BUZZOYO November 2019

REVIEW
BUZZOYO NOV 2019
Book Review
Movie Review
JOKER
“What happens when you cross a mental ill loner and a society that abandons him and
treats him like crap?”
- Arthur Fleck
This review is especially difficult to write,
considering I might not do justice to this
piece of art. The movie was just utterly
overwhelming, goose-bump inducing and
astonishingly graceful. In the simplest
of terms, this was a character study of
Arthur Fleck—Joker. A very different sort of
character study…
QUICHOTTE
AUTHOR: SALMAN RUHIDIE
This is what one calls a
smorgasbord. Multiple genres
intertwined within each other
to create a lengthy spectacle
that sometimes goes nowhere.
Yet, you want to plod on.
Quichotte, the protagonist,
is originally known as Ismail
Smile. A travelling salesman of
Indian origin now in the United
States of America. Quichotte
loses a grip on reality after a
stroke. He falls in love with a
talk show host, Salma R, who
is considered to be Oprah 2.0.
Quichotte writes love letters to
Salma R and decides to travel
across America to win over his
lady love. His companion on
this quest is his imaginary son
called Sancho, a Pinocchioinspired
character who wants
to be a real boy. And along
the way, they encounter many
threads that epitomize modernday
America. Reality television
lovers meet racism, an opioid
crisis and even talking crickets.
These merging of themes
continue spiralling out of
control. But wait. There’s more.
There is a story within a story.
Quichotte’s story is being
written by Brother, an author
(who writes under the name of
Sam duChamp). He hopes to
build bridges with his estranged
Son and Sister; the latter is in
London, dying of cancer.
What works: Occasionally,
Quichotte pulls at the
heartstrings. His take on the
world is innocent, and his
belief in love is fantastical. The
layering of the story within the
story is interesting. The novel
is a satire on the era of fake
news, Donald Trump, ‘anythingis-possible’,
internet-addicted
world. Sometimes it feels like
Rushdie is holding a mirror to
our reality.
Would’ve liked: When a
picaresque novel also has
elements of magical realism
and is a sci-fi thriller. When it
weaves themes of migrants,
love, loss, packing in so much...
there is a sense of feeling
overwhelmed. The heavily
peppered references also have
an almost tragi-comic effect:
Men in Black, Candy Crush
Saga, Shakespeare seem to
constantly inundate the reader.
Occasionally, one can get lost.
This retelling of Cervantes’
Don Quixote could have been
shorter, and less verbose.
Verdict: Quichotte takes you on
a wild adventure that dares to
challenge the styles of narrative.
It challenges your imagination.
However, a word of caution:
Kind reader, do suspend your
beliefs, and practice some
patience. You will wonder where
you’re going but keep reading.
Salman Rushdie does weave his
magic, however it comes in a
little late.
- Resha Patel
For long time followers of the Batman
universe, seeing a new rendition of the Joker
is no cause for alarm. This one however,
did something to us all. We all know the
Joker, but we did not know THIS Joker. This
is an origin story that slowly unravels the
motivations and rationales that conspire to
create the barbarous and sinister nature of
the inexplicable Joker.
Every scene is veiled with a morose sort of
loom, hanging over the viewers, keeping
them hooked by the neck. Backed by the
perfectly sullen and rousing soundtrack,
Joaquin Phoenix has out performed all his
predecessors. No Joker of the past has
evoked the sense of revolt and uprising in
his fans the way Phoenix has managed to.
Come Oscar season, this man is sure to
have his arms full.
Todd Phillips, director of 2009 The
Hangover, has reimagined the comic book
figure of Joker in the most disturbing and
compelling manner, in the process, creating
a timeless piece of history. This film, to me,
personally, is the best performance and
direction to have graced us in a long time.
A moving performance, a chilling plot,
a perverse and realistic depiction of our
world. This one is a winner.
Aching for something similar? Check out
Scorsese’s Taxi Driver (1976), and The King
of Comedy (1983). Phillips, in an interview
attested to being inspired by these.
Happy Watching!
- Cherisha Sonawala
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