Joker

I've had an amazing experience watching the movie premiere in Venice, I've been waiting for this movie for a long time and I was not disappointed in the slightest.

It's a gorgeous movie, it's disturbing but moving at the same time, violent at times, but also subtle. It's a different and fresh spin on the character and on the cinecomic genre as a whole and Phoenix delivers an amazing performance portraying a version of the Joker we've never seen before, he's not the villain of someone else's story, he is the hero and villain of HIS own story, and the audience can be orrified by him, but we can't help but feel for him at times.

Without giving anything away I would recommend to go and see the movie not expecting to go and see an action packed, but gritty cinecomic, I suggest going in and watch it pretending that it's not even about a famous comic villain, but simply a movie, I think that people will appreciate it more in that way, not comparing it to the cinecomics we've seen before, but thinking of it as a normal movie.

P.S.: People will of course compare Phoenix to Ledger, I don't think it's possible, they give a totally different percormance because they portray totally different versions of the character, and I think it's going to be hard to compare them, you either prefere Ledger's version or Phoenix's but only based on the character, the actor's performances cannot be judged by comparison, they're both great. Just enjoy the movie

This movie is outstanding. Keep in mind when you go to see this that this is not a typical comic book movie that is just a ton of pow pow action, haha chaeesy joke, pow pow. It's basically a movie about a man going crazy but set in Gotham and that man ends up becoming the Joker. It is far more similar to Taxi Driver than it is to even the grittier Marvel movies. The only comic book movie I have seen which has even a remotely similar tone is Watchmen and even that is not as similar to it is to Taxi Driver or Apocalypse Now.

So as a short recap it starts with Arthur, an insane and severely depressed man. He has a condition that causes him to laugh uncontrollably when he is uncomfortable. Literally everything in his life is shit, he gets his ass kicked at work by punk kids, he gets shaken down by his employer, his mom is completely reliant on his help and they live together in a cramped and squalid apartment and his therapy is barely keeping him hinged. In the background Gotham is experiencing lots of political turmoil around the government and wealthy residents showing a complete disregard for the well-being of the needy and Arthur is hit hardest by this. His psychiatric services are cut, he loses his job, his mom is expecting a wealthy benefactor to save them which Arthur knows is not coming, the TV show that Arthur loves and the host of it who he admires coldly shames him for something he was proud of. The shit continues to pile on him as he becomes more deranged and eventually he starts to crack and becomes more and more violent along with much of the rest of Gotham who identify with his same experiences.

The themes of this movie are easy to understand but they run extremely deep as well working on many levels. The top crust of society looking down on others, passing judgement, acting without any repercussions or any true understanding for the devastation they are causing for others. The prime symbol of this is Murray Franklin, this rich talk show host who Arthur initially admires and fantasizes about interacting with in the future but when it comes down to the reality he just stomps over his dreams and aspiration and treats him as a prop to use for his own joke. It's funny to the people looking down with Murray but it's devastating to Arthur. Joker coming onto the show at the end and turning the tables with his "Joke" is also symbolic of the other side of the message. Joker and the clown protests are not good guys, they are not right, they are not helping, they are rabid and reactionary and fueled simply by fury without logic. They have solid reasons for why they are mad but when it gets to the point where you are that beaten down it is hard to see if there is any way to improve it and so reckless fury is all they can muster.

The detailed execution in this film is OUTSTANDING and is really what takes this film to the next level. The acting of Joaquin Phoenix in obviously one of the greatest performances in recent memory. The way he talks, the innocence of his dreams juxtaposed with his tainted reality, the brutality, the way he contorts his body to make the viewer cringe and painfully stare without being able to blink or look away, the facial expressions, the crazy way he runs, the dancing, all of it. It's something you have to experience and feel as you watch it. The script itself is impeccable, the faux twists, the delusional fantasy that is impossible to pick apart from the reality, the dialogue (my god the dialogue during the Murray Franklin show bit was beyond perfect), the art style that puts you in the gutter with Arthur, the careful pacing to make sure that you saw and understood every bit of why Joker comes into being, the music and general sound editing, etc. etc. etc. it's nearly flawless.

Another part that needs further appreciation is the use of ultra-dark humor and the affect it has on being in the audience. This movie
is one of the more brutal movies I have seen in recent times and as it goes on there are these subtle jokes woven into these shocking and disturbing scenes. They are jokes that most people won't laugh at (like locking the door so a dwarf trapped in the apartment with Joker has to ask to get out after seeing a friend's head bashed against the wall, or this situational humor on the talk show with the inappropriateness of the drunk driving joke in the middle of Joker's final rant) but they are really funny if you have a certain sense of humor. The amazing thing this does is that it gets the sick bastards like me who find it funny to laugh uncontrollably in the audience. This has two opposite purposes; the people who laugh are now experiencing the uncontrollable laughter and cold stares that Arthur experiences every day. On the other hand the people who don't laugh get these creepy out of place laughs coming from the people around them in the theater and they know that they're surrounded by sick bastards. It is THE most creative use of humor I have ever seen in a movie.

