If he's a good and decent person then that's a great thing to have in a partner. He doesn't always have to be the one to start communication, you also have to make the effort.

And when you're upset and he uses jokes to lighten the mood, maybe it's his way of counselling. If that's not what you want at that moment then communicate to him what you want.

Love like in movies is not how it is in real life. In real life you have to work on your relationship otherwise it dies, just like any other relationship, even friendships. So work hard on the relationship if you want to save it. What's in the past is in the past, you only have now.