Venice Film Festival director Alberto Barbera is loving Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix. The film premiered at Venice and received a delirious reception. He told Deadline: “The film deserves the reception it is getting. It goes beyond the boundaries of the genre. Joaquin Phoenix’s performance is outstanding and [director] Todd Phillips did a great job.” When asked if it could be in the running for an Oscar, possibly for Best Picture, he said: “Absolutely.”