Tim joined Tom Barnard and the morning show crew on the “The KQ Morning Show” on KQRS-FM Thursday to review the new theatrical releases “The Batman” and “Cyrano.” He will also review the films with Jordana Green on the “Paul and Jordana” show on WCCO-AM. Click to listen to below. All of Tim’s segments are brought to you by Michael Bryant and Bradshaw & Bryant.
Tim Lammers reviews movies weekly for “The KQ92 Morning Show” with Tom Barnard on KQRS-FM, “Paul and Jordana” with Paul Douglas and Jordana Green on WCCO Radio, “It Matters with Kelly Cordes” on WJON-AM, KLZZ-FM, “The Tom Barnard Podcast” and “The BS Show” with Bob Sansevere, and reviews streaming programming on WCCO Radio’s “Paul and Jordana” as well. On TV, Tim has made hundreds of guest appearances on NBC affiliate KARE on the news program “KARE 11 News at 11”.
Joaquin Phoenix gives a masterful performance in an otherwise flawed but still riveting movie in “Joker,” writer-director Todd Phillips’ heady examination of origins of the Clown Prince of Crime in what appears to be – at least at this point – a standalone movie in the DC Comics movie universe. Of course, the iconic Batman arch-nemesis originated in a comic book, but there’s no question Phillips wanted to take the character in the direction of the gritty, 1970s and ‘80s crime films by director Martin Scorsese, specifically “Taxi Driver” and “The King of Comedy.”
Phoenix mentally and physically transforms himself into Arthur Fleck, an extreme outcast and loner who works as a party clown and has grand aspirations of becoming a stand-up comedian. Living a meager existence with his damaged mother (Frances Conroy), Arthur is a man living on the edge of a mental breakdown, and after a couple brutal beatdowns by bullies, snaps with repercussions that he’ll never be able to recover from.
AUDIO: Hear Tim’s review of “Joker” with Tom Barnard on “The KQ Morning Show” on KQRS-FM. Segment is brought to you by Michael Bryant and Bradshaw & Bryant.
Forging a new identity as a murderer who masquerades in clown makeup, Arthur’s murderous ways inspires the malcontents of Gotham City to rise up against the rich, where suddenly powerful citizens like Thomas Wayne (Brett Cullen) become the target of hatred. Making matters worse, Arthur’s idol, talk show host Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro), crushes the fragile comedian wannabe when he mocks his stand-up talents on the air. Because the segment was so popular, though, Murray invites Arthur to appear on the show, marking Arthur’s complete transformation into Joker.
“Joker” without question takes a deeper dive into the character than we’ve ever seen on film, and it’s a blessing Phillips got somebody as enigmatic and talented as Phoenix to take on the ambitious role. With the edge taken off the challenge of being the first person to assume the role after legendary performance of Heath Ledger (Jared Leto was the unfortunate soul to do that with “Suicide Squad”), Phoenix clearly isn’t trying to outdo Ledger in Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” (or for that matter, the brilliant Jack Nicholson in Tim Burton’s classic 1989 “Batman” film), but make the role his own. His uncontrollable laughter (passed off as a medical condition) in “Joker” is chilling (and yes, somewhat grating), but his subtle behavior and the way he contorts his body are the attributes that make the ultra-intense performance complete.
While Phillips clearly creates a new back story for the main character (including a major plot twist that will have purists buzzing), “Joker” could still be considered a part of the DC canon. Not only does the action take place in Gotham pre-Batman, the inclusion of Thomas Wayne in the plot, as well as a young Bruce Wayne (Dante Pereira-Olson), eventually takes the story down the path readers associate with the character of Joker. If the story were to continue, it could easily turn into the classic confrontation of Batman vs. Joker; something Phillips has insisted will not happen, despite director Matt Reeves’ new version of the Caped Crusader called “The Batman” (starring Robert Pattinson).
AUDIO: Hear Tim’s review of “Joker” with Paul Douglas and guest host Mike Max on “Paul and Jordana” on WCCO-AM. Segment is brought to you by Michael Bryant and Bradshaw & Bryant.
