Fans were surprised when it was revealed that Joker would be screened as a Gala presentation at this year's Toronto International Film Festival, and now the organisation's co-head has offered his review...





There's already a lot of Oscar buzz surrounding the DC Comics adaptation (well, we know it won't actually be an adaptation, as such) and Bailey has made it clear that the Clown Prince of Crime's origin story is worthy of a place at the prestigious event. "First of all it’s terrific. So it should play on our largest stage," he explains. "But it’s a really original take on comic book movies and on the Joker character in particular. It’s not based on an existing story."



"It has one of the greatest actors in modern cinema, Joaquin Phoenix, in the lead, and Robert De Niro is in it as well, one of the best actors that has ever lived," he continued before pointing out that the standalone movie "has an interesting tone and approach to it." "It’s set in the late ’70s, early ’80s and it feels like it was made then. It’s gritty in its look. It has references to Martin Scorsese’s filmmaking and it feels like a cinematic achievement on a high level. Although it’s working with very populist material, it has great ambition. That’s why it’s a Gala."



That's high praise indeed and it definitely sounds like Warner Bros. has something special on their hands with Joker. Whether comic book fans will embrace the movie is another matter, especially as it's clear that director Todd Phillips is doing something very different with the character, and won't necessarily be sticking to the source material with this take on the iconic Batman villain.



What do you guys think?

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spoiler-filled breakdown of what happens in Joker!

1981



It's said that Joker takes place in Gotham City in 1981, and the iconic DC Comics location is at its lowest point with a crime wave and garbage strike leaving it dirtier and more dangerous than ever.



Arthur Fleck is just a nobody who works as a clown for a talent booking agency and he has a social worker keeping a close eye on him because he has some serious mental health issues. Those include an uncontrollable habit of laughing whenever he's nervous, something which doesn't help with his desire to become a stand-up comic.



He's also a caretaker for his mother, a former housekeeper for the Wayne family... It's pretty obvious that Joker is going to be a comic book movie unlike any other, and now Cameron Bailey, the co-head and artistic director of the Toronto International Film Festival, has shared his review.There's already a lot of Oscar buzz surrounding the DC Comics adaptation (well, we know it won't actually be an adaptation, as such) and Bailey has made it clear that the Clown Prince of Crime's origin story is worthy of a place at the prestigious event.he explains.he continued before pointing out that the standalone movieIt's said that Joker takes place in Gotham City in 1981, and the iconic DC Comics location is at its lowest point with a crime wave and garbage strike leaving it dirtier and more dangerous than ever.Arthur Fleck is just a nobody who works as a clown for a talent booking agency and he has a social worker keeping a close eye on him because he has some serious mental health issues. Those include an uncontrollable habit of laughing whenever he's nervous, something which doesn't help with his desire to become a stand-up comic.He's also a caretaker for his mother, a former housekeeper for the Wayne family...

Thomas Wayne's Mission



As expected, Thomas Wayne is running to become the new Mayor of Gotham City, and he promises to clean up the city (both literally and figuratively). He's a good man but has been ignoring his former employee, as Fleck's mother has spent months trying to contact him to no avail.



She's as deranged as her son, though, so it's hardly a surprise that he's not reading her correspondence. As expected, Thomas Wayne is running to become the new Mayor of Gotham City, and he promises to clean up the city (both literally and figuratively). He's a good man but has been ignoring his former employee, as Fleck's mother has spent months trying to contact him to no avail.She's as deranged as her son, though, so it's hardly a surprise that he's not reading her correspondence.

Arthur's Downfall



Fleck ends up losing his job and that appears to be the final nail in the coffin for his fractured psyche. After being mocked on the subway, he violently kills three Wall Street guys who are also harassing a young woman and these murders inspire a "Resist" movement against Gotham's wealthy elite.



With Thomas Wayne viewed as the "voice of the rich," the poor start turning on him. While this is happening, Arthur tries his hand at stand-up during an open mic night at a local comedy club. His set completely bombs, and footage of his performance ends up being sent to Live With Murray Franklin. The TV show host, played by Robert De Niro, wastes no time in ridiculing poor Arthur.

Fleck ends up losing his job and that appears to be the final nail in the coffin for his fractured psyche. After being mocked on the subway, he violently kills three Wall Street guys who are also harassing a young woman and these murders inspire a "Resist" movement against Gotham's wealthy elite.With Thomas Wayne viewed as the "voice of the rich," the poor start turning on him. While this is happening, Arthur tries his hand at stand-up during an open mic night at a local comedy club. His set completely bombs, and footage of his performance ends up being sent to Live With Murray Franklin. The TV show host, played by Robert De Niro, wastes no time in ridiculing poor Arthur.

The Big Reveal



The cops are investigating Arthur for his involvement in those murder,s but he's busy reading one of his deranged mother's letters to Thomas Wayne and stumbles across a pretty major revelation.



She claims that Arthur is the illegitimate son of Thomas Wayne and that makes Joker the half-brother of Bruce Wayne, a.k.a. Batman, a twist which has been rumoured ever since last year.



