Joaquin Phoenix Delivers Amazing Performance as Joker
This post is soooo overdue, but if you have not seen the new Joker movie, your butt needs to be rushing to the theatre right now. Go on, I’ll wait. But seriously, this movie is worth seeing multiple times and there is so much to talk about. This review will be full of SPOILERS so full warning now. If you have not seen the movie, I highly recommend doing so and then coming on back to share your thoughts. Joker really touched so many important points relevant to today, so I will be talking about some of the highlights of the movie as well the importance of mental health. So let’s get into it.
As we have seen, comic based movies have been leveling up the anty with heavier and darker material leading some movies to raising their rating to R. This isn’t something that has usually been seen with comic movies in that it is usually more light hearted, filled with action, but some clever comedy moments. However when you read the comics, this isn’t always the case and you can see a lot of dark material especially in DC Comics. Therefore I personally have been wondering with DC when were they doing to make darker and more serious content. I mean enough of the Tumblr looking branding of Suicide Squad and Martha memes from Batman vs Superman. And then DC finally gets the picture and releases Joker.
Joker breaks a lot of the “traditional rules” when it comes to comic movie story telling. First off the movie is indeed Rated R therefore in no way shape or form a movie for children or the weak hearted. Even I flinched and had to close my eyes at points. I also cried about most of the first half of the movie, but I’ll get more to why in a bit. The film is all about Joker with not much incorporation of Batman, so the villain is the protagonist of the film with no real “hero” or savior to the plot. Lastly, this is not an action film, but rather a deep psychological thriller and let me tell you it definitely chilled my mind.
I did have high expectations when entering the theatre, but I also knew to brace myself for what was coming. I didn’t know how brutal or dark the movie would be especially with any killing scenes. Let me just say I am very sensitive with an easy stomach, but for DC I try to endure. Sure enough, I was right to try and mentally prepare myself, but it still didn’t prepare me fully for what I experienced. The movie’s storyline goes through a very phase by phase experience for the main character, Arthur Fleck, into becoming the Joker. We see his life as this everyday guy suffering at work, going throught therapy, suffering from mental disorders, and also taking care of his mother. Then all these problems in his life continue to push him deeper into madness. The first half of the movie more soley focused on him as Arthur trying to live his life really got to me. I was lucky I was at Alamo Drafthouse where you can dine while you watch the movie, because the napkins they provided really helped with the tears. Seeing the dramatic experiences of Arthur of being beaten, bullied, and harassed just completely hurt my heart. Now this movie is not meant for you to feel for the Joker because in the end what he does is wrong. However, harassment and bullying is never okay in any form so watching the way it happened to him was a lot to handle leading me to tears. I think the biggest thing that got to me in the beginning was the laugh. Oh my gosh, Joaquin! The laugh he came up with for this film was so devastatingly chilling, raw, and filled with pain. Everytime I heard it, I felt so many things. First it broke my heart like this poor guy who couldn’t control himself and is crying through the laugh. To then later on scaring the hell out of me not knowing what he was going to do. Just absolutely genuis I would say.
Other than his laugh, the biggest stand outs for me in this film is the pure fact of how it put me at the edge of my seat in every moment. I use to write stories growing up all the way into college so I am pretty good at prediciting stories and what is gonna happen in the end before it happens. Therefore I am little bit more cynical when it comes to films and their creativity so I look for the element that surprises me. Joker definitely did that in the way I didn’t know what was going to happen to him or what he was going to do. I mean there were many people who personally attacked him some way so I expected a dark fate for those, however, Joker could merely kill anyone for any reason so I didn’t know who could be safe. The movie also decided to twist with the viewers’ minds by adding scenes that didn’t actually happen. They were all in Arthur’s mind. Now they did reveal some things that were only happening in his head, but it led to a lot of questions of wondering what else actually did or did not happen. There is a specific scene where I still ponder if it actually happened in that way.
In the end we are eventually led into Arthur becoming the Joker and with that a new confidence and darker mind has been born. We slowly started to see changes in Arthur in his behavior leading into the Joker, but we knew once we saw the full make-up and the iconic dance on the staircase, we had ourselves the Joker. Okay, so he definitely is showing more confidence at this point and less of the studdering awkward Arthur from before. However, the ending scene of Arthur at the Murray Show has me questioning how he was able to be that calm and confident. I mean Murray is his idol and he is now on his show in front of hundreds of people and more watching in. He enters the stage with a dance, plants a big kiss with a guest, and then sits to chat with his idol. These are all possible things, but it is unusual. Then we get to the dialogue between Murray and Joker. This is what gets to me. Joker flat out admits to the killing of three men on a subway, but the show does not end there. There is no security called or panic or anything of the sort, but Murray continuing to question him on why he would do such a thing. Joker continues to say horrific things to Murray’s shock, but again the conversation just continues until Joker delivers an amazing monlogue of both insanity and truth leading to Murray’s death. At that point, madness and panic finally occur, but it just surprised how far that conversation went where it is bascially everyone’s fault Murray ended up dying. I would like to think the whole scene really happened in that way, but this movie really leaves it you to figure out what you think is real which is both annoying and genuis at the same time. I really give my hats off to this creators on this film. I know the movie isn’t 100% original due to the influences of other films such as Taxi Driver and King of Comedy, but what it was able to do in this day in age is still amazing.
I want to end on the note of the importance of mental health. Arthur was a deeply disturbed person, but in the end it was what everyone around him was doing making him worse. Now I am not saying everyone in the world is going to turn into a “Joker” or violence being an answer. However, I do feel people should stop and think how what they are saying or their actions are affecting others. If a little more positivity was spread, imagine the differences it would make. It can really be the smallest things. I will be real with you guys because I don’t mind sharing my story. I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and depression when I was 18, but struggled with it for many years before it. It was affecting me in small ways, but in High School is when it really was attacking my everyday life. I would say most did not pay attention to what was happening to me and if anything made it worse. I do want to give thanks to certain indviduals such as Robert Luce who noticed the changes in me and lend a helping hand. So all I am saying here folks is be kind because that is the better way to be anyways. Also if you are someone that suffers from anything or just having a bad day, don’t be afraid of getting help or turning to someone. There is no shame for realizing that sometimes things are just not okay. If you would like you can always message me here on the contact tab or email amyrabombshell@gmail and I would be more than happy to be a listening ear.
Well guys Halloween will finally be here tomorrow. Yay! Which means this post will be the last post part of the October Giveaway Contest. There is one hidden beetlejuice in every post from Haunted Mansion Fashion to this one besides the Tim Burton Ball which will have multiple Beetlejuices. In total there are 17 Beetlejuices including this review. I will be posting my special Halloween post at midnight central time 10/31. Whoever is the first to comment on the Halloween post telling me where all the Beetlejuices are will win the prize. There is no age restriction, but you must reside in the United States. For more information, you can read here. Good luck to everyone.
What did you think of the Joker movie? Do you think it has high chances for an Oscar? What part stood out to you? Who is your favorite Joker? What do you think DC has in store for us? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to like and suscribe to get notified of new posts. Until next time my Bombshells, Bye!