If we are talking about down sides I can't really speak to that much. The only things that I think might give it a lesser score are the fact that it is not a movie for everyone. It isn't a comic book movie at heart so if you're wanting a Avengers-esque experience then you're SOL. It's extremely brutal and will make you uncomfortable multiple times throughout and it isn't fun action brutality where there is a good fight and one guy wins, it's blowing people's brains out in a subway with a revolver and then chasing down wounded victim #3 type action. I can see how people might not like the lack of justification with the Clown rallies but that is also part of their purpose as I said earlier so I can't knock that. Overall it is a super complex movie that is also easy to understand at a basic level which is an awesome thing because it's hard to do both and I feel like it allows anyone to talk about it and learn the depth.

**This movie is a masterpiece really gives an insight into the Jokers mind while remaining very emotional throughout this psychological thriller**
Let’s just say Joaquin Phoenix has done a remarkable job as playing the Joker, where he really does make The Joker as disturbing as he is always meant to be. We first start off seeing Arthur Fleck (The Joker) working as a clown for this company that sends people dressed up as clowns to different places in the city to entertain customers. We learn from the start that Arthur has schizophrenia he was placed on a psychiatric mental hospital temporarily in the past, where now he is out trying to fit into society on seven different medications while seeing a councillor in the meantime to try and get better to feel something positive in his life. You feel sorry for his character through his descent into madness as you learn all the hardships that he has been through, like been beaten as a child to still being taken the mick out of and beaten while being disregarded as an adult, which makes me think he wants society, but society does not want him to exist with his horrible condition. You will find yourself on an emotional journey in this film really does bring The Joker into a humane light while also being Psychotic with the reasons behind that. He also reverts to like a mind palace when he is unsure or someone is being horrible to him, which it can be either thinking that he is somewhere or with a particular person when his not or his uncontrollable laughter that calms him down as it is kind on his go to defence mechanism with his schizophrenia to try to make himself feel calmer. When we see him dancing down the stairs it gives him a humane happy side showing that he is still a human not just a mad killing monster that we always have perceived him to be, therefore he really does need help when people just ignore him and cast him off as kind of a waste of space in society. Arthur does not know how to react to everyday situations is a struggle for him, so killing someone in defence to him if they have really wronged or mocked him is fair game, even though we feel anger inside in our everyday lives that can be relatable we know how to make sense of our feelings knowing right from wrong with certain levels, which Arthur with his condition he cannot really comprehend. Even though these rich guys are horrible people and are very mean to him, which we can see Arthur has a point to the fact that if someone like them been killed people would be out for blood, compared to if someone like him had been killed they would just be passed by and ignored like street rubbish, therefore something needs to be changed. Arthur as The Joker he is trying to invoke a movement against people who think less of him and are mean to him even though the way he is going about it is the completely wrong way to go about it. We see people are being killed on the streets as a result of his killings to force change, where a peaceful campaign could have been more a lot effective in the long run instead of just madness and chaos. Overall, I would give this film a ten out of ten I defiantly recommend you watching it really does play with your mind it is a psychological thriller that can be scary to have you on the edge of your seat, therefore well done to the phenomenal acting along with the cinematography that really sets the scene for the film. Just to bear in mind that this is a stand alone film based on DC Characters, so some of the plot of how it fits in does not make sense, however that is how it is meant to be portrayed to give the shocking reality that raises awareness about these issues as they are real life people with these mental problems that they should be helped not ignored by so many people.

I think I never watched a better trailer...

I guess people walked into watching this movie with different expectations which turned them down in a way or the other. to a those complaining Joaquin overshadowing all other characters in the movie, c'mon you gotta take the movie for what it's . It's a first person character study like Taxi driver or Dog day afternoon or something so don't expect it to be just like any other entertainer flicks out there . Plus to those who say movie is draggy at points, you gotta improve your taste mate !.

Now coming to Joker, I absolutely loved it to the core and also it satisfied me in every sorta way. Can't imagine anybody else than Joaquin portraying Arthur and little references made to taxi driver and king of comedy felt like icing on cake. And it was also a great pleasure to see Deniro on screen !.

After a long time a movie that's worth called as "cinema" in this superhero - movie - fatigue - era where almost every superhero movie is just another forgettable average movie .

Now this is why i keep going forward in life because of films like this masterpiece with a true message and by far Phoenixe’s best role, some great acting and him and Ledger are both remarkable in their own ways.

Definitely a well made jokers origins story, i couldn’t ask for it better, everything about it, the cast, picture, action and the plot were fantastic and definitely sets up Christopher Nolans magnificent Batman franchises.

I've never made a comment here, but this movie deserves one.

