Dark Phoenix

Rating: 7/10 (7 October 2019)

I tried to leave out all the noise surrounding "Joker" and just focus on my feelings having seen the film.
Arthur Penny (Joaquin Phoenix) plagued with mental Illness and confidence issues murders three yuppies whilst on his way home from his job, as a party clown. His downward spiral into madness appears mirrored by Gotham City itself, where budget cuts have the city on the edge of breaking point. The clown murders become a focal point in the civil unrest and inspires rioting in the streets.
There is simply no denying the glorious committed central performance from Phoenix. The weight loss, the body contortions, the portrayal of severe mental Illness. The Oscar is his, you might as well give it to him now, and it's well deserved. I remember writing a review of "Quills" when I was at University and I raved about him then and "Joker" is the crowning achievement of a career that's full of high spots and has many more years left to go.
I can't generate the same enthusiasm for the film though. I found it .... inconsequential. I spent a lot of time afterwards wondering if it's because it's an origin story for a character (or version of the character) that we're unlikely ever to see again and so they'll be no second or third act to the story. That's not to say I think they should do another one, I don't see how tonally this Joker will work against a Batman, it's too grounded, too realistic - even more so than Christopher Nolan's films were. This Joker isn't a terrorist or a "Clown Prince of Crime", he's not interested in "watching the World Burn", he's just a disturbed guy with a handgun. I suppose, at heart, my criticism is that the plot isn't new, different or complex enough for my taste.
From a technical standpoint, the film is well done though. Cinematography and historical recreation are excellent, the colour palette of the movie is striking and bold, and whilst nobody else really comes close to Phoenix's level the rest of the performances are pretty solid across the board. The soundtrack is excellent too and I like that it's dark and violent. But as I sit here now, I wouldn't want to see the film again for a few years - and even then it would be for the performance rather than the film itself.