Joker review

Phoenix was brilliant in this film. It was deeply disturbing to watch and had a huge impact on me. Which is quite rare for a film to accomplish these days. I went into it not really expecting much. Initially when I saw the promo pictures of him in the makeup I thought it looked kinda stupid, but after seeing it I was really impressed.

The characters portrayal of mental illness and decent into madness was so well done. The soundtrack, the cinematography was all perfect. This wasn’t a comic book movie. It was so much more than that.

Phoenix definitely deserves a nomination for this role. It’s some of his best work to date.

a reply to: CallmeRaskolnikov

The amount of weight he shed for the roll was frightening in those scenes where he was topless and bearing on his back

I went into the theatre a die hard Heath Ledger fan and a completely unappreciative viewer of anything Joaquin Phoenix has done to date.
I walked out in awe of the genius of the movie itself and his portrayal of the Joker was way above any expectations I could have imagined.
His character was, so believable and real to me...that I felt for him. Despite the graphic violence he felt compelled to do...you understand why. It really does delve deeply into the psyche of someone who endured horrible abuse as a child and raised by a psychotic mother and combine that with society in the time frame of the film and it creates a recipe for someone to snap.
I felt empathy Arthur. I'm sure many who see the movie feel the same and that doesn't condone the violence but maybe gives us all a deeper understanding of those who battle demons every single day.

a reply to: stonerwilliam

Seriously! He looked completely emaciated. He looked sickly with his ribs and spine jutting out like that. Now that’s some dedication.

Reminded me of Christian bale’s character from The Mechanic. He weighed like 100lbs in that movie, which is another good one, worth a watch if you haven’t seen it. One of his lesser known films, but really good.

I think he got the role as Bruce Wayne/Batman in Batman Begins after that movie and he had to put on a ton of muscle weight for that role after losing so much weight for The Mechanic. He was actually on the border of jeopardizing his health.

a reply to: AccessDenied

Some of the best movie villains are the ones you can relate to in one way or another.
You know the joker turns out to be a brutal killer but you can have some empathy for how he was turned into a killer.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
Wow...
That was a fricken good movie.
Joaquin Phoenix has to be a top contender of an Oscar and the film should be right there at the top of the list too.

It's amazing how you can feel this man losing