While “Joker” populates the Gotham-centric story with Phoenix’s brilliance and solid performances from the likes of De Niro and Zazie Beetz (as Arthur’s neighbor and object of his desire), it’s far from a perfect film. The set-up lumbers along until the point where Arthurs is provided the tool that will lead to his self-destruction, and in-between, a huge plot device meant to be a twist screams predictability. Still, there’s no denying the overwhelming power of the third act, which despite the fact that you can see what’s coming, is a shocking piece of cinema, nonetheless. It’s here that fear in the news media about the film’s excessive violence finally presents itself, and it leaves you with a gut-sickening feeling long after you leave the theater. For all the different ways the character has been presented to audiences before, there’s no doubt that this “Joker” is no laughing matter.
Lammometer: 7.5 (out of 10)
Tim Lammers reviews movies weekly for “The KQ92 Morning Show,” WCCO Radio, WJON-AM, KLZZ-FM, “The Tom Barnard Podcast” and “The BS Show” with Bob Sansevere. On TV, Tim has made hundreds of guest appearances on “KARE 11 News at 11” (NBC).
Sure, director Chris McKay has been at the helm of such irreverent shows as “Robot Chicken,” where there are no limits to the skewering of pop culture icons in stop-motion animation glory. Still, when it came to handing the keys of its monolithic superhero brand over to McKay for “The LEGO Batman Movie,” Warner Bros. and DC Comics had nothing but trust in McKay to use LEGO’s bricks to help build a wonderful story about the Dark Knight and several other DC superheroes — even though it parodies them.
“I think in some ways they knew I would be OK because I have a giant Catwoman tattoo on my arm,” McKay said with a laugh Tuesday in a phone conversation from Los Angeles. “Plus, I’ve expressed my love for DC comic books and some Warner Bros. movies in general, like Richard Donner’s “Superman” and Tim Burton’s “Batman,” as movies that made an impression on me as a kid.
“Yes, the companies want to be very careful in how they present these characters and under what circumstances, but fortunately, they do have a lot of trust and faith in me,” McKay added. “I’ve been really lucky that let me do the things I’ve been able to do with this movie. Yes, we make jokes, but they are loving, affectionate jokes involving these characters.”
McKay is no stranger to the DC/LEGO universe, having served as an editor and animation supervisor on the 2014 blockbuster “The LEGO Movie.” Of course, that film featured LEGO Batman (voiced by Will Arnett), who now — along with his alter-ego Bruce Wayne — gets his own adventure in Gotham City, where he takes on such nefarious criminals as the Joker (Zack Galifianakis) and Harley Quinn (Jenny Slate).
The film, opening in theaters and on IMAX screens nationwide on Friday, also stars Rosario Dawson as the voice of Barbara Gordon/Batgirl, Michael Cera as Dick Grayson/Robin and Ralph Fiennes as Wayne’s loyal butler, Alfred Pennyworth.
Behind-the-scenes footage from the film shows several of the actors in front their microphones, recording dialogue with their LEGO counterparts in hand, and McKay said they weren’t the only ones who used the tiny characters to glean some inspiration.
“We had bowls of bricks in the conference rooms so people could play with stuff when we were having meetings, and if you look at the animators’ desks, you’ll see stuff they started collecting from the first movie that they used to work out animation or design problems, or just to have fun,” McKay said. “I tried to promote that sense of play as much as possible and try to get LEGO to give us as many things as possible to do stuff. On the first movie, I had people doing building exercises with teams. We got a Death Star, Millennium Falcon and Star Destroyer, and split people up into teams to build stuff together. It was fun to see people get nerdy about all the details and geek out about it.”
Much like “The LEGO Movie,” “The LEGO Batman Movie” has a distinct, stop-motion animated feel to it, And while the animation in both films is completely computer-generated, McKay – whose credits in addition to “Robot Chicken” include “Moral Orel” and “Titan Maximum” — would love to somehow implement stop-motion into future LEGO movie projects. In the meantime, he said, it’s key to have people on the films that have stop-motion sensibilities.
“One thing I try to do is hire stop-motion animators who know a little bit about CG,” McKay said. “The rigs are simple enough for somebody who has a passing knowledge of CG to come in. On ‘The LEGO Batman Movie,’ I brought in one of my favorite stop-motion animators from ‘Robot Chicken’ — her influence on the animation and her character animation was so great that I thought she was absolutely essential to making this movie.”
