Joker Review

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Rohon Nag
  • 5/5
This one will drive you insane!

Joker… Always has been a fascinating character. Made more fascinating by the likes of Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger whose performance made people sit up and take notice. Unfortunately, Jared Leto’s Joker was a huge let down. With such a long list of memorable performances, I was curious what Joaquin Phoenix would bring to the role.

Well after seeing this film, all I can say is… This dude DESERVES an Oscar for his acting.

Let’s get to the film.

Story/Plot:

The film is a bit sparse on the story since this is more of a character piece showing the breaking down of a disturbed man into insanity. But that’s not a bad thing. This film doesn’t have huge action set pieces, or typical superhero / comic book film type world ending scenarios. Do not go in expecting a big bombastic actioner. This film quietly portrays the lead character heading into the mouth of madness with no one around him giving a damn.

Direction & Cinematography:

Todd Phillips has directed films such as Road trip, Oldschool, The Hangover trilogy and (My favourite) Starsky and Hutch etc. is a good enough director by Hollywood terms but he has managed to surpass himself this time. In Joker he has used silence and music as a tool to show the state of mind of the lead character as well as the chaos in the world around him. With his competent direction we slowly see Gotham city lose its collective heads in the background of this fellow Arthur Fleck slowly go mad.

The cinematography of this film is exquisite. Every frame is a like a poster waiting to be framed. The pathos of Arthur Fleck and his suffering is a canvas for the way the camera captures every frame. I like films which are not shaky cam, film WELL, not tiled in angles all over the place and this film looks old school (pun not intended). This film looks like it was filmed in the 1980s.

Acting:

Pheonix is already quite a strange dude and this film has to be his crowning glory. He has given many masterful performances in films such as the Gladiator, Her, The Master (he he) But Joker is his best acting performance until date. It really feels like he is Arthur Fleck. Not an actor playing the role. I will be surprised if he doesn’t win an Oscar for this performance.

Overall:

This film is DARK and depressing. It’s a MUST WATCH for true fans of the Joker character. The film’s plot elements deal with a lot of relevant topics. Mass vigilantism, crumbling of government and infrastructure etc. So the film hits REALLY hard at times. No wonder the people in USA are scared that this film will give rise to a new type of Joker crimes/shootouts/killings. The film by its end can shake up even the most stone hearted of viewers.

Not to mention this HAS TO be a lead up to the new BATMAN reboot. Without any spoilers, this film if NOT connected to the upcoming film is a HUGE lost opportunity for the WB DC film world. Any Batman film which follows this one will be beyond Epic. If I get the news that the Robert Pattinson film is a follow-up to this one, color me EXCITED!

Rating : 10/10. A Must watch for fans of JOKER, Good character study films and Great cinema in general. This is what cinema is all about. It’s there to show us something, which will shake us to the core and force us to question our own selves and sanity. That’s great cinema.

What are you waiting for? Just go SEE the damn film already!

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