Divine Magazine
- Advertisement -
Ad imageAd image
  • Home
  • Music
  • Lifestyle
  • Health
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Travel
  • More
    • Automotive
    • Culture
    • Family & Parenting
    • Fashion & Beauty
    • Home & Garden
    • Internet & Technology
    • Pets & Pet Care
    • Real Estate
    • Sports & Fitness
  • Bookmarks
Reading: “Phillips delivers the Holy Grail: an Oscar worthy comic book film”
Share
Divine MagazineDivine Magazine
Aa
  • Home
  • Music
  • Lifestyle
  • Health
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Travel
  • More
  • Bookmarks
Search
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
© 2023 Divine Magazine All Rights Reserved.
Divine Magazine > Blog > Entertainment > Film > “Phillips delivers the Holy Grail: an Oscar worthy comic book film”
EntertainmentFilm

“Phillips delivers the Holy Grail: an Oscar worthy comic book film”

Contributor
Last updated: 2022/08/13
By Contributor Published December 13, 2019
Share
4 Min Read
SHARE

The gluttonous conveyer belt of comic book inspired superhero films, which mainstream audiences have willingly gorged on, has created an ever fattening cash cow for the movie industry. As studio execs climb over one another to suckle on the comic book teat, the only sour taste has been that critics and the academy have afforded only fleeting recognition to the powerhouse franchises which have repeatedly smashed box office records. Save for the late Heath Ledger’s supporting actor award for the previous incarnation of the Joker, the world of DC and Marvel have only featured in the lesser Oscar categories. Perhaps then it was even Ledger’s character that best summed up the sentiment of movie studios towards the Academy:

“Why so serious?”

It has been the Oscars that have come under the most pressure to better align with the increasingly evident tastes of widespread audiences, introducing the “outstanding achievement in mainstream film” category. However, this does little more than to further underline the stance that prestigious core categories are reserved for art which draws on thoughtful themes of society and culture. This has come under increased pressure when recent films like “Get Out” and “Black Panther” pushed strongly on racial tones. The Academy’s attempted counter, that “Green Book” covered the racial challenges faced by black Americans in a more poignant fashion, fell decidedly flat.

So how delighted they must be to see their Dark Knight arrived in the unlikely form of Todd Phillips and his origin story of Artur Fleck and Gotham City. The cartoonish lunacy becoming tangible when tied to the prominent societal topics of our time: Marxism, Mental health and abandonment of those in society that need protection most. (Racial elements aren’t covered here but we at least have a stellar supporting showing by the ever powerful Zazie Beetz)

The DC universe is only lightly referenced throughout and if we were to rename the characters and the city, this would make a fine standalone story of one man’s decadence into lunacy (think the “Falling Down” of our time). Of course, the box office intake of such an effort would be fractional and those sturdy mainstream DC foundations allow Phillips to build emotional connections with just a fleeting reference to an infant Bruce Wayne. Interestingly, where previous efforts depicted the Wayne family as noble and morally bulletproof (poor choice of words) in their vocation to help the unrelatable lower classes, here Philipps deftly builds Thomas Wayne as a political tyrant who sides with the wealthy and shows frustration and disdain for those less privileged. Phonex’s Fleck is made far more relatable as a softly spoken aspiring stand up comedian with a harrowing childhood rather than a criminal Mastermind with perplexing motives.

What perhaps makes this all even more compelling is that the storyline is based on a 1990s New York (Gotham) rather than some futuristic dystopia. As a result, we are left with a deepening sense that not only is this sort of violent revolution a real possibility in the current political environment but perhaps it is even surprising that we haven’t seen a stronger emergence of anarchy to date.

Considering Philipps pedigree has been delivering such comedic powerhouses as Old School, The Hangover and Borat, the accomplishment is all the more staggering.

With such a back catalog, on his venture to make this film how often Philipps must have been asked: “Why so serious?”. It is to his immense credit that he and his stellar cast remained true to form and delivered a triumph.

- Advertisement -

© 2019 – 2022, Contributor. All rights reserved.

TAGGED: arthurfleck, heathledger, holygrail, JoaquinPhoenix, joker, review, ToddPhillips
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Flipboard Pinterest Email Copy Link
Share
What do you think?
Love0
Sad0
Happy0
Sleepy0
Angry0
Dead0
Wink0
Avatar photo
By Contributor
Guest posts by bloggers and writers from around the world. If you'd like to guest post for Divine Magazine, check out this page https://divinemagazine.biz/write-for-us/ for details about how YOU can share your thoughts with our readers.
Previous Article Ursae unveils art indie-pop EP
Next Article C. SHIROCK releases emotive new single
Leave a comment Leave a comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


Latest News

Interview with Tyler Herwig
Music Interviews
Does HVAC Use Gas?
Home & Garden
Anna Elyse Leaves Her Old Self Behind on New Single Slot Machines
Music
Dancing Beyond Boundaries: How Brittany O’Connor Breaks Stereotypes and Inspires Passion
Culture
- Advertisement -

Trending

Jessica Mar Releases Shockingly Provoking New Single “Broken Heart”
Music
Little Billy Lost engage in playful rock and roll voyeurism with ‘Dance Angelina Dance’
Music
Interview with Salli Edwards
Music Interviews
Truth Hurts keeps fans addictive with new single ‘RnB Love’
Music
Charlie Rogers Has The Perfect Country Break Up Song With When He Was Me (Acoustic)
Music

Lifestyle

Ways to Achieve Independence in Your Twenties
Lifestyle
Flipping the Global Narrative: Mark Gober’s Unconventional Take on the World Economic Forum’s Mission
Politics
Tips for Avoiding Airplane Skin
Fashion & Beauty
As Dachshunds Become More Popular, Here’s What First-Time Owners Need To Know
Pets & Pet Care
Top 5 Benefits of Using a Rendering Service for Your Business
Business

Health & Wellbeing

How To Prevent the Adverse Effects of Diabetes on Your Oral Health?
Health
From Hollywood to Home: The Rise of Cosmetic and Laser Dentistry in Everyday Beauty Routines
Health
The Hormone Clinic’s Dr. Rachel Jones Highlights the Pros and Cons of Bioidentical Hormones
Health
What You Need to Know About Fitness Stacks
Sports & Fitness
Exploring the Profound Impact of Embracing Our Emotions: Insights from NASM-Certified Trainer Morgan Cheek on Harnessing Inner Power
Health
Divine Magazine

Divine Magazine is your destination for breaking music news, interviews, and entertainment news. Lifestyle, Fashion, Health, Beauty & Fitness, Real Estate, Business, Interior & Exterior Design & Travel

Latest Posts

Interview with Tyler Herwig
Music Interviews
Does HVAC Use Gas?
Home & Garden
Anna Elyse Leaves Her Old Self Behind on New Single Slot Machines
Music
© 2023 Divine Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Share your news
  • Become a Guest Writer
  • Guest Posting Service
  • Media Kit
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Technical specifications