Joker (2019) Review

Image from Warner Brothers

Plot:
Set in 1980's Gotham City, failed comedian Arthur Fleck slowly descends into madness, thus transforming himself into the Joker.

Review: 

Ever since The Dark Knight came into theaters, many believed that no one could replicate the impact Heath Ledger's Joker brought into cinema. Ledger's Joker became so iconic that over the years, many have failed (looking at you Jared Leto) to bring that level of villainy and shock value in a film. When Joaquin Phoenix was announced to portray the Joker, everyone was ecstatic as Joaquin is one the best actors of our generation and the perfect casting choice for the role. As the hype was to beginning to grow and the accolades the film was receiving, it is safe to say that Joker is one of the greatest achievements in comic book adaptations. Due to its subject matter on mental illness, darker tone and the brilliant performance by Joaquin Phoenix, Joker is a must-see movie to watch in theaters.

One of the most underrated actors of our time, Joaquin Phoenix, delivers a career-defining performance as Arthur Fleck and a front runner for the Academy Award for Best Actor. Phoenix did a different take to the character and became unrecognizable due to his weight loss and transformation from victim to villain. Joaquin Phoenix understood the twisted mindset of Arthur and how severe his mental illness progresses from start to finish. Each actor has a defining role, and Joker is the role that will define Joaquin Phonix for the rest of his career and will be talked about for years to come.

Image from Warner Bros

In a major surprise, Todd Phillips who is known for directing comedies such as The Hangover outdid himself with his directing duty for Joker. Joining filmmakers like Jordan Peele and Peter Farrelly, Todd Phillips perfectly transitions his filmmaking style from comedy to drama by delivering a dark portrayal of the iconic comic book character. Phillips help bring the infamous comic book villain to life and set the dark tone many have been waiting to see on the big screen.

Now to talk about the elephant in the room, the film's portrayal of mental illness is intense, disturbing, and vital for the movie.  The Joker's origin story is the repercussions of mental illness and how hard people aren't able to access due to their current status in society. The movie does not glorify chaos and madness of the disease, but a statement as to why mental illness should be taken very seriously and not treat people like crap. I hate how people are complaining about how the movie glorifies mental illness instead of seeing how it portrays the ramifications of not getting the proper help people need. Mental illness is a disease, and this movie is a perfect and daring portrayal of how to avoid these kinds of situations from happening.

Joker is an intense, disturbing, and incredible film to experience to watch both as film and comic book lovers. However, it may not be for everyone due to its heavy portrayal of mental illness and how the dark ton further develops by the end of the movie. Just like I said in my previous statement, the movie's portrayal of mental illness is vital to acknowledge in today's society. Joker should be watched for the sake of cinema, and it is by far one of the best movies of 2019.