Joker (2019) Review

In a few hours I am finally going to see Joker sequel, despite its bad reviews so I decided to go back and watch the first film and here is my review for Joker. The premise of the film sees a failed stand up comedian attempt to survive in a poor society that will cause him to lose control. 

Main Character

Joaquin Phoenix plays Arthur Fleck and he is truly amazing here and he was well deserved to win the Oscar for Best Actor for this role. He creates so much sympathy for Arthur that you feel so sorry for him and even slightly root for him in this twisted role. His development and characterisation is fantastic and sees him transform into this iconic character. 

Supporting Characters

Robert De Niro plays Murray Franklin who is a talk show host in Gotham and he is great here. It is really nice to see that when he truly cares and has motivation that De Niro can still deliver really strong performances and he delivers in the scenes that he is in. 

Zazie Beetz plays Sophie who is a neighbour to Arthur and I thought she was good in the film, she doesn't have loads of screen time but her chemistry with Phoenix is great and I really liked how her character impacted the plot. 

Frances Conroy plays Penny Fleck and she is great here, she plays Arthur's mother and the whole thing is a bit of a crazy dynamic and she drives into that and it works. As the film progresses we learn more about her and how she affects Arthur. 

Brett Cullen plays Thomas Wayne and the film does a good job in having his story tie into the main plot and the character of Arthur. It doesn't feel shoehorned in and I thought it was well done with an interesting ending. 

Story

This film details a man who is truly lost and alone, as things get worse for Arthur he starts to go down a really dark path and it is hard to see. We see this evolution from Arthur Fleck to the Joker and I like how it affected all the characters in the film and the city of Gotham as a whole. This films story is really effective and is great. 

Script

The film is really well written, you feel so much for Arthur Fleck and want to see him succeed, just not in the way that he acts. The dramatic dialogue and intentionally not funny dialogue is really well written and fleshes out this character. 

Style

This film nails its style and shows Gotham in real disarray and that links to the personal plight of the main character. The music by Hildur Guðnadóttir is sensational and really fits the character and the difficulties that he is suffering. This films only issue is that it has a slight pacing issue in the 2nd act and I found myself a little bit bored but it does pick back up in the final act. 

Overall

Overall, Joker is a fantastic film that is a true character study. It isn't your traditional comic book film and isn't one for an often re-watch but it is one for an in depth character study and a film abut the true plight of an individual. 

Rating - 9/10