(((THIS REVIEW IS SPOILER FREE)))
Coming off of the success of SHAZAM!, DC’s JOKER is finally here. Its premiere at Venice Film Festival saw it win the Golden Lion Best Movie award.
In the lead up to its opening, it fell foul to complaints against the movie inciting violence in real life and comments made by the Director on ‘woke’ culture.
Putting all of that to one side, JOKER deserves to be reviewed on its own merits as a movie.
First off, let’s look at the star of the movie. Joaquin Phoenix plays Arthur Fleck, the soon-to-be Joker. His portrayal of Arthur is authentic and even makes audiences feel moments of sympathy for his character.
And then he does something horrible that reminds us why we shouldn’t have sympathy for him. One thing Joaquin did before filming was researching the illness that makes people involuntarily laugh.
His portrayal of Pseudobulbar affect is genuine and creates some of the most uncomfortable scenes.
The comfortability doesn’t come from him but rather those around him who choose to be ignorant.
While the story is thin, it’s through a series of vignettes where the movie shines. It shows the various sections of Arthur’s life and how they play a part in letting him free.
The film’s inclusion of mental illnesses gives those who don’t understand them a look into how horrible it can be. JOKER’s portrayal of Mental Health gives an in-depth look at how society perceives those who suffer from its various guises.
While those who have read the leaked script may think they know what’s going to happen they’ll be surprised to know it’s not the case.
The movie is packed with twists within twists that the leak only scratched the surface of.
There are rumblings JOKER is an award contender. That’s certainly true for Best Actor. Joaquin Phoenix deserves to be in the running but Best Film is a push.
However, Best Cinematography and Best Edit are also possibilities for the movie.
JOKER is a movie that needs to be judged on its own merit by an individual, instead of letting a crowd decide on its fate.
If JOKER ends up being successful for DC, it can lead to a slewth of new experimental movies from the company around other villains. This means a Deathstroke movie fans are clamoring for.
In short, JOKER is a well-made movie with great acting and brilliant Direction. It’s certainly one to watch.
