Joker

Rating: 10/10 (11 October 2019)

Joker
2019
15
director : Todd Phillips
starring: Joaquin phoenix,Robert de niro, Zaze beetz,Frances Conray,Brett Cullen
overall rating 99/100
The joker is about mentally unstable Arthur Fleck ( Joaquin phoenix) on trying to reach his dream of becoming a stand up comedian. But when things in his life dont go his way and his mental health deteriorates the joker clown is unleashed.Wow this movie was a masterpiece in every component i never thought my favourite movie of the year would be a DC movie but this film really shocked me at its artistry and brilliance lets talk about why this is.
First of all the film had an absolutely incredible score. Wow the soundtrack really left an impact in the most important scenes in the film. When there was something uncomfortable or important happening on the screen the score got louder and louder. And i especially enjoyed the score when Joaquian phoenix became the complete joker. It made you excited for what he was going to do and added important to the final act.
Next the film was actually pretty funny. Some of the comedy jokes within the film mostly landed. And Robert de niro added excellent comedic moments to the movie as well as his fantastic acting. His sarcastic comments definitely drew some laughs from me despite him suffering the repercussions of making these jokes about Arthurs character i just thought he added a nice dynamic to the movie.
Next i thought the movie had excellent character development for the lead role and the female character (Zaze Beetz) was a great addition to the movie as well. I thought Zazes character did a really good job with what little screen time she had. She kind of was the main reason for Arthur not going completely insane for half of the movie and if she wasn't a character he would of went mad much more quickly. Next Arthurs character development was fantastic. To see his slow decent into madness throughout the film really left an impact with me. So many things in his life was going wrong that from my perspective i understood why he snapped. From losing his job to realising dark secrets about his mum it was really interesting to see how his mental health slowly got worse and worse.
Next the plot twist and final act were fantastic and definitely the best parts of the movie aside from Joaquin phoenix being fantastic. I thought the plot twist of Sophie never actually being beside Arthur was a really interesting twist. As she was keeping him relatively sane throughout the movie but with this twist it just proves he was mad all along so that was great. And the final act was just fantastic when Arthur transformed completely into the joker it was just fantastic. He had a fantastic script he looked fantastic and terryfying and the events left me satisfied with the ending. The gore also added a lot of impact to a lot of the scenes and added a fatality realistic portrayal of violence in modern society.
Next the film had an excellent balance between sympathy and fear of Arthurs character. With all the events that was happening to him at the beginning and the fact that he couldn't control his laughing to it being a condition you couldn't help but feel sorry for him. But this sympathy soon turned to fear of what he is capable off when he is off his medication and the film did a brilliant job of balancing these two out therefore being tonally consistent. Adding onto that the film executed an incredible tense and uncomfortable tone throughout. Wow this film had you on edge throughout. Whether it was the haunting laugh of Arthur. Or his disformed body. The film really put you in a place of discomfort which i loved as that was i believe the directors desired passive reaction for the audience.
Next the cinematography and visuals were stunning. There was some really stunning shots in this film largely close ups of the joker that really were fantastic to look at. The films colour palette was fantastic as well it was just a very well shot and directed movie.
Now next is not a negative more like a realisation. Now i understand why this film is causing some controversy in some aspects but a lot of people are taking it to far. I can see how it can be taken the wrong way in terms of supporting violence and anybody who watches the film in a similar situation to Arthur may take the film very literally but in my opinion this was not the films main goal. As i believe it a more harsh and realistic portrayal of how dangerous modern society is and this themes was portrayed excellently. And really made me think and question about how mad and dangerous society and the whole world is in this day and age.
Now for my final two positives. Firstly i loved that they involved young batman in this story. His interactions with the joker was fantastic and it saddened me that they wont meet again on screen. And seeing his parents deaths again was sad to see but also bought back nostalgia from previous batman movies.
And finally the best part of this film was of course Joaquin Phoenix. Wow he was truly incredible here. He really put every escene of his being into making his interpretation of the joker his own. And boy did he do a good job. He found a way to differentiate himself from all the other portrayals and matches the legendary performance of Heath Ledger. He was commited to the role and clearly lost a lot of weight. And his acting was the reason the film had such a uncomfortable tone as it was so believable. You could see the madness in his eyes and that intensity and madness got more and more recognisable as the movie went on he definitely deserves at least an oscar nomination but really a win for this.
Overall the joker is a true cinematic masterpiece that is pretty much perfect. Filled with excellent performances/themes and visuals and it really proves that the standard of DC movies is improving rapidly.