Gus' Joker Review (2019)

To play the role of Joker is already an incredible feat as the role in itself is held up to the standard of the late Heath Ledger. Joker is an incredibly dark movie that isn't as deep as it thinks it is. I went into this movie expecting to see the best movie of the year and I would be lying to you if I said it was. It was a great movie but fell flat in certain areas. 

Joaquin Phoenix completely blew me away with a truly unsettling performance. The way he spoke throughout the movie managed to creep under the skin of viewers as it is almost childlike yet eerily dangerous. What I admire most about Phoenix's portrayal was how different his interpretation of The Joker was compared to previous performances. Ledger's Joker was amazing and yet Phoenix was still capable of creating an entirely new dimension to a previously explored character. Ledger interpreted Joker as a terrorist, Nicholson a mobster and Phoenix as a serial killer. 

The difference between Arthur and Joker is so well done that the transition from the metaphorical death of Arthur to the birth of the Joker is believable. When we see Arthur Fleck walk, we see a husk of a lonely man unable to cope with society. When the viewer sees the Joker, we see the confidence and danger that surrounds the idea. When he dances on the stairs, it is a moment of birth and the creation of not a man but an idea. 

The cinematography and score are both exceptional. The cinematography works to show the muck and filth that resides within Gotham, literally and figuratively. The color usage also works creating dark hues of colors that are equally pleasing as they are eery. The score was also fantastic creating a moody and cinematic atmosphere throughout the entire film.

"Joker"'s biggest problem resides in pacing and writing. At times, I felt that the writing was slightly forced or blockish, creating exposition instead of character development. Despite this, there were certainly moments of good humor and some great one-liners. Pacing also felt slightly off as the majority of the movie is set depicting Arthur as a sympathetic protagonist and then the last 30 minutes are depicting Arthur as Joker. In theory, this should work out perfectly yet the result is strange creating a lot of out of place scenes. Its message is also very predictable, preaching that society is bad because we treat mentally ill people poorly and that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. This, at least for me, is common knowledge. 

I think Joker is one of the better films of 2019 but I hardly think it should arouse the amount of controversy that it has maintained since its release. It is a good movie but not as deep as it thinks it is. In my opinion, Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy did it earlier and better but this movie isn't one of the better films for its script but rather Phoenix's gripping performance as The Joker. 

- GL


6 / 10


(Above) My Favourite shot: 

(Below) Runner-up:



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