Joker- an honest review

[Heathcliff]

Joker - an honest review

Last week I said something very stupid on the forum, without thinking. I have agoraphobia and anxiety at the moment. I said I felt more confident by imagining I was "putting on my Joker makeup". That was a stupid comment, more so because I hadn't seen the new movie.

Tonight, I went and saw Joker for the first time. It was an intense movie, but I wanted to talk about it- partly to put this movie to rest- but mainly, because it deserves talking about.

My honest review is: I think this is good, interesting- but not a masterpiece. I think the movie looks beautiful in many places. The shots are great and the dark blue and orange colours seem to glow off the screen.

The soundtrack features a LOT of brooding strings. This, weirdly, reminded me of the video game Braid- and that's funny because reviewers said that both Joker, and Braid, are not as clever as they think they are.

About the plot- I didn't find myself offended by it- I didn't think it justified Arthur's actions much. Despite everything Arthur went through, I thought he had a germ of evil inside him from the start. And that made it easier for me. This was a JOKER, we don't have to feel sorry for him- I don't think so.

Different critics have said quite a lot of different things about it- some like it, some say it is "less clever that it wants to be" - some truth in that I think.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/09/movies/joker-movie-controversy.html

this review in the NY Times says it is accidentally about white entitlement- I don't completely get that, but it's an interesting viewpoint.

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If you are wondering whether to see this movie- I would say, please do. Make up your own mind. If you hate it, hate it when you can criticise it after seeing it.

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A comment from a friend of mine from work:

"I saw Joker at the weekend- it was a good film, but I wouldn't want to see it again. It was so depressing."

Do you know? I'd happily watch Joker again. Films that I think are more emotionally distressing, and I would hesitate to watch again, even though they are good:

- Blue Velvet - the David Lynch film- has violence that is more scary to me.
- This is England - again, a scene of violence that is more powerful.
- I, Daniel Blake - a film that is far more sad than this movie.

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Thank you all, and please let me know what you think.

 

[black_mage]

I liked the movie a lot, it was interesting to see a more realistic take on the Joker. And Joaquin Phoenix played the character really well. Also, I didn't think that the movie was treating Joker as a hero or idolizing him or anything like that. At least I didn't see it that way at all.

[Esstrosa]

I for one think its a masterpiece I've seen it 9 times and it's actually helped me in real life the part where he writes in his joke book people expect you to act like you don't have mental health when you do that got me this is my new favourite movie of all time and I'll never listen to a review becouse I don't want that to change 

[Wilde]

Interesting review Heathcliff! I largely agree. Went to see it mainly because I’d seen the trailer a couple of times and it looked absolutely spectacular, cinematographically. That it certainly did, and I’d recommend anyone go see it if they want to see an aesthetically sound film. Joaquin Phoenix’s acting is brilliant, and I personally didn’t think he made the character look too ‘good’, if you get what I mean. He manages to play the Joker as an inherently flawed bad person, and does so well. So yeah, I don’t think he makes it too easy to sympathise with the character, and I personally didn’t sympathise much. Interesting takes on certain forms of radicalism. I’d say it’s a film that ought to be viewed objectively, at least in terms of the plot. 

[SneezyHolmes]

I saw it the other week and I loved it! Joaquin Phoenix played Arthur so well and as someone said above, I really enjoyed the more realistic take on the Joker this time around. It's definitely not a film for everyone though given the darker themes/imagery and display of Arthur's ever declining mental health.

[Heathcliff]

Thanks all. The people who post here are very clever, and reasonable. It makes me feel a hell of a lot happier.

[Heathcliff]

On 11/1/2019 at 6:18 PM, Esstrosa said:

I for one think its a masterpiece I've seen it 9 times and it's actually helped me in real life the part where he writes in his joke book people expect you to act like you don't have mental health when you do that got me this is my new favourite movie of all time and I'll never listen to a review becouse I don't want that to change 

Holy crap! If you've seen it 9 times go and see something else!

It's not THAT good!