Friday night, I went and saw the new “Joker” movie and left the theater stunned. Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix gave a masterclass of how to tell a story about a mentally ill man and his turn against society.
Phoenix plays this unique telling of the Joker in a way of extreme intensity with cinematography that was beautifully haunting and leaves you dazed. The Joker is an iconic figure who has ruled over comic book villains for decades and with many interpretations and portrayals in television and film. I have to say that this was the best.
Phillips’ wrote this film specifically for Phoenix, and the match paid off as a perfect fit. Phoenix as Arthur makes you laugh, makes you feel sorrow and makes you feel nothing. The film is a story of tragedy and comedy with moments of pity and horror and nothing exemplifies the Joker more as Phoenix embodies the role of Arthur and fades away into the mad man.
Phillips and Phoenix give a grounded reality with good reasoning to the Joker character during his transformation into an arch villain. They provide an erratically tempered but well crafted origin to the Joker, which contrasts with Heath Ledger’s Joker – an already maniacal mass terrorist blowing up hospitals and shooting up banks as he makes a name for himself – and whatever Jared Leto’s weird, thug Joker was.
Phoenix losing over 50 pounds to play this version of Joker was also visually striking as the film follows this man who is fragile physically as well as mentally. Moments of slow motion and long takes in-between moments of intense scenes constantly give the audience a moment to catch your breath while continuously keeping you at the edge of your seat.
The writing makes you feel sympathetic towards a character that is notorious as a mass murderer and terrorist and is portrayed in Gotham City as such and also as nothing of the like.
The supporting cast was also strong and instrumental as Robert De Niro plays Murray Franklin, a Johnny Carson-like talk show host. Zazie Beetz as Sophie, Arthur’s neighbor, and Frances Conroy as Penny, Arthur’s mother, also give very strong performances.
Gritty and beautiful, “Joker” is a dichotomy between the rich and poor and the peace and chaos that has you leaving the theater wanting to see more.
