Pure cinematic bliss

Rating: 10/10 (4 October 2019)

Now THIS is a comic book movie worthy of oscar attention. There's a lot going on here. We see the inside of a troubled man as he goes through the transformation of turning into DC's finest villain. Todd Philips and Joaquin Phoenix have created an emotional, brutal and almost painful film to watch (in a good way). The film follows Arthur Fleck's character throughout the entire run-time and the audience is pulled into this sad man's life as everything just seems to be tumbling around him. The way people treat him and the way his behavior unintentionally makes others uncomfortable is tough to watch but it is a brutal reminder of the hardships faced by people like him. Watching him turn into this downward spiral into the villainous Joker is entertaining, rewarding and disturbing. The film is about the evolution of this broken down man trying to find a place in society and then taking another path instead. This is a tragic tale done excellently. The cinematography and score is stunning, the directing is extremely good as well. The use of songs in the film are very well done. Every character really sells their role in the film, from the bullies, to the ones that try to help, to the extras in the talk show. Everyone brings their A-game into this film and nothing feels out of place. Joker is destined to be a cult classic and it's a hopeful change in direction for comic based films. This is a movie that will be remembered for a long time.