[The Patriot]

Movie review: Controversy aside, 'Joker' is all setup, no punchline

10-04-2019 07:44 AM

With the amount of controversy surrounding it, "Joker" feels more like an idea and less like an actual movie. Could it possibly stand up to the mythology that has sprung up around it, stoked by breathless film festival hype, pre-emptive misanthropic adoration, gun control activists demanding action and some foot-in-mouth interviews by writer/director Todd Phillips? It absolutely does not live up to its undeserved hype, for better or for worse. And while that may be surprising, it also has to be expected.So what exactly is "Joker"? It’s a great trailer.


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