"I'd like to say I grew up studying great Renaissance paintings," smiles Todd Phillips, "but I grew up watching movies and learning from movies and being inspired movies." Born in Brooklyn in 1970 by and raised in the era of New Hollywood, when young directors such as Martin Scorsese, Brian De Palma and Francis Ford Coppola were cutting their teeth, Phillips's influences have most certainly found their way into his latest – and arguably greatest – film, Joker.
A gritty and intense spin on the origins of Batman's arch enemy, "the impetus for it was to try and do a deep-dive character study in the vein of the films I grew up loving", explains Phillips. "It's a harder thing to push through the studio system nowadays, to get a movie like that made, where you can get a great actor and really, really do some intense character study. I thought: 'Maybe you could get it made if you made it about one of these comic book things that seem to be all the rage.'"
Given how beholden Hollywood currently is to the comic-book genre, it's sensible thinking. So was choosing the Joker. From Cesar Romero's camp turn in the 1960s Batman TV show to Jack Nicholson's cartoonish portrayal in Tim Burton's Batman (1989), Heath Ledger's Oscar-winning effort in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight (2008) and Jared Leto's ghoulish incarnation in the lamentable Suicide Squad (2016), the villain endures. But Phillips wanted to filter his backstory through "as realistic a lens as possible".
He and co-writer Scott Silver penned the role of Arthur Fleck, a sad-sack professional clown who ultimately transforms into the Joker, with Joaquin Phoenix in mind. The actor admits to having initial reservations. "There was something that felt fresh, exciting and terrifying about it," he says. "It was quite an experience reading through the script. I had so many different feelings about the character, and they kept changing. I wasn't sure where I stood with them. And there was something very unsettling about that."
Review: Todd Phillips’s ‘Joker’ changes the face of the popular character
Much has been made of the film's nods to Scorsese's Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy, references that are inevitably magnified by the casting of Robert De Niro – the star of both – as Murray Franklin, a TV chat-show host that would-be stand-up comic Arthur fantasises about meeting. Yet, as Phillips points out, Sidney Lumet's Network and Dog Day Afternoon and Milos Forman's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest – three other key films from the era – are just as influential.
Curiously, though, the biggest reference point was a 1928 silent movie, The Man Who Laughs, about a young man who has a permanent smile carved into his face to symbolise his father's treachery. "What The Man Who Laughs really explored was the idea of laughter through pain, which is deeply embedded in this film," says Phillips, who appropriately enough has spent his Hollywood career working in comedies such as The Hangover, Old School and Due Date.
Phoenix's preparation took him in a different direction. He watched videos of those afflicted with the pseudobulbar affect, a condition causing involuntary fits of laughter and tears, something we see in Arthur. Also working with choreographer Michael Arnold, he studied movement, resulting in a hugely physical performance. "It seemed like it might be an interesting way to show the transformation; the change that he goes through from Arthur to Joker," says Phoenix.
As Phillips points out, “One of the first things we spoke about when we met was [that] Arthur has music in him. Music in him implies he has grace and I think there is a grace in him that doesn’t really come out until he becomes Joker.” Indeed, it was music that saved the film. For a key bathroom scene, where Arthur is dyeing his hair green, the director was stuck. “There are 200 crew people waiting outside the bathroom,” recalls Phillips, “and we had no idea what we were going to shoot.”
He then played Phoenix some music from Hildur Gudnadottir's score, which – unusually – had been written before a frame of the movie was shot. Phoenix immediately started moving his body in front of the mirror in what can only be described as a bizarre tai-chi style interpretative dance. "I was really responding to the music," he says. "That bathroom scene was such a transformative moment, not only for the character but for us. We discovered a way of working."
Their collaboration remained fluid. Another key scene, which takes place on the subway, was changed radically on the day. “There were many scenes we shot that way,” says Phoenix. “It never felt like we were just showing up and hitting marks.” No wonder the film, which won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival last month, was greeted with an eight-minute standing ovation when it premiered. Sometimes, you just have to applaud the blood, sweat and tears.
Joker is in UAE cinemas from Thursday, October 3
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
NYBL PROFILE
Company name: Nybl
Date started: November 2018
Founder: Noor Alnahhas, Michael LeTan, Hafsa Yazdni, Sufyaan Abdul Haseeb, Waleed Rifaat, Mohammed Shono
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Software Technology / Artificial Intelligence
Initial investment: $500,000
Funding round: Series B (raising $5m)
Partners/Incubators: Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 4, Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 6, AI Venture Labs Cohort 1, Microsoft Scale-up
The Baghdad Clock
Shahad Al Rawi, Oneworld
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
The Travel Diaries of Albert Einstein The Far East, Palestine, and Spain, 1922 – 1923
Editor Ze’ev Rosenkranz
Princeton
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Fixtures
Opening day Premier League fixtures for August 9-11
August 9
Liverpool v Norwich 11pm
August 10
West Ham v Man City 3.30pm
Bournemouth v Sheffield Utd 6pm
Burnley v Southampton 6pm
C Palace v Everton 6pm
Leicester v Wolves 6pm
Watford v Brighton 6pm
Tottenham v Aston Villa 8.30pm
August 11
Newcastle v Arsenal 5pm
Man United v Chelsea 7.30pm
THE%C2%A0SPECS
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THREE
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Nayla%20Al%20Khaja%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Jefferson%20Hall%2C%20Faten%20Ahmed%2C%20Noura%20Alabed%2C%20Saud%20Alzarooni%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
The BIO
Favourite piece of music: Verdi’s Requiem. It’s awe-inspiring.
Biggest inspiration: My father, as I grew up in a house where music was constantly played on a wind-up gramophone. I had amazing music teachers in primary and secondary school who inspired me to take my music further. They encouraged me to take up music as a profession and I follow in their footsteps, encouraging others to do the same.
Favourite book: Ian McEwan’s Atonement – the ending alone knocked me for six.
Favourite holiday destination: Italy - music and opera is so much part of the life there. I love it.
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Liverpool v Manchester City, Sunday, 8.30pm UAE
Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi
“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dual%20electric%20motors%20with%20102kW%20battery%20pack%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E570hp%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20890Nm%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERange%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Up%20to%20428km%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh1%2C700%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
