Joaquin Phoenix on playing the mad Joker clown

Joker, which stars Joaquin Phoenix, is a psychological sketch of a homicidal antihero

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Speaking to The Straits Times in Los Angeles, actor Joaquin Phoenix and director Todd Phillips explain what they are trying to say with this antihero story.
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Joker, an origin story of the supervillain clown from the Batman comics, might be the most controversial comic-book film of the year.

It arrives to both rave reviews and concerns that its sympathetic portrayal of its homicidal protagonist may inspire copycats, with the police and army put on alert this week for possible violence at screenings in the United States.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 03, 2019, with the headline Joaquin Phoenix on playing the mad Joker clown. Subscribe