Warner Bros. Pictures. Todd Phillips (Director)
Rating: 4.7/5
Dive closely into the theatrical telling of the infamous Joker from the DC Comics as he plays the role of the arduous villain that got his morality twisted by Gotham City’s unruly status quo.
Credits to Warner Bros. Pictures
Amidst the bustling city of Gotham rolled the weary and miserable Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), who juggles his meager job at Ha-Ha’s, his mental and uncontrollable laughing illness, and his aged yet unstable mother, Penny Fleck (Frances Conroy). Having high hopes for Arthur becoming a comedian, Penny believed that “ ...his smile could bring joy to others.”—but society had other plans. Bent on a losing side due to the lack of budget of the Gotham city local government, his free medical treatments were stripped away from him. Trying to remedy his misfortune, Arthur’s colleague gives him a gun for self-defense after he finds out that Arthur got physically assaulted in the streets. However, the concealed gun ironically put him in danger when it fell onto the ground in the middle of his act, costing him his job and leading to his illness worsening. Arthur, not knowing the implications of his actions, faces the unforgiving shackles of society. Would these misfortunes change society or will society change him?
“As the tables slowly turned for the revolting Joker, Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal of the Gotham clown hits the record as it encapsulates the insanity and madness the clown’s persona brings. ”
The clown-prince of Gotham City, described as a harmless loner during his career at Ha-Ha’s, rose up seamlessly in the film; starting from his background as an impoverished citizen of Gotham up until his slow descent into insanity caused by Gotham City’s evil society. Accompanied by Hildur Guðnadóttir’s musical composition, the casts’ surreal acting blended with the scenes exquisitely. Showing the life of a mentally sick person such as Arthur helped highlight the movie’s artistic way of portraying the struggle to be what society deems to be “normal”. When Arthur surfaced from the dark-shrouded streets of Gotham to the moment he was on set with Murray Franklin’s show carried out by Robert de Niro, the scenes seamlessly delivered the message of Arthur’s life story: the struggle of an eccentric survivor in a demented system represented by Gotham.
As the tables slowly turned for the revolting Joker, Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal of the Gotham clown hits the record as it encapsulates the insanity and madness the clown’s persona brings. The maniacal sound of his laugh in the film stays even outside the walls of the cinemas, making the audience remember the “jokes” he made about Gotham City’s culture and community. As the infamous Hollywood actor played his role with superb delicacy, he convincingly depicted the character’s mental illness through his nervous mannerisms and glaring eyes. His laughter being utterly unpredictable was accompanied by his unprompted dance moves, not caring for the world, and just plainly embracing himself as a completely cheerful madcap.
The psychological thriller film received numerous recognition that earned its 11 nominations at the 92nd Academy Awards, winning Best Actor for Phoenix and Best Original Score. This DC film will make the gap of the privileged and the inadequate clear as day, and will make you question if the world is really getting crazier out there. Step into the spotlight and ring your own jokes for the Joker will blow your mind…with the truth.
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