[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”27647″ img_size=”914×420″ alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]When choosing which films to highlight for its Toronto International Film Festival, it made it easier when a film hosts Joaquin Phoenix and Robert De Niro among its cast. The fact that it is “supposed” to be a comic book based film didn’t really enter into the equation. At least that’s how Festival Director Cameron Bailey looked at it. That is why Todd Phillips, Joker became the first comic book film to headline the Festival. For Bailey, it was a good choice.
First of all it’s terrific. So it should play on our largest stage. 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. It has references to Martin Scorsese’s film-making and it feels like a cinematic achievement on a high level…That’s why it’s a Gala.
Are you excited to see Todd Phillips take on Joker? Does the fact that it follows no past story arc deter you in any way? Share your thoughts about the film with us at GeekVibesNation.
Source: Comicbook.Com[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 60 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove headfirst over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 21-year-old young man with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.
![‘The Debut’ Review – Julianne Moore Owns The Stage In A Riotous Comedy That Satirizes Community Theater And Prioritizes Self-Discovery [Telluride 2026] A woman in a blue sweater and black skirt sits on a chair in a room, with two people standing or walking nearby.](https://cdn.geekvibesnation.com/wp-media-folder-geek-vibes-nation/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Screen-Shot-2026-09-06-at-9.12.03-AM.png-450x298.webp)
![‘The Face Of Horror’ Review – Anna Biller’s Genre-Blending Horror Film Is An Ode To The Past [Fantastic Fest 2026] A woman in a white dress lies on a red bed, appearing distressed, while a man in a red robe stands behind her in a dimly lit stone room with candlelight.](https://cdn.geekvibesnation.com/wp-media-folder-geek-vibes-nation/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/The-Face-of-Horror-Still-300x162.webp)
![‘Bloody Tennis’ Review – A Bloody Mess [Fantastic Fest 2026] Person with short, tousled blond hair wearing a sleeveless black top stands against a plain red background, looking forward with a serious expression.](https://cdn.geekvibesnation.com/wp-media-folder-geek-vibes-nation/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Still-1_BLOODY-TENNIS-300x126.webp)