It takes no more than a matter of seconds of watching “Birdman, or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” to draw the conclusion that Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu wrote his dizzying opus solely for veteran “Batman” actor Michael Keaton.
But wishing someone like Keaton would star in his film, Iñárritu said, and having him actually committing to it, are two different things — especially for a man whose career path mirrors the film’s narrative so closely in real life.
“I think Michael was always in my mind, that Michael was always the best for the part, and I don’t think it would be nearly what it is without him,” Iñárritu told me in a recent interview. “I never try to write a script for anybody specifically because it could be very traumatic for me if for some reason the person would not do it. But once I finished the script, I knew that he would be the best choice.”
Michael Keaton in “Birdman” (photo: Fox Searchlight Pictures).
Expanding into more theaters Friday, “Birdman” stars Keaton as Riggan Thompson, struggling former film star whose life is in the dumps after starring in three blockbuster “Birdman” movies more than two decades before. His apparent salvation lies in a Broadway play, an all-or-nothing comeback piece in which he stars, directs and produces.
Before he launches into the critical preview period, however, Riggan has to confront a nasty nest full of problems, including the personal issues of a grown-up daughter (Emma Stone) he never really knew; a cast of helplessly neurotic actors including an arrogant Broadway star (Ed Norton) who does his best to sabotage the play at every turn; and a vicious theater critic whose all-powerful reviews can either give life to or quickly kill every production that dares to tread the boards on the Great White Way.
Hovering above the potential disaster-in-the-making, though, is Riggan’s Birdman alter-ego, which has become such a part of his life that he appears to take on the character’s mystical powers at times, and is often haunted by the superhero’s gravelly voice. Fending off interviewers who really only care if there will be a fourth “Birdman” film, Riggan knows he will only truly be set free if he can stage a performance to kill off his blue feathered character once and for all.
Iñárritu, whose previous films include the Oscar-nominated “Babel” and the heartbreaking drama “21 Grams,” says the idea, while mirroring the travails of a former superhero star, actually comes from the voices he hears while struggling with his ego.
“There’s a voice that we all have that judges us and punishes us,” Iñárritu said. “The voice that I hear especially during the creative process, that is full of doubts and is never satisfied. Perfection can always drive you crazy. I can be very cruel with myself sometimes. The ego works in a very tyrannical, data ship mode.”
Iñárritu said once he became aware of that “inner voice” concept, he thought it would be a great theme for somebody in a movie. But translating those complex thoughts isn’t exactly the easiest thing to do, as he found out.
“It took me a long time to come up with that abstract of having a presence like that which is so intense,” Iñárritu said. “It’s in all of us, but at the same time it’s very silent. Still it manipulates all of us. It’s important that it awakens you and you see it clearly, because if not, you are f—-d.”
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During the long creative process of “Birdman,” Iñárritu said he had lunch in Mexico one day with Tim Burton, who prior to 1989’s “Batman” and 1992’s “Batman Returns” worked with Keaton on the classic supernatural comedy “Beetlejuice” in 1988. Iñárritu said Burton’s insights into Keaton were invaluable.
“He told me that Michael, beside his funny side, has a very, very dark side to him, and it’s true,” Iñárritu said. “He said that Michael is a very complex person, a beautiful human being and a very self-assured guy who can really navigate through drama and comedy. That’s why I wanted him, beyond the fact that he was Batman and the reality he could bring to the film. There are few actors that can bring the complex nature that this character needed. The fact that he can navigate through both genres is unique.”
While Keaton is naturally the focus of “Birdman,” the fragile states of Riggan’s fellow actors – Norton, Naomi Watts and Andrew Riseborough — are also examined in the film. And having worked with many different performers over the years, Iñárritu says actors can be very vulnerable due to the nature of the profession, if not a bit bat-s–t crazy at times, as demonstrated in “Birdman.”
“The nature of acting is very complex, because in order to be good, they can’t be themselves. It’s a very strange job to pretend to be others,” the filmmaker said. “It’s very difficult and puts them in a very vulnerable position, and they so much on others, the material and the applause. It’s a lone wolf way of living, yet at the same time fantastic. It’s a journey through their own kind of consciousness and knowledge. They have to be very perceptive, very sensitive and they have to look very deeply into life and reabsorb it. It’s complex and a little cuckoo, I guess.”
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Original Interviews, Reviews & More By Tim Lammers
