Movie Man Darian Watching All Night Long

Joker 

This film is an absolute masterpiece! Their is so much I have to say about this film as it is a truly masterful film with a phenomenal performance from Joaquin Phoenix. This is a character study of the joker so if you are going into this film expecting a fast paced action filled Joker film this is not that film as this film is more of a psychological in depth look at the clown prince of crime and how he becomes what we all know as the joker. The film shows the true heartbreak of what went on in his life that got him to get to go over the edge and become a dangerous person. Todd Phillips has done a amazing job at bringing this origin story to life as this film shows the tragedy of this man’s life and it truly is one of the greatest comic book films I’ve ever seen. 

Firstly, this film is so unsettling to watch as yes their are moments of strong violence but I will say that the parts I found most disturbing were the ones that had no violence as the sheer pain and sadness this man goes through is so heartbreaking to watch unfold and then to see him slowly plunging himself into darker places emotionally was incredibly unsettling as it’s one of the most realistic depictions I’ve seen of mental health represented onscreen. As the film doesn’t mock or make fun of mental illness but really gives it a strong voice with a message that we need to have better health care and support for people with mental health problems as people need help and if not supported or helped that if we judge people and treat them badly it can seriously do emotional damage as a lot of that already goes on and instead of making fun of others we should get along and help each other because you never know what that person is going through as this film is a great example of that. Arthur just tries to be happy but society beats him to a pulp and he eventually reaches a boiling point and it’s such a powerful and effective message of how as a society we need to do better and to give more support emotionally and financially to mental health as if we don’t if people bully the person as this film shows the negative outcome of what can happen to someone who gets no support and can potentially go down a very dark path and this film is a very realistic showing of that. 

Secondly, This film also has a very vocal voice as well about gun control too as without getting into spoilers their is a very subtle and deep message about how people can gain access to firearms and how we should have better rules for people who want to obtain one as it can become very dangerous for someone in the wrong hands and this is a very deep message that is powerfully touched upon in the film as what I love so much about this film too is it’s ability to talk about such relevant topics that are very big issues that we should be having conversations about and that’s what this film does it sparks conversation on those touchy topics. Which is another reason why I love this film so much it is one of the most brave films to ever tackle such topics in such brutal honesty. 

Joaquin Phoenix is sensational in this film! The moment I heard he would be playing the joker I was onboard with this whole film as Joaquin always commits to every role 100% and putting him in what is widely considered the greatest villain of all time that’s brilliant casting and he knocks it out of the park giving the most heartbreaking portrayal of the character but also incredibly terrifying also he gives a career best performance in this film and he should get his Oscar speech ready because he deserves every award for his brilliant performance in this film. Everyone else involved from Robert De Niro to Frances Conroy they all give great Supporting performances as well and not one person in the cast had a weak performance everyone showed up and gave it their all and you can’t help but love every frame of this film as yes it’s unsettling and heartbreaking but you can’t look away. 

Lastly, Todd Phillips has crafted a true masterpiece that is single handily one of the greatest comic book films ever put to screen but also be able to touch on very relevant things that are going on that need to talked about and he shows it in a very realistic tone that is brought to this film. As well this film also provides what is one of the best origin character films on top of that it’s such a fascinating character study and it’s disturbing, terrifying the performances across the entire film are amazing with the outstanding lead performance from Joaquin that will make you want to stand out of your seat by the end and give him a standing ovation this film is beautiful and incredibly well crafted Joker is one of the years best films and a film that will be talked about for years to come. 

Rated R : for strong bloody violence, disturbing behavior, language and brief sexual images

This film centres around a guy James Arthur fleck who is trying to make ends meet and just be happy and put smiles on people’s faces even though society keeps beating him down he eventually cracks and becomes what we know as the clown prince of crime

