that, in a sense, I could feel. Surely there's something universal about losing your purpose at some point in your existence, and vainly trying to claw it back into existence. It's such an easy movie to mock, but that sadness felt real.
I suppose it was the same about "Joker". For that reason alone (buoyed by an empathetic performance by Phoenix), I'm left with that shaky feeling as soon as Joker walks onto the Murray Franklin stage. It's as if, in that moment, this broken man could commit any outlandish and cruel act, and it would be completely in line with our perception of this guy as an inadequate, hurt person. I've seen it on TV many times, and it feels like my pulse quickens during those moments.
I haven’t seen “I Melt With You” yet, but I’ve always been interested in checking it out at some point because it’s directed by Mark Pellington, who made two of my favourite films: “Arlington Road” and “The Mothman Prophecies”. And while he’s never made anything as high profile again in the two decades since, I do want to see if he’s still got the juice in the lesser-seen films he’s made since.
It’s nice to hear someone say something positive about “I Melt With You” for once!
Yeah, I've had warm feelings for Pellington too. "I Melt With You" is mostly shot on DV, but there are a few nice raw images, and he certainly lets the actors act. Through his music video connections, he's also probably the reason the movie has a super-loaded soundtrack too.
There's a version of that movie directed by a nobody in an alternate reality, and that version might be the worst movie ever made.
Very thoughtful take on this movie.
For better or worse, I don't think "Joker" really has much to say (unless you really hate Wall Street types that sing showtimes in the subway). But there is a general sadness and a worthlessness that captivates in one way.
I've heard a lot of people mock this little seen movie "I Melt With You" from a few years back, a mostly improvised movie made by privileged white guys about privileged white guys who have a mournful retreat in the desert somewhere to feel better about their lives only to end up feeling much worse. I am Latino, so I've seen more than a few Sad White Guy movies. Several moments of this movie (including the suspense thriller third act) just felt phony and precious.
But also, there was a vibe running through the film, an inarticulate sense of melancholy that, in a sense, I could feel. Surely there's something universal about losing your purpose at some point in your existence, and vainly trying to claw it back into existence. It's such an easy movie to mock, but that sadness felt real.
I suppose it was the same about "Joker". For that reason alone (buoyed by an empathetic performance by Phoenix), I'm left with that shaky feeling as soon as Joker walks onto the Murray Franklin stage. It's as if, in that moment, this broken man could commit any outlandish and cruel act, and it would be completely in line with our perception of this guy as an inadequate, hurt person. I've seen it on TV many times, and it feels like my pulse quickens during those moments.
Fromtheyardtothearthouse.substack.com
I haven’t seen “I Melt With You” yet, but I’ve always been interested in checking it out at some point because it’s directed by Mark Pellington, who made two of my favourite films: “Arlington Road” and “The Mothman Prophecies”. And while he’s never made anything as high profile again in the two decades since, I do want to see if he’s still got the juice in the lesser-seen films he’s made since.
It’s nice to hear someone say something positive about “I Melt With You” for once!
😁
Yeah, I've had warm feelings for Pellington too. "I Melt With You" is mostly shot on DV, but there are a few nice raw images, and he certainly lets the actors act. Through his music video connections, he's also probably the reason the movie has a super-loaded soundtrack too.
There's a version of that movie directed by a nobody in an alternate reality, and that version might be the worst movie ever made.
Fromtheyardtothearthouse.substack.com
Great write up....very interesting.
My opinion on Joker? It was "ok." I mean it wasn't fucking Fellini or anything. It was entertaining for a moment and then I moved on.