WARNING: MILD SPOILERS AHEAD
Todd Phillips’ JOKER is a film about a man named Arthur Fleck, a failed clown-for-hire and children’s entertainer who's only trying to make ends meet. Throughout the movie, we watch the downward spiral of a mentally ill man who must balance therapy, work, and caring for his mother in a decaying apartment.
Even with all the madness going on in Gotham City, he still finds joy in watching his favorite comedian, Murray Franklin, on TV when he gets home from work. He aspires to become a comedian just like Murray, but he himself isn’t very funny. Eventually, he has enough of the bullying from local people in the city. Arthur takes out his anger on three teens who were pummeling him on a train. By killing those teens, he finally felt the true happiness he was looking for.
The film’s main star, Joaquin Phoenix, is able to bring the Joker to life in this film. He lost a ton of weight for the role, which added to the overall eeriness to the film when interacting with other characters. Phoenix’s performance made me uncomfortable, especially with his mannerisms and little dances.
Some of the cinematic shots were so gorgeous they blew me away. I would sometimes forget that I was even watching a comic book movie, especially with the darker colors used throughout every scene. There’s not much action, but that’s what makes the movie better for me. We spend more time with the character and get to connect with him. There are moments when I feel genuinely felt bad for Arthur; especially when he gets called a freak for the condition he has no control over.
JOKER is a must watch film for the month of October. It’s gritty, disturbing, and a thrill to watch; there are some gruesome scenes for those who enjoy that as well. The only gripe I see people having is that the film is a little slow, and takes awhile to show most audiences the action they want to see. But in my opinion, JOKER lives up to the hype. I would definitely watch it again, so I give this movie a 9 / 10.
Todd Phillips’ JOKER is a film about a man named Arthur Fleck, a failed clown-for-hire and children’s entertainer who's only trying to make ends meet. Throughout the movie, we watch the downward spiral of a mentally ill man who must balance therapy, work, and caring for his mother in a decaying apartment.
Even with all the madness going on in Gotham City, he still finds joy in watching his favorite comedian, Murray Franklin, on TV when he gets home from work. He aspires to become a comedian just like Murray, but he himself isn’t very funny. Eventually, he has enough of the bullying from local people in the city. Arthur takes out his anger on three teens who were pummeling him on a train. By killing those teens, he finally felt the true happiness he was looking for.
The film’s main star, Joaquin Phoenix, is able to bring the Joker to life in this film. He lost a ton of weight for the role, which added to the overall eeriness to the film when interacting with other characters. Phoenix’s performance made me uncomfortable, especially with his mannerisms and little dances.
Some of the cinematic shots were so gorgeous they blew me away. I would sometimes forget that I was even watching a comic book movie, especially with the darker colors used throughout every scene. There’s not much action, but that’s what makes the movie better for me. We spend more time with the character and get to connect with him. There are moments when I feel genuinely felt bad for Arthur; especially when he gets called a freak for the condition he has no control over.
JOKER is a must watch film for the month of October. It’s gritty, disturbing, and a thrill to watch; there are some gruesome scenes for those who enjoy that as well. The only gripe I see people having is that the film is a little slow, and takes awhile to show most audiences the action they want to see. But in my opinion, JOKER lives up to the hype. I would definitely watch it again, so I give this movie a 9 / 10.