00:01For my whole life, I didn't know if I even really existed.
00:08Joker set new box office records for an October release over the weekend,
00:11bringing in $96 million in North America.
00:14But as we head into awards season, how do Oscar voters feel about the film?
00:18The Hollywood Reporter's awards columnist Scott Feinberg reached out to several Academy members
00:22to find out their thoughts on the movie, promising he'd identify them only by their gender and Academy branch.
00:28And their responses were mixed.
00:30A male member of the members at large branch said,
00:32I think it's brilliant. Joaquin Phoenix has never been better.
00:36The way he and the filmmakers handle the transformation from Arthur into Joker is nuanced and masterful.
00:41Overall, a home run.
00:42And according to a female member of the members at large branch,
00:45it made me uncomfortable from the very first frame to the last, but I thought the movie was extraordinary.
00:50It's still early, but I can certainly see myself nominating it for best picture.
00:54And Phoenix has to get nominated or the actors branch doesn't know what it's doing.
00:58One small thing.
00:59Yeah.
01:00When you bring me out, can you introduce me as Joker?
01:04But on the other hand, a male member of the director's branch said,
01:07I found the film to be a bold effort, but one that is a cynical mess.
01:10I also found it to be more than a bit irresponsible,
01:13in terms of its depiction of both mental illness and violence.
01:16When violence is meant only to shock, I find it loathsome.
01:19It isn't grounded in any real characterization.
01:21It also seems the film was made only to provoke,
01:24but I find it isn't interesting enough to do that.
01:26And a female member of the executive's branch called it a strange, depressing film.
01:30I was vaguely mesmerized, but to what end?
01:32I found it severely lacking any specific thematic point.
01:35Great performance and impressive filmmaking,
01:37but a rather unpleasant experience overall.
01:40For many more Oscar voter reactions to Joker, head to THR.com.
01:43Until next time, for The Hollywood Reporter News, I'm Tiffany Taylor.
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