Joker

‘I know! How about another joke, Murray. What do you get when you cross a mentally ill loner with a society that abandons him and treats him like trash!? I’ll tell you what you get! You get what you fucking deserve!’ This movie is so good. You’ve got one of my favourite actors playing one of my favourite characters in this miserable character study. Arthur Fleck, this fragile loner who is off-puttingly skinny with a hunched back, a laughing condition that hurts him and no confidence in himself. Transforming into the Joker. Where he dances, stands straighter, confident and laughs like it’s not painful. The transformation isn’t just psychological, it’s physical.  His transformation makes sense as well and isn’t rushed. We see his life and how psychologically damaged he is and continues to be pushed and pushed throughout the movie. The twist with Zazie Beetz’s character and his mother are great. And the scene where he kills Randall is so good and so Joker like when he kisses Gary on the forehead. The score is excellent. It’s uncomfortable and you can really feel the pressure inside Arthur rising until he becomes the Joker where it becomes louder and moves with him. I like the production design and how this movie looks.  The ending is brilliant. I remember the first time watching how shocked I was when that gunshot went off. I was so engrossed in Joaquin Phoenix’s and Robert De Niro’s argument that the collapse just hits. It’s what the whole movie leads to. Arthur’s last straw snapping and then embracing the Joker. The leg bouncing and the laugh of relief like all the pressure has finally lifted. It’s so good and pays off the lead up. I don’t think the Joker should have an origin story because the mystery of who he is, is what makes his character so interesting. But if you are gonna do one then this is a great attempt. I sure hope they make a sequel where we see the Joker become the Clown Prince of Crime and not a courtroom musical. That would be a real shame