Please read the following comment as my personal opinion, I'm sure not every one will agree with my point of view and thats okay.
And also non native speaker here, so I apologise in advance.

**1. This movie is amazing.** It was everything I expected it to be and much more. I was afraid because I got hyped a lot before seeing the movie, but I must say it was even better than what I was expecting to see.

**2. The music and the sound is amazing.** All the choices for the tracks/songs are on point. The moments where they want to build the suspense work perfectly. Also what they do with the [spoiler]Frank Sinatra[/spoiler] song is superb. At the end of the movie it will have a whole different meaning for you.

**3. The acting of JP is astounding.** He portrays the role of [spoiler]Arthur Fleck[/spoiler] perfectly. Not that we have a real world example of this role, but for me it comes awfully close to what I imagine a Joker from A Killing Joke (Graphic Novel) to be. Further comparing JP to different Joker portrayals might be fun, but they don't work in the same context, so I won't tell you JP is a better Joker than HL.

**4. Don't watch the movie if you're only a Batman fan.** For people who are only amazed by how cool the Batman character is, this won't do it for them. This movie needs to be seen as a single uncoupled work of art. Forget Bruce for a second and try to understand how the Joker is the perfect incorporation of what Gotham is.

**5. Watch the movie if you like to be challenged.** You won't walk out without feeling a tiny bit of empathy [spoiler]for the person Arthut Fleck becomes, and yes he does become a sociopath.[/spoiler]

**6. This movie reflects society.** This movie is in many ways a mirror in whats happening on some parts of our world. This movie shows what happens when people treat other people like garbage. And the elegance of the movie, is that it keeps the discussion so far away from politics.

**7. It raises some serious questions.** In the beginning [spoiler]Arthur Fleck is just a clown[/spoiler], that has a rough time and we feel for him. At the end he is the Joker that [spoiler]kills people freely and thinks it's funny [/spoiler]and even though we don't identify ourselves with this character, we still understand where his thoughts come from. This dissonance between in us that we feel sorry for him in the beginning, that we understand why he becomes the Joker and still wouldn't tolerate anyone that takes such actions in real life is _fascinating_, to say the least.

**8. Will definitely watch it again in the cinema.**

For all people that want to see something similar, watch Blue Ruins.

This is not the Joker you know and erm...love... and yet it is the Joker you know and love, only shot through with a plausible origin story that makes sense of the character. Phoenix gives an astonishing turn here, at once sad and chilling, and the film as a whole is quite breathtaking in its stylistic choices. Not quite what I expected, and that's a good thing. There are still snapshots of the comic book universe but it does its own thing magnificently.

Wow! What a great movie! This is not a comic book version of Joker but rather version of Joker as a man with a mental illness and his downward spiral. This movie is dark, gritty and beautiful. A look into the mind of psychosis and all it lends itself to. This movie leads a lot of room for interpretation which is great. Joaquin Phoenix should get an Oscar for his disturbing portrayal. My review is not good enough for this movie.... I need to watch it again.... it’s beautiful and my heart is to full of emotion to find the right words for this masterpiece.

**The ABC of _”Joker”_**

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**The Awesome:**
_Joker_ is both scary and harrowing, emotional and strong and a refreshingly original take on the comic book genre.
The dark and depressing tone of the film gives us the darkest version of Gotham – and the most human version of the Joker – yet.
_Joker_ is the story of mentally ill Arthur Fleck who loses the few things that give him stability to life and turns into a criminal icon for Gotham’s lower class. It’s more about Arthur’s struggle than Joker himself.
**Joaquin Phoenix** is PHENOMENAL in the lead and he captures the audience from the very first moments of the film. His physical acting make several scenes even creepier.
Refreshing to see a movie in which the villain is the society.
The ties to the Wayne family and Batman are present, but not overly obvious.
Phoenix steals the show for the entire film, but **Robert De Niro** is also great, as is the rest of the cast. **Francis Conroy** and **Brett Cullen** are top notch!
The gritty realism of the film mixed with the early 80s setting make this super villain origin story feel all the more powerful.
_Joker_ is a slow, character-driven drama with carefully chosen moments of violence and chaos.
A dark film score adds to the already dark atmosphere.
Director **Todd Phillips’** script has a depth which doesn’t fully open until after you’ve finished the film and given it a moment’s thought.
Phoenix’s portrayal is so addicting and Fleck’s traumatic experience so harrowing that you barely notice how time flies.

**The Betwixt**
Joker is a modern version of _Taxi Driver_ or a Shakespearean tragedy, but its connections to comic books and its depiction of mental illness, crime and marginalization makes it important in the contemporary world.

**The Crappy**
I expected to see more Joker action and the title is somewhat misleading, since the film is more about the character behind the makeup.
I don’t say this often, but the movie could have been longer because I just couldn’t get enough of Phoenix.