That's it from Splash Report but we've done some digging and found several other leaks online which line up with this one. However, major spoilers (including how Joker ends) now follow...

The cops are investigating Arthur for his involvement in those murder,s but he's busy reading one of his deranged mother's letters to Thomas Wayne and stumbles across a pretty major revelation.She claims that Arthur is the illegitimate son of Thomas Wayne and that makes Joker the half-brother of Bruce Wayne, a.k.a. Batman, a twist which has been rumoured ever since last year.

...Or Not!



Arthur later learns that while his mother was obsessed with Thomas, they never actually slept together and he's not his son after all. However, she was aware that her boyfriend (and presumably his real father) was sexually abusing Arthur when he was a young child, so he heads to Arkham Asylum and kills her.



At this point, he's invited on to Live With Murray Franklin but fully embraces his new persona as The Joker while all of this is happening, and he murders several people who have wronged him.



Zazie Beetz's character isn't among them, despite the fact that his feelings for her were extremely one-sided and past leaks have claimed that he kills her after being rejected earlier in the movie.

Arthur later learns that while his mother was obsessed with Thomas, they never actually slept together and he's not his son after all. However, she was aware that her boyfriend (and presumably his real father) was sexually abusing Arthur when he was a young child, so he heads to Arkham Asylum and kills her.At this point, he's invited on to Live With Murray Franklin but fully embraces his new persona as The Joker while all of this is happening, and he murders several people who have wronged him.Zazie Beetz's character isn't among them, despite the fact that his feelings for her were extremely one-sided and past leaks have claimed that he kills her after being rejected earlier in the movie.

Bang



The Joker appears on that talk show but shoots Franklin in the head on air and proceeds to deliver a speech that riles up Gotham City's citizens and encourages them to rise up against the wealthy.



A riot breaks out, and it's during this that Thomas and Martha Wayne end up being gunned down (thereby providing a very different twist on the Clown Prince of Crime's origin story). The police chase Arthur down and finally catch and arrest him after he's hit by a passing taxi. The movie then ends with him in Arkham Asylum, and he's so out of his mind by this point, he dances around his cell.



Apparently, that's a recurring theme in the movie and while this scene is set to Frank Sinatra's "That's Life," the sequence of him dancing down those steps is to Elton John's "Benny And The Jets."

The Joker appears on that talk show but shoots Franklin in the head on air and proceeds to deliver a speech that riles up Gotham City's citizens and encourages them to rise up against the wealthy.A riot breaks out, and it's during this that Thomas and Martha Wayne end up being gunned down (thereby providing a very different twist on the Clown Prince of Crime's origin story). The police chase Arthur down and finally catch and arrest him after he's hit by a passing taxi. The movie then ends with him in Arkham Asylum, and he's so out of his mind by this point, he dances around his cell.Apparently, that's a recurring theme in the movie and while this scene is set to Frank Sinatra's "That's Life," the sequence of him dancing down those steps is to Elton John's "Benny And The Jets."

Not That Much Joker



Other details revealed include the fact that Joker is a hard R and only features Fleck in costume for around the last 30 minutes. Splash Report goes so far as to say that, "I am guaranteeing an Oscar nomination for Joaquin Phoenix. His Arthur Fleck is incredible. For a while, I thought his Johnny Cash would be his signature performance. I think we’ll be proven wrong in 5 months."



They add that, "Robert De Niro has a very juicy role, and he could potentially be in the conversation come award season." Whether fans will embrace the film in the same way is hard to say, especially as it takes so many liberties with the source material based on this intel.

Other details revealed include the fact that Joker is a hard R and only features Fleck in costume for around the last 30 minutes. Splash Report goes so far as to say that,They add that,Whether fans will embrace the film in the same way is hard to say, especially as it takes so many liberties with the source material based on this intel.

This plot leak differs somewhat to the one that found its way online last year, but there are definite similarities and it's possible that reshoots have changed the structure of the film to remove some of the controversial elements such as Thomas actually being Arthur's father. There's lots to discuss here regardless, and while it sounds like a good movie, will it be a good comic book movie?

Continue reading below for a recap of the biggest reveals from Joker's set photos!



Meet Arthur Fleck







Arthur could be seen leaving "Ha Ha's" talent agency looking miserable as sin before being confronted by a guy dressed as a clown, cracking a joke, and then giving his nose a good squeeze. Perhaps Arthur feels at this point in time that comedians like that are beneath him but little does he know what's in store for him moving forward... Our first look at Joaquin Phoenix's "Arthur Fleck" came via Joker director Todd Phillips but it took no time at all for set photos to surface featuring a maniacal looking Arthur having a good laugh on Amusement Mile.Arthur could be seen leaving "Ha Ha's" talent agency looking miserable as sin before being confronted by a guy dressed as a clown, cracking a joke, and then giving his nose a good squeeze. Perhaps Arthur feels at this point in time that comedians like that are beneath him but little does he know what's in store for him moving forward...



