Joker * * * 1/2
I hate films based on comic books. Stupid on the page usually means stupid on the screen.
So what the heck did I go see this for?
Well I was told it's not a comic book film. They just use a character from a comic (Batman) to show the development of a seriously deranged person. And to be honest, it's done quite well.
Some reports are that it is indebted to the 1976 film Taxi Driver. Interestingly the principal character from that film (Robert De Niro) also has a substantial role in this film. Personally I did not think it any closer to that than many another "I just can't take it anymore" films where the principal character seeks revenge against the society that created him.
The Joker is played by Joaquin Phoenix and the first thing that struck me was what he has done to his body. In as much as he bulked himself to a formidable size for You Were Never Really Here. In Joker he has turned himself into a scrawny malnourished character. I admire his commitment but this can't be good for his health.
Having said that, more impressive than his crash diet is the character he has developed: Arthur Fleck is a man with a mental health problem: he is subjected to scorn and abuse, and is sick of witnessing others receive the same treatment in a cold and cruel city. He aspires to be a stand-up comedian but really hasn't got a chance. He lives with his Mother who he kindly cares for only to learn that she might be his biggest betrayal.
As the story unfolded I kept waiting for the turning but it didn't really come. After each event I kept thinking, now we'll see the turn-around. But it kept getting deferred. It was like it wanted to be a slow boil but remained an irritating simmer. When it finally did boil over the situation was hard to accept.
Also there are more than a few loose ends, but overall with Joaquin Phoenix's extraordinary performance and it's sympathy with the mentally ill, and those who are bullied by society, it won me over.
So what the heck did I go see this for?
Well I was told it's not a comic book film. They just use a character from a comic (Batman) to show the development of a seriously deranged person. And to be honest, it's done quite well.
Some reports are that it is indebted to the 1976 film Taxi Driver. Interestingly the principal character from that film (Robert De Niro) also has a substantial role in this film. Personally I did not think it any closer to that than many another "I just can't take it anymore" films where the principal character seeks revenge against the society that created him.
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| Joker: There's one in every pack |
Having said that, more impressive than his crash diet is the character he has developed: Arthur Fleck is a man with a mental health problem: he is subjected to scorn and abuse, and is sick of witnessing others receive the same treatment in a cold and cruel city. He aspires to be a stand-up comedian but really hasn't got a chance. He lives with his Mother who he kindly cares for only to learn that she might be his biggest betrayal.
As the story unfolded I kept waiting for the turning but it didn't really come. After each event I kept thinking, now we'll see the turn-around. But it kept getting deferred. It was like it wanted to be a slow boil but remained an irritating simmer. When it finally did boil over the situation was hard to accept.
Also there are more than a few loose ends, but overall with Joaquin Phoenix's extraordinary performance and it's sympathy with the mentally ill, and those who are bullied by society, it won me over.
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