The trailer of the 2019 Joker movie caused tremendous hype around Todd Phillips’ yet another masterpiece. Still, we did our best to analyze all the plot details and compile them into the Joker review. This Joker movie review contains some spoilers, so if you still plan on visiting a local cinema, be attentive and maybe read some parts of this review later.
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Modern superhero movies are often overpacked with clichés. The competition between Marvel and DC is going wild yet making not much sense (just like college assignments at the end of the semester). Astronomically expensive movie casts and breathtaking graphics cannot surprise even the pickiest fan. But wait, why so serious? Joker made it to the top without having all that.
After reading some movie Phoenix reviews, it seems that this work can be probably called the most controversial one people have seen in 2019. Some guarantee it will win Oscar, some prophesy eruptions of violence around the globe. Hysteria is mounting in both teams, and this means movie success. Well done, Todd Phillips, well done!
The hypnotizing transformation of a helpless comedian to the most powerful DC villain is taking place during the politically unstable period in Gotham city. The rise of capitalism results in people feeling vulnerable about their social class. What’s more, the division between multimillionaires and blue-collar workers is rapidly growing due to the open hate speech broadcasted on the TV. And the TV-box served as a modern version of Pandora’s box (just like our online world today). The first victim to suffer is Arthur “Happy” Fleck.
Arthur experiences episodes of hysterical uncontrolled laughter due to emotional incontinence. Every time it happens in front of unfamiliar people, he is supposed to show them a laminated card with the explanations written on it. Most of the stranges openly demonstrate their enmity after the “small talk”; they keep distance to avoid an awkward social interaction with a creep.
Having such a disease significantly limited the number of jobs Arthur could take. Still, he found his biggest passion – comedy. Performing for the kids in the hospital or telling jokes on the stand-up shows, he scintillated delight. At the same time, these moments turned him into a vulnerable kid not prepared for the evil adult world.
Even though we follow through Arthur’s daily life, we can just imagine what’s going on in his head by analyzing his actions. Here is a question to the director – is that some kind of a cinematic tool that would make the audience inspect their subjective feelings towards the protagonist or just a failed plot element?
By the way, we do get a chance to see some of the personal notes made by Arthur. Judging from the second scene, he was asked to meticulously document everything he can think about. This is how we can see a few amateur sketches along with some awkward jokes spelled incorrectly. Some sentences look like the essay quotes and later he reveals them as his core life principles.
We are exhausted from predictable superhero plots, where two teams are fighting against each other (quite a predictable result). It’s been a few decades since Joker entered the DC universe and during all of these years, he was presented as an immoral freak obsessed with the idea of hurting as many people as possible. Phillips created a bizarre story that is supposed to fill the gap in the DC universe. We get many answers about Joker’s origin and at some point regret even asking that many of them.
The movie shows how versatile a personality can become after experiencing tremendous societal pressure. After Arthur discovered that his mother had been lying to him for years, the tears of bitter disappointment inflamed him. And this episode wasn’t the only one!
Every time people betrayed Arthur in some way, he tried to suppress his anger. In fact, we can see that he cannot fight anyone back – neither his colleagues nor the healthcare system, which quit providing him with the necessary medicine. The gun Arthur occasionally used to protect himself in the metro stated his strength: he will not let anyone harm him.
The top-notch of the movie from the psychological point of view was a magnificent dance Joker performed before arriving at the show. We could already observe Arthur expressing his emotions through moving, but this scene was an extraordinary one being followed by a fantastic music sample.
Lawrence Shers’ talent and vision contributed to the impeccable settings and lighting. By the way, the poster image was taken during this iconic scene. Even though Joker was dancing on the street, we could feel the intimacy of the moment that looked like phoenix rebirth. Not having a bit of doubt or fear, he celebrated the statement of his identity as his biggest life achievement. He was finally free.
All the following scenes looked gorgeous and disgusting at the same time. The director dedicated enough time to show “who’s laughing now”, displaying all the bloody details.
If suggesting that the movie aimed at explaining Joker as a character by diving into his biography episodes, Phillips managed to reach the goal. At the same time, many fans voiced their dislike due to the movie having an open finale. However, what is the meaning of the plot if the movie is apparently focused on a character’s disclosure?
Before watching (or rewatching) Joker, you should leave all of your expectations and prejudice behind. Joker is not a standard entertaining movie for students. There is no point in comparing it to the other mass-market movies since they are not as nearly unique as this character and his bed of thorns.
