Alberto Barbera, the head of Venice Film Festival, says that Todd Phillip’s Joker is definitely an Oscar contender.
There is a lot of buzz around Joker – the latest DC movie, starring Joaquin Phoenix as the titular villain. While reviews are certainly impressive, it might be a little early to say that the film has Oscar nominations nailed down.
However, one person who is quite confident about its chances is Alberto Barbera, the Venice Film Festival chief. Barbera spoke to Deadline in a recent interview about the film’s reception and its Oscar chances:
“[Joker’s chances are] very good. Absolutely, it will be in the running… It’s so unpredictable and there’s a long way to go. Joker for sure. Noah Baumbach’s film Marriage Story also had a very warm response from the press. I think it’s his best film so far.”
SEE ALSO: Todd Phillips on the biggest difference between Joaquin Phoenix and Heath Ledger’s Jokers
There’s still a little while until fans will be able to see the film for themselves this October and, of course, audience reaction is far more important than any Oscar buzz. Finger’s crossed DC fans like what they see!
Joker centres around the iconic arch nemesis and is an original, standalone story not seen before on the big screen. The exploration of Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), a man disregarded by society, is not only a gritty character study but also a broader cautionary tale.
Joker is set for release on October 4th 2019 and stars Joaquin Phoenix (The Sisters Brothers), Robert De Niro (Goodfellas), Zazie Beetz (Deadpool 2), Bill Camp (Red Sparrow), Frances Conroy (American Horror Story), Brett Cullen (Narcos), Glenn Fleshler (Billions), Douglas Hodge (Penny Dreadful), Marc Maron (GLOW), Josh Pais (Motherless Brooklyn), Shea Whigham (Kong: Skull Island), Douglas Hodge (Robin Hood) and Dante Pereira-Olson (You Were Never Really Here).
