Joker Gets 8-Minute Standing Ovation At Premiere

The new Joker movie starring Joaquin Phoenix doesn't open in theatres until October, but the film had its premiere at the Venice Film Festival over the weekend. People there loved it.

According to Variety, the crowd stood cheering for eight minutes at the end of Joker for a lengthy standing ovation with some calling for the film to get attention during awards season.

GameSpot's review of Joker scored it a 10/10, with other critics also praising it highly. Some reviews were mixed to negative, however, with Time Magazine's Stephanie Zacharek writing, "Joker ... doesn't have a plot; it's more like a bunch of reaction GIFs strung together."

Phoenix was at the Venice Film Festival for the screenings, and he spoke a little more about his character. He said previous performances of Joker by other actors did not influence him.

"I didn't refer to any past iteration of the character," Phoenix said. 'It just felt like something that was our creation in some ways."

Also at the event, the Venice Film Festival artistic director Alberto Barbera said Joker will go "straight to the Oscars." Among other elements of the film, people are praising Phoenix's portrayal of Joker.

In addition to Phoenix in the title role, the movie stars Robert de Niro, Zazie Beetz, and Frances Conroy. Joker is something of a change for writer-director Todd Phillips, who previously made the Hangover and Old School comedies. He also wrote for Borat, which earned him his Oscar nomination.