Joker

This is THE Clown

The picture above is the perfect representation of everything I love about this movie. It is colourful yet dark and every frame is shot with love.

This is currently my favourite movie of the year. Maybe that’s not saying much being that there are other movies I haven’t yet seen which might take that position but my God this movie is so well made.

I’m trying to be as objective as possible but the fact is that I have absolutely nothing negative to say about this film.

First off, it’s directed by the guy who brought us the Hangover trilogy! I mean, he went from comedy to this. His adoration for the character and the source material shines through.

This is one of those comic book films that transcends the genre because it doesn’t play like a tentpole movie. It plays like a drama and uses few words and facial expressions to tell us a story without giving us any spectacle.

It reminds me so much of Logan and just as Hugh Jackman carried the entire movie on his shoulders, Joaquin Phoenix does the exact same thing here and it is a joy to watch. Not a joy to watch the Joker be THE JOKER of course but a joy to watch an actor take on such an iconic role and make it completely his own.

For people like me, when watching this film we acknowledge that there have been other Jokers but we tell ourselves that this new iteration surpasses all others without a doubt.

The film explores mental health issues in a pretty dark way but it is respectful of it and also shows the darkness lurking beneath the surface that requires very little to come to the fore. It is shocking but not simply for the sake of shock, rather to show us the state of mind of our character and to show us how unhinged he becomes as the film progresses.

It is so well done and doesn’t feel out of place.

Have I mentioned the score? I know not everyone who watches a film cares about the soundtrack that plays in the background. They’re usually done so well most of the time and highlight the scene in our subconscious without being aware of them. If however you’re one of those who pays attention to these things like I do, the score in this film will blow you away. The score is so haunting and there’s a scene where it is used that just makes your heart stop with its beauty and sadness.

This is a film I highly recommend to anyone who appreciates art because Joker is art.

In the end, this is simply my opinion and all I’m doing here is putting down my thoughts to make it easier for you to decide whether or not you’ll see it and enjoy it like I did.

I hope you do.

Final verdict: 10/10