A Breath of Fresh Air From Your Usual Hollywood Film

Rating: 8/10 (30 April 2020)

In my opinion, Joker did not quite live up to expectations. The amount of hype this movie received was insane, and it would have been quite hard for the film to be as good as I was hoping it would be. Despite my slight disappointment however, I still really enjoyed this movie.
Arthur Fleck's character and his arc are both tragic and moving. Taking the concept of the Joker, a character who is commonly portrayed as a chaotic evil villain, and turning him into a sympathetic person was quite daring. One thing I especially liked was how Arthur's fall into villainy took it's time and was built up on a lifetime of cruelty and mistreatment, instead of a singular incident being the cause of his evil.
Joker also did a good job in setting the grim mood of the film with it's depiction of Gotham City. The dull grey color palette and the ominous soundtrack at the start of the story really added to the overall affect. As the film progresses the weather becomes brighter and the soundtrack becomes more upbeat to indicate what Arthur Fleck is feeling. These little touches make the atmosphere more real and alive.
It goes without saying that Joaquin Phoenix did a spectacular job. I had no doubt he would win that Oscar. While I did not enjoy his performance as much as Heath Ledger's Joker, Phoenix's Joker is completely unique and memorable. Doubtless this film wouldn't have been as enjoyable as it was without Phoenix. He is a spectacular actor and I look forward to watching some of the other films he's been in.
The story is quite slow-paced, but I was never bored. Arthur's sympathetic character and the city he lives in were quite gripping and hooked me for most of the story. It was slowly building up to a climax, and when the third act did finally arrive I was not disappointed. The final thirty minutes of the movie were almost perfect.
There are a couple of things that annoy me about this film, such as the unnecessary inclusion of Bruce Wayne and the extreme lack of subtlety. Bruce Wayne does not really have a place in this plot and his scenes were basically just fan service. I like the ironic twist that Joker ended up creating his own enemy, but it detracts from the main focus of Arthur's story.
I also wish that the movie was a tad more subtle in it's message. Subtlety isn't necessary in good film making, but this movie forces the message down your throat, without leaving anything for your audience to figure out for themselves. These problems, in my opinion, hold it back from being a true masterpiece. Still, it is a great film and I look forward to watching it again.