MovieChat Forums > Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) Discussion > Quentin Tarantino says he loved Joker 2

Quentin Tarantino says he loved Joker 2

posted a month ago by bozo_500 (13104)
23 replies | jump to latest

Quentin Tarantino has come out in support of the critical and commercial flop Joker: Folie à Deux.

The writer-director sang the musical sequel’s praises during a recent appearance on Bret Easton Ellis’s podcast. The Todd Phillips-directed follow-up to his 2019 hit Joker scored a 32% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

“I really, really liked it, really,” he said. “A lot. Like, tremendously, and I went to see it expecting to be impressed by the film-making but I thought it was going to be an arms-length, intellectual exercise that ultimately I wouldn’t think worked like a movie, but that I would appreciate it for what it is. And I’m just nihilistic enough to kind of enjoy a movie that doesn’t quite work as a movie or that’s like a big, giant mess to some degree. And I didn’t find it an intellectual exercise. I really got caught up into it.”

Tarantino added that Joaquin Phoenix gave “one of the best performances I’ve ever seen in my life” and that the film offered the version of Natural Born Killers that he “would have dreamed of seeing”. Tarantino’s original script for the Oliver Stone-directed satire was drastically rewritten back in the 1990s.

He also praised Phillips. “The Joker directed the movie,” he said. “The entire concept, even him spending the studio’s money – he’s spending it like the Joker would spend it, all right? … 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.”

The Pulp Fiction auteur called it a “really funny” film and said that he “really liked the musical sequences

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/oct/29/quentin-tarantino-praises-flop-joker-sequel

[–] Creamofdacrop884 (1672) a month ago

An interesting taste Quentin has.

[–] fc31 (5363) 23 days ago

That is what people in entertainment business say in front of cameras, it is rarely negative.

Also he has not had anything lined up for him in 5 years, other than a podcast and a short. Things just went cold after "Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood".

I am guessing there is a bit of urge to suck up to relevant people.

[–] TheArgentinian (7058) 22 days ago

you think QT is an ass kisser? lol. Clueless.

[–] fc31 (5363) 22 days ago

When you are unemployed for 5 years, I bet you will sing a different tune.

[–] TheArgentinian (7058) 22 days ago

You think he hasn't directed because he can't get a job?! How fucking clueless you are.

[–] fc31 (5363) 22 days ago

Of course he couldn't, if he wanted to take a break from work, he would have tried to keep a low profile, not commenting on the works of others this way, which is very apparent that he was trying to attract attention.

[–] MartyDeniro (4171) 7 days ago

WTF? He's been blabbing about favorite films -- and publicly opining on nearly everything -- for decades. And he's defending a critical and commercial flop, using his rarefied status to defend a director/film under fire. He's one of the few directors that can sell a movie with his name alone, and can say nearly anything with impunity. The idea that he's "unemployed" and trying to suck up in some way is absurd. His quirky takes on films have been part of his badge since forever. Terrible misread. And I'm no QT disciple. I think he's grossly overrated.

[–] TheEndIsNigh (263) 22 days ago

He's not shy about expressing his opinions about films and performances he doesn't like BUT

"I knew Harvey Weinstein did some of those things"

Yet he continued to be friends with him because he was a producer with clout. That makes Tarantino a huge ass kisser.

[–] TheEndIsNigh (263) a month ago

Well at least someone liked it. Todd Phillips can sleep easy now. "It got a critical mauling and it's a box-office disaster but at least Tarantino liked it. Screw you movie going public!".

Haven't seen it and have no intention to but are there a few shots of Gaga's feet in it by any chance?

[–] capuchin (3182) a month ago

I haven't seen it. But it already seems fairly clear it's a film that is going to be subject to a critical re-evaluation further down the line. Of course, that'll afford it cult status... which probably wasn't what Warner Bros had in mind when they spent $200m on it. But, y'know, it's something.

[–] DoctorThirteen (13920) 20 days ago

I wouldn't be surprised if that happened.

[–] capuchin (3182) 20 days ago

Yeah, I think the process is already starting. Tarantino enjoyed it. Mark Kermode enjoyed it. These are two archetypal 'cult movie' guys. Some of the less-than-mainstream people I know enjoyed it too (although some of them very much did not.)

Just feels like it's one of those that audiences are going to embrace more ten years down the line when all the hype and expectations have long gone.

That still won't help the fact that they spent $200m on it and it failed miserably with a mainstream audience. But I'd put good money on it being re-evaluated and gaining cult status.

[–] DoctorThirteen (13920) 20 days ago

I haven't seen it yet, but that's encouraging that Mark Kermode enjoyed it. I generally agree with his likes/dislikes.

[–] capuchin (3182) 20 days ago

Kermode and Mayo both agreed it was better than the first one. I don't know if I'm going to agree. But I will definitely see it at some point because of them.

I also note that it's done a bit better internationally than it has done in the USA.Not brilliantly, but better. Whisper it, but some of the reaction -- not all of it, but some of it -- is culture war nonsense, innit.

[–] rateater (10009) a month ago

did he like the story and direction and acting etc?

i didn’t see it.

[–] Melton (4435) a month ago

[deleted]

[–] darkpast (8716) a month ago

good movie 👍👍

[–] Mustang (5418) a month ago

So a self confessed fan of bad movies endorses a film which has flopped hard. I am not a fan of Tarantino films so will not take his endorsement of this bad movie. I didn't like the first Joker film anyway.

[–] Kippito (112) 25 days ago

Quentin also loves A Fistful of Dollars.. which I'm sorry, but that movie is terrible.