Sondheim in “Joker”

[binau]

Posted: 10/6/19 at 12:25pm

Have we discussed this? No need to think too hardly which song is involved in a pivotal, shockingly violent, plot point.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 10/6/19 at 12:42pm

Fun to see a bunch of Broadway guys (Douglas Hodge, Jeff McCarthy, Frank Wood, and a few others) up there on screen.

[binau]

Posted: 10/6/19 at 2:15pm

One of the scenes also seemed inspired by the Burton Seemey Todd film!

[carnzee]

Posted: 10/6/19 at 3:59pm

Something about that moment felt false. A bunch of finance bros singing a Sondheim song( even his most famous one). Every reference in the movie, including this one, felt so on the nose.

[binau]

Posted: 10/6/19 at 4:03pm

I guess when you look too closely it doesn't make much sense for them to know every single word off by heart. But I'm able to suspend disbelief. It's not a real city. In Gotham City maybe finance bros spent their nights in musicals and/or gay saunas hehe.

[carnzee]

Posted: 10/6/19 at 4:13pm

It reminded of that line from Golden Girls when Sophia says she knew Blanche's brother was gay because he knew every word to "Send in the Clowns."

[haterobics]

Posted: 10/6/19 at 4:20pm

carnzee said: "Something about that moment felt false. A bunch of finance bros singing a Sondheim song( even his most famous one). Every reference in the movie, including this one, felt so on the nose."

Exactly.

[Ben_Platt_Out]

Posted: 10/6/19 at 5:15pm

I thought it was out of place as well. However, does the majority of that film’s audience know “A Little Night Music”? Wasn’t that song a hit in the 70s on the pop charts? I don’t remember. The film is worth the price of admission for Phoenix’s performance.

[carnzee]

Posted: 10/6/19 at 5:53pm

Yes, it was a hit and the end credits use Sinatra's lovely version.
I am an admirer of Phoenix, but I felt like I've seen him do this performance before. I love him in the master.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 10/6/19 at 7:09pm

carnzee said: "Yes, it was a hit and the end credits use Sinatra's lovely version...."

But I believe Judy Collins' version was the bigger hit and won a Grammy Award.

[Fan123]

Posted: 10/7/19 at 3:30am

In other "spot the musical references in DC Comics films" news, it seems the upcoming 'Birds of Prey' is going to have some kind of nod to 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes', as per a few short snippets within the trailer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WC9tWq_W0nM

[bk]

Posted: 10/7/19 at 3:48am

GavestonPS said: "carnzee said: "Yes, it was a hit and the end credits use Sinatra's lovely version...."

But I believe Judy Collins' version was the bigger hit and won a Grammy Award."

Not once, but twice - Ms. Collins' version charted quite high on two separate occasions a year apart - 1975 and 1976, both staying on the chart for many weeks.  I do not believe Sinatra's ever charted - his ALBUM did and went gold, but not the single.

[darquegk]

Posted: 10/7/19 at 8:06am

My personal favorite is by Tom Jones. He seems to GET the two layers the song operates on better than the young and wistful Collins or the forever-on-top-of-the-world Sinatra. Like Desiree, Jones is living in a perpetual ongoing series of second acts, so the romantic and the showbiz side of it both make sense coming out of his mouth.

[DMsquared2]

Posted: 10/7/19 at 4:51pm

This particular excerpt from a review by Glen Weldon of NPR's Arts Desk hits the nail on the head:

Arthur suffers one of his many onscreen beatings at the hands (and feet) of a bunch of Wall Street bros on the subway, who taunt him by singing "Send In The Clowns." Nearly in its entirety. (The scene goes on for a while.)

It's really the only time in this otherwise grounded, grim and gritty film that we're asked to suspend our disbelief at all — because, seriously, we're supposed to buy that a straight finance bro would be off-book on the second and third verses of a Sondheim number? 

("Bro! I spent last night poundin' brews and fallin' down A Little Night Music YouTube wormhole! The Dench, bro! The Dench crushed it!" "Naw man, you gotta see my girl CZ-J in the 2009 Broadway revival, she makes Desiree's wry and winsome melancholy A THING YOU CAN FEEL IN YOUR 'NADS BRO."

 

Updated On: 10/7/19 at 04:51 PM

[binau]

Posted: 10/7/19 at 5:17pm

In this alternate Gotham universe if only these awful Finance bros were born 30 years later and could have seen Bernadette Peters in the role. And Arthur/The Joker, too. They all would realise that there is nothing better to live for, and there probably would be world peace.

[sng]

Posted: 10/8/19 at 1:12am

not only this, I believe in the upcomig "Marriage Story", Adam Driver is singing Being Alive as well. Someone give Sondheim an honorary Oscar

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 10/8/19 at 6:35am

A seriously dull semi over praised film