October 23, 2023

The King of Comedy: On October 21st, 2019, I reviewed the new release of Jacquin Phoenix’s Joker. My older brother posted of this blog the following:

I saw Joker last night with my daughter – I enjoyed it more than she did. I don’t think you & your friend Allison really got the point – it wasn’t a comic book movie. It really was an homage to the Martin Scorcese & Robert De Niro movies of the 1970’s Taxi Driver, and especially the King of Comedy (with De Niro now playing the talk show host), using the familiar Batman origin story as a back drop.

I get the reference now. I had never seen the 1982 Scorsece picture with Robert De Niro, and Jerry Lewis. Since I hadn’t seen The King of Comedy at that time it was something I didn’t understand it. I do now. In truth, I think that this movie takes away from some of what I felt was effective in Joker.

Scorsese and De Niro have worked together 10 times, with some of the best movies from the last 50 years. In 1976 they worked on Taxi Driver, and then 1980 was Raging Bull. This was the next picture for Scorsese. De Niro plays a 32yo wanna-be comedian, Rupert Pupkin, who is obsessed with fame and with the local Johnny Carson talk show personality named Jerry Langford played well by Jerry Lewis. Crowds follow Jerry everywhere, especially after the taping of his shows. Pupkin hangs around the back stage with the hopes of engaging with Jerry. His chance comes where an obsessive fan, played Sarah Bernhard, jumps into Jerry’s limo and accosts him. After she is removed, Pupkin enters and offers to Jerry that he is comedian and thinks he should be on the next show. Jerry politely tells Pupkin to call “his people” in the hopes that this encounter is over. It continues as Pupkin looks to use a little crack of hope, to more a more invasive engagement with Jerry. The culmination of this happens in a dramatic scene with Jerry at his home. An interesting sidenote is that the woman playing the bartender Pupkin is looking to impress was De Niro’s actual first wife, Diahnne Abbott. Pupkin takes on incredible actions to see that he has his moment of fame on Jerry’s show.

Those who have seen Joker, will recognize this plot structure. Robert De Niro plays the Jerry character TV show host named Murray Franklin. Phoenix plays Arthur Fleck who wants his chance, and although Fleck’s opportunity comes about in a different way, there many homages to this original film. I am amazed at the 1983 scensibilites for things such as security which are very different now then they were back then. Can you imagine the police, let alone the TV network, allowing Pupkin to carry on with what he does? The point can only be seen by allowing it for the ending, but it simply wouldn’t happen. Fame is a funny thing, and even more so in a world with social media which didn’t exist back in 1983. There is social commentary about fame, but also talent, and how someone is able to get noticed and become known, as well as people with fame that you need to better understand your challenges with interacting with those that you regard as your fans. John Lennon was assassinated on the streets of NYC just three years before this movie was released.

Better Call Saul, Season 5: I finished the fifth season of this series, and remark how much more engaging it is in these final episodes than it was early on. Much like Breaking Bad, this is a slow burn. You as the audience must see the backstory of Jimmy McGill. Also see the backstory of Mike Ehrmantraut, the retired cop who was Gus Fring’s head of security.

In this season, Jimmy/Saul are being pulled in two completely different directions. On one side there is Kim Wexler, his partner, prfoessionally and personally, and his greatest supporter along with the legitimate legal system that he fought so hard to return to. On the other side, there is this growing relationship with the drug cartel that has been slowly creeping into his life. However distateful there is large sums that can be made, but it comes at a price. How much oif who he is, is he willing to sacrifice?

This was a very good season. Great writing and performances. Both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul have personalities who are generally good people, but who through circumstance or otherwise can do very questionable things. They let their humanity go, in the name of whatever is driving them. The audience can see the choices that Jimmy/Saul has made, and continues to make, and we just collectively shake our head. We also see Mike experiencing the same ethical challenges. I like the characters. I like the circumstances that surround them, and even though I know that this is a prequel, and that the main characters are going to survive, you are still wondering “how are they going to get out of this one?” Much like Jesse and Walter. I don’t equate Better Call Saul with Breaking Bad on the best TV series scale but it still very good TV. I will continue to watch for the sixth and final season.