Joaquin Phoenix : Joaquin delivers a incredibly dark but also heartbreaking performance that is sheer brilliance! Joaquin is one of my favourite actors as he’s so versatile as what I love about him is he doesn’t do any role he only does a character in a film if he knows it’s written well and if theirs something that intrigues him and I respect that as he has given us some incredible memorable performances over the years. He’s been brilliant in the master, gladiator and my favourite until this film was his work in walk the line as Johnny Cash. He always commits 100% into his roles and goes head deep into them so when I heard he was taking on the joker I was giddy with excitement because I knew Joaquin was going to bring a tour de force performance and he does their is so much I have to say about what I loved with his performance in this film. First off he plays Arthur Fleck as a very optimistic person who’s been just been battered by society and when you see how’s he’s treated it makes you sick to see how cruel people can be to others and it’s heartbreaking to watch as you can see this sadness wash over Phoenix’s face and the sheer heartache that goes on through his face just makes you feel for the guy as for a good half of the film I just felt so bad for this character as Joaquin got me to sympathize with him because he brought such a raw emotional honesty to this character that felt so lived in and real. As when you would see him struggle interacting with people It made you feel that he just wants to have affection and be loved and he gets none of what he asks for in any capacity. Joaquin really sheds so many layers of this character that made me stunned with his approach to the film as he can make you feel so bad for what this guy is going through because in some shape or form their are things he goes through the audience can relate to to some degree. And then you have the more sinister side that comes out later in the film but the thing is the sinister side that Joaquin brings that darkness is born out of tragedy and heartbreak so when we get to that breaking point you in ways understand his actions because it never felt to me like it was a random act of violence but their was a reasoning to it and Joaquin had this intense blackness in his eyes that were so chilling it made me disturbed because he would be conveying some joyous side to him but what his eyes are showing is something else and its Phoenix’s amazing commitment to the character that really makes you not able to take your eyes off of him. Joaquin is in every frame of this film and he chews up every moment as he has this like I said very tragic life and shows it in all of its sadness as their are these small things that made the character the more intriguing such as when he would laugh it was as if it hurt him to laugh and felt forced out of him and that felt so real and I loved that quality that was brought to the character. Joaquin can show the vulnerable emotional raw aspects of Arthur and his slow decent into a life of a criminal with a childlike innocence that gets beaten down and brings such intense emotion required for the role that speaks such volumes and really affected me on a deep level and then you have the more unpredictable side to him where he has moments of violence and lashed out and that unpredictably that Joaquin would bring with his eyes and his psychical portrayal of the character was chilling to witness. Joaquin truly transform into this character from a emotional aspect as well as psychical as he goes to some very dark places emotionally I’ve never seen him go but i also see him really show some very raw and vulnerable aspects to himself I haven’t seen either and really brings that dialogue he has to life with his sadness and to some degree a truth to what he’s saying and it’s his sheer passion to the role that made the words hit you like a ton of bricks as he soaks up every aspect of this character. And please don’t compare him to Heath as I know everyone already is but every portrayal of the joker is so different and I would say that Joaquin is second as the best portrayal of the joker as Heath brought something no one can really ever duplicate but Joaquin definitely is second to Heath as his performance is tragic, chilling and captivating from start to finish Joaquin deserves all the awards he gets for this film he is truly magnificent! 

Todd Phillips : Phillips gives masterful direction! When I first heard that Todd Phillips was attached to this film I was surprised because I didn’t know if the director of the hangover would be able to make such a big transition style wise. Not saying comedy directors can’t transition from comedy to drama as it’s been happening more and more frequently which I love but it’s not easy to do if you have never tackled that genre before and if you can pull it off effortlessly more power to you and here Phillips shows he can pull off a massive franchise property and do it in a way that Is unlike anything we’ve seen the character go emotionally and style wise. Phillips brings the character into new territory that was a breath of fresh air as he gives joker a incredibly compelling story that rattled me to my core. As he didn’t make a one dimensional story on the joker he stripped his layers back and showed the tragedy of his life and how he gradually transitions from Arthur fleck into the joker he made it seem so effortless and he tackles some really tough topics not many people like to talk about especially in today’s climate as he discusses themes of gun violence and gun control as well as mental illness and lastly the treatment of others and all of those themes are handled so well through the film and it makes you look at things differently after you see the film and I love that he was able to craft such a thought provoking piece of art to spark discussions about topics that most definitely should be talked about. As well he grounds this film in such a realistic way that it feels the even more heartbreaking to watch this man get chewed up by society as a lot of the stuff in the film mirrors a lot of what is happening today and since he took the approach to make his spin on the joker origin be so grounded in reality it made it the more compelling as it’s a character study of this guy and it’s so brilliantly directed by Phillips as he also gets a outstanding performance from his lead actor as well as solid work from the rest of the cast. He just brought this specific style and flare to the film that was so fitting to the story and done in a way I hadn’t seen the joker’s origin told before and it left me heartbroken, disturbed but amazed by what he achieved here as it’s masterful filmmaking and Todd Phillips has created a film that truly transcends the comic book genre he gives incredible direction here. 

The Cinematography : This film deserves to be seen on the biggest screen possible! The camera work in this film is incredible as it brought such a scope and life to the story as the Cinematography expresses so much through some scenes that said so little but the angles used to express a certain emotion was perfectly constructed by the Cinematography as it has some of the most beautiful imagery I’ve seen this year it’s a beautifully shot film. 

The Score : The Score for this is haunting! The music composed for this film is perfect on every level as the composer knew exactly what musical notes would perfectly fit the feel of this film and he does it amazingly well as the film uses a lot of low and deep sounds to create this sense of tension but also unpredictably. It made the film really pop with the music in this film it was creepy and so well done it captured the heartbeat of this film perfectly really helping express some emotional moments through the Score what a beautifully composed score this film has.