Joker Described as 'Cinematic Achievement on a High Level' by TIFF 2019 Co-Head

A lot of hype is building up for the release of Todd Phillips' Joker, and the film is coming to the Toronto International Film Festival this year. The comic book movie is actually set to Gala presentation for TIFF 2019, and co-head and artistic director Cameron Bailey hypes up the film.

Talking to the Toronto Sun, Bailey says, "First of all [Joker is] terrific. So it should play on our largest stage. But it's a really original take on comic book movies and on the Joker character in particular. It's not based on an existing story, it has one of the greatest actors in modern cinema, Joaquin Phoenix, in the lead, and Robert De Niro is in it as well, one of the best actors that has ever lived."

But it has an interesting tone and approach to it. It's set in the late '70s, early '80s and it feels like it was made then. It's gritty in its look. It has references to Martin Scorsese's filmmaking and it feels like a cinematic achievement on a high level. Although it's working with very populist material, it has great ambition. That's why it's a Gala," Bailey went on.

While the movie is centered on characters that originated in the comics, the trailer gives off a lot of inspiration from films—Martin Scorsese's work in particular. You'll see there's a lot of influence from Taxi Driver and even the lesser-known King of Comedy—both starring Robert De Niro, who coincidentally, is also in Joker.

After two kid-friendly installments, fans are ready to go back to the dark and gritty version of the DCEU, and Joker seems to fit the bill. Hopefully, this one will be one self-contained story, because God knows we don't need another separate franchise to run alongside the established DCEU.

Catch Joker in theaters Oct. 4.

See Also: New Joker Film Praised as Oscar-Worthy by Venice Film Festival Director