Joker

Release Date: 2019 Length: 122 min

“For my whole life, I didn’t know if I even really existed. But I do, and people are starting to notice.” -Joker.

Director: Todd Philips (Known for Old School, The Hangover, and War Dogs) Writer: Todd Philips, Scott Silver (Known for 8 Mile, The Fighter, and The Mod Squad) Actors: Joaquin Phoenix (Known for Gladiator, The Village, and Her), Robert De Niro (Known for Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and Goodfellas), Zazie Beetz (Known for Geostorm, Deadpool 2, and Wounds)

Summary: Arthur Fleck is a mentally ill party clown who dreams of becoming a stand-up comedian in an impoverished Gotham. After losing his job, Arthur begins to become more and more unhinged. After realizing that the world he once knew was gone, Arthur begins to accept who he really is and starts on a path that will change the course of history forever. This is a story of how society’s cruelty can shape a man to become evil.

Overall Thoughts: When a movie makes the audience feel so many different emotions at once, the film becomes more than just entertainment. The movie stays in the viewer’s mind long after it has ended. When watching this film, I was shocked by how the insignificant things we do can completely change someone’s life. I also loved how the writers showed such an elaborate and complicated past to a character that has played such a huge role in pop culture for decades. The movie has a very dark tone, which I think fits the character perfectly because the Joker has been something of a mystery to the readers since he was first introduced into the comics. I also love the homage the movie made to Heath Ledger, who played the role of Joker perfectly in The Dark Knight. To say that Joaquin Phoenix was incredible as Arthur would be an understatement. The way that the character is portrayed by Phoenix is nothing short of perfection. His ability to make the audience loathe and sympathize with the Joker is not common in movies today. At the beginning of the movie, you already know that Arthur will transform into the Joker, but when you get to the end, you are still left surprised because Phoenix can make you have conflicting feelings about him. If the movie had been directed by anyone else, I believe that it wouldn’t have been as impactful. The director goes from comedy straight into a dark drama filled with pain, which is very interesting to see. I think that this also shows how great he is because a lot of the time, we see directors work on very similar movies, which was not the case for Todd Phillips. I also love how he was unafraid to tackle all of the topics that are considered controversial today. Just because these things are hard to talk about doesn’t mean that they should just be left unsaid. The director doesn’t show a strong and tough villain that is hated by the audience, but a weak and ultimately forgettable man whose life experiences lead him on a downward spiral.

Ratings: Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 68% My Rating: 80%