Joker Review

Problematic? No. Oscar-worthy? Definitely. Joker is by far the best comic book film. I truly wouldn't define Joker as a comic book film, hell, DC's logo doesn't even appear in the credits. I'm going to do something rare that I don't usually do in my reviews and split my positives into two different parts: the technical aspects/cast/crew and the story/character of Joker.

Joaquin Phoenix should, without a doubt, win an Oscar for this performance. Just looking at his body causes one to cringe. Phoenix transformed his body to a sickening degree for this role. I cannot stress how nearly-flawless his performance is. The vocal delivery, the eye movements, the mannerisms, and my God his laugh. It's such a complex, yet captivating take on the Joker's iconic laugh. You can feel the literal as well as mental pain that occurs whenever he laughs. I can go on for hours about how incredible Phoenix's performance was, but I'll cut myself off here. Todd Phillips crafted an incredible film. I cannot give Phillips enough credit for this film. It's gutsy, artistic, and bold. Phillips puts on a clinic of tension building. Seriously, the talk-show scene had me the tensest I've been watching a film in a while. The cinematography in "Joker" is what I like to call cinema-porn. It is down-right gorgeous. Every frame of this film is dripping with top-tier color-grading. The score is also incredible. It evolves from subtle to loud, bombastic, and beautiful. I predict that the score gets an Oscar-nod as well. Robert De Niro is also great in the film. I want to say he gets the second-most screen time in the film, and he makes the most of it. Obviously, De Niro is a huge name. He could have simply collected a paycheck and went on. He did not do that in the slightest, fortunately. His performance, in the third act especially, was exceptional.

This film, at its core, is a character study. It truly defines the quote 'All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy. ' You can see Arthur Fleck's slow descent into madness throughout the film. I love the take on the tension between the rich and poor. It's a timeless message that will always be relevant. "Joker" is a timeless film in my eyes. Besides the visual elements, all of the messages, whether it's mental health, the rich vs. poor, and government corruption will always be relevant. The film truly puts you in the shoes of a man that has been beaten down by society.

I don't have any major negatives with "Joker". I only truly have minor nit-picks. I think it was slightly unrealistic how easily Arthur Fleck can interact with Thomas Wayne. I feel if it was any other comic book film, I wouldn't think twice, but since "Joker" is so grounded and realistic, it feels out of place.

Let's talk about all the controversy surrounding this movie. There were so many news outlets saying how "Joker" would inspire mass-shootings and general anarchy. I simply don't see it. Is Arthur Fleck the protagonist of the film? Absolutely. Is he a hero? Absolutely not. I feel that many people, news outlets included, simply don't understand film in general. A protagonist is not always a good, ideal character. This film never condoms Joker's violent acts. It's not glorifying violence in the slightest. It's simply showing how violence can corrupt a man. Hell, it's not even that violent. For example, both Deadpool films are much more violent than this.

Overall, "Joker" is easily the best film I've seen all year. All the hype involved with did not hinder my viewing of the film; it was 100% well-deserved. If you want to call it a comic book film (I still don't know if I'd truly call it one), I feel that it blows a majority of them out of the water.

8/10