MOVIE: JOKER
CAST: Joaquin Phoenix, Zazie Beetz, Robert De Niro
DIRECTOR: Todd Phillips
MUSIC: Hildur Guðnadóttir
PLOT: This story mainly deals with what happens when a man, who is forever alone and a failure in his life, is thrown into our society.
JOKER is a super-villain from DC comics who is portrayed as a criminal mastermind- a psychopath with a warped, sadistic sense of humor, to be more precise. This character has been played by several actors namely, Cesar Romero, Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, Jared Leto and now Joaquin Phoenix. Joaquin Phoenix has thoroughly justified himself for this role. He lost about 24 kgs in a very short period which may have psychologically affect him. Yet he did that because the director of the film, Todd Phillips, wanted him to suit the character better. This movie is written by Todd Phillips and Scott Silver. Lawrence Sher has done an extraordinary job as the cinematographer. This story revolves around Arthur Fleck, a mentally ill, impoverished stand-up comedian, shunned by society, whose lack of success causes him to become a nihilistic criminal.
Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is a no-name clown who works for a talent booking agency and he reportedly has a social worker who keeps a close watch on him, which we can see in the trailers. Arthur Fleck wants to become a comedian, and his only aim was to make people laugh and smile, but he is not treated well by his surrounding members. A number of events take place where Arthur breaks down completely and a number of twists and turns drive the rest of the story, making the film more interesting. If you're a Joker fan, there are many fanboy moments in the film, which make you jump out of your seat. The director has smartly slowed down the screenplay, to have the audience cherish every moment of the main character.
Dialogues written in the film are very emotional and everyone in the film has truly done justice to their roles. Joaquin has depicted the role so psychotically, that he is possibly the best Joker. The reason behind the mannerism and psychology shown by Heath Ledger in the film Dark Knight is clearly narrated in this film. The background score by Hildur Guðnadóttir, however, was not that impressive and could've been darker, to suit the theme more. The final 30 minutes of the film shows who the real Joker is. Joaquin Phoenix definitely deserves an Academy Award for his portrayal of Arthur Fleck. In conclusion, Joker is disturbing, intense but undeniably brilliant.
PUT ON A HAPPY FACE
RATINGS: ImDb- 9.4/10 Audience rating- 4.9/5TOI- 4.5/5My ratings- 5/5
