Joker: An Unforgettable Tribute to the Legendary Villain!

Joker is a 2019 American psychological thriller film directed by Todd Phillips, who co-wrote the screenplay with Scott Silver.

The film, based on DC Comics characters, stars Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker.

Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is intended to launch DC Black, a series of DC-based standalone films.

The film, which acts as an origin story for the Joker, is set in 1981 and follows Arthur Fleck, a failed stand-up comedian who turns to a life of crime and chaos in Gotham City. 

Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, and Frances Conroy appear in supporting roles.

Considering this is the origin for one of the most celebrated comic book villains, does it deliver?

The answer is a resounding YES

Let’s find out HOW!

• Todd Phillips makes a surreal impact by placing this origin in the Underbelly of Gotham City
• The inspiration for this underbelly is quiet evidently sourced from 2 classics: Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy
• The back ground, the setting and the environs truly remind us of the source material from these Scorsese classics
• This does not mean that this Joker is a rip-off
• It means the decay of society, the corruption of morality and the descent of humanity are pretty much strongly on display
• The underlying theme of disparity, inequality, and social disintegration stare us in the face
• It makes for some pretty hard questions to be asked
• At the same time, it leaves us with a lump in our throats if these questions are to be answered
• The Screenplay by Phillips and Silver is Top-Notch, Gritty and in control of how the source material will lead to digression of the Protagonist
• The Narrative literally is comical in terms of how the character arc’s progress (Look from Afar and you shall Notice)

It leaves us thinking:

Did we stop this? What if we created the Monster? How did we not see this coming?

• The Dialogues are comical, ironical, brimming with humor and dripping with outright sarcasm
• The back ground score by
  Hildur Guðnadóttir haunts, terrifies and terrorizes while you see the Joker blooming on screen
• The Cinematography by Lawrence Sher is claustrophobic, stifling and fills you with disgust while we navigate the nooks and crannies of Gotham

Now, The Performances

• Most of the cast including Beetz, Conroy and De Niro are on point and portray characters from the class of society they belong to
• Their motivations, actions are justified via the backgrounds they are ladled with

However, the Star of this show Undoubtedly is the one and only: Joaquin Phoenix

• The Physical Transformation, The Creepiest Laughter
• You’re left Awe-struck!
• He breathes life into this deranged personality
• By doing so, he makes it his own and personalizes the transition seamlessly
• Phoenix internalizes the embrace when he comes to terms with his Quirks, His Demons and learning to live with them
• He displays vulnerability when he’s trying to live by the norms of society
• However when he chooses to let go and accept what he truly is, Phoenix proves something
• He displays how a Pupa blooms eventually into a Butterfly when Nature takes over
• Phoenix literally uses the analogy of Life to show case this progression
• There is a certain scene: Where he begins to ACCEPT him TURNING into this Freak
• Simply Beautiful!
• This Joker reminds us all of the Inner Demons we battle with, but choose to confine internally
• The beauty of this Joker is, that strangely it makes you relate to the transformation of the protagonist
• Personally speaking, I somehow connected to the Joker

Is there something here that does not WORK?

There is rarely anything that doesn’t work on this story and I am not being biased because I have loved this movie

The Verdict?

• Who Am I to spell out a Verdict when the Joker has spoken Thunderously!
• This Joker has to, and I REPEAT, HAS TO BE SEEN ON THE BIG SCREEN
• THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO WITNESS THIS GEM OF A PERFORMANCE BY PHOENIX

P.S: I PERSONALLY FEEL LEDGER’S PERFORMANCE HAS BEEN ECLIPSED WITH A WORTHY SHOW BY A PERFORMER WHO’S AS TALENTED AS LEDGER WAS!

IT IS ALMOST A SORT OF TRIBUTE TO THE MANIACAL DEPICTION BY LEDGER OF THIS LEGENDARY COMIC BOOK VILLAIN

OSCARS 2020:

• REMEMBER THIS MAN!
• IF HE DOESN’T WIN, THEN I AM NOT SURE WHO SHOULD?

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