The Joker Is Revealed







In those, we saw what will presumably be the villain's final look as he could be seen with green hair, a colourful suit, and smeared makeup which definitely gives him a menacing vibe. It appeared as if he had incited some sort of riot on the subway and in a video which was also shared at the time, we saw protesters attacking Thomas Wayne in the background. The test video featuring Phoenix decked out in his Joker makeup which was shared by Phillips generated an awful lot of discussion but our best look at the Clown Prince of Crime came courtesy of some revealing set photos In those, we saw what will presumably be the villain's final look as he could be seen with green hair, a colourful suit, and smeared makeup which definitely gives him a menacing vibe. It appeared as if he had incited some sort of riot on the subway and in a video which was also shared at the time, we saw protesters attacking Thomas Wayne in the background.



"The Losers' Club"



Bryan Callen's male stripper was also spotted on set fairly early on and it appears as if he belongs to the same talent agency as Arthur and that overweight clown we mentioned at the start of this post. Presumably, they're all looking for their big break in Gotham City and it should be interesting seeing what role, if any, these apparent "friends" of Arthur's have on his journey.



Arthur's Obsession



We don't know much about Zazie Beetz's Sophie Dumont beyond the fact that she lives in the same apartment building as Arthur and is the object of his affections. In these intriguing photos , he could seemingly be seen stalking Sophie through Gotham and she's definitely not her normal glam self.



Thomas Wayne Is Running For Mayor







That goes some way in explaining how The Joker has so much support from Gotham City's citizens as the last thing the disenfranchised probably want is a billionaire running things. Recent casting additions have revealed that Bruce Wayne does indeed exist in this world and that Alfred Pennyworth will also be making an appearance. That probably means no Batman but Thomas is clearly a busy man at this point in time because photos have confirmed that he's running for mayor!That goes some way in explaining how The Joker has so much support from Gotham City's citizens as the last thing the disenfranchised probably want is a billionaire running things.



Stalking Turns To Love?







Does that mean she eventually falls for Arthur only for something to happen to her which pushes the already unhinged Arthur over the edge? That certainly seems like one fairly likely possibility. Despite the fact that it appears as if Arthur is stalking Sophie at one point in the movie, later images showed the two of them catching up in a diner...before he breaks into a maniacal laugh!Does that mean she eventually falls for Arthur only for something to happen to her which pushes the already unhinged Arthur over the edge? That certainly seems like one fairly likely possibility.



The Joker May Be The Movie's Hero



While The Joker has his fair share of followers in the comics, they're normally Arkham Asylum escapees. In this movie, however, it appears as if those who aren't in the 1% will rally behind the Clown Prince of Crime and many extras have been seen holding up signs saying they want him to become mayor. Could it be that he'll eventually run against Thomas Wayne? That would be...weird!



He's Also A Happy Clown







That presumably comes as a result of his stand-up career being a complete failure and the make-up he's wearing resembles what we later see him in as does the green wig so this is definitely the prototype "Joker" before he transforms into a full-blown baddie. If you're wondering where Arthur gets the idea to become a clown, it seemingly stems from him being forced to degrade himself by dressing up as a clown and holding one of those signs on the street pointing people to deals they can find in nearby stores.That presumably comes as a result of his stand-up career being a complete failure and the make-up he's wearing resembles what we later see him in as does the green wig so this is definitely the prototype "Joker" before he transforms into a full-blown baddie.



The Batmobile May Make An Appearance







Seeing as Phoenix's Joker is also heavily inspired by Caesar Romero's, it would make sense for Batman to have that version of his car in this movie but it's just as likely that this was for a random event nearby and isn't associated with the movie in any way. Still, the prospect of Batman appearing in some form is definitely intriguing, especially now we know Bruce Wayne will show up. This is far from confirmed but one fan claims to have spotted the Batmobile on the set of the movie and it was almost identical to the version the Caped Crusader drove in the 1960s TV series.Seeing as Phoenix's Joker is also heavily inspired by Caesar Romero's, it would make sense for Batman to have that version of his car in this movie but it's just as likely that this was for a random event nearby and isn't associated with the movie in any way. Still, the prospect of Batman appearing in some form is definitely intriguing, especially now we know Bruce Wayne will show up.



A First Look At Thomas Wayne



There's been a lot of speculation that Arthur will be outed as the illegitimate son of Thomas Wayne and these photos definitely pointed to him trying to get the billionaire's attention as Phoenix was spotted trying to chase him down before tumbling to the floor. We know his mother may be connected to Thomas in some way so perhaps he's acting on her behalf during this embarrassing fall.



A Potentially Major Spoiler







We'll have to wait and see but I don't think the plot will be as simple as The Joker being arrested and being made to pay for his crimes! My guess is he's the one who kills Thomas and Martha... In one of the biggest spoilers we've seen to date , The Joker was seen being hauled away in the back of a police cruiser while laughing like a maniac. In all honesty, this could be something which happens at the halfway point but it's hard not to wonder if these shots could ultimately be from the final act as the cops finally catch up to Gotham City's new Clown Prince of Crime.We'll have to wait and see but I don't think the plot will be as simple as The Joker being arrested and being made to pay for his crimes! My guess is he's the one who kills Thomas and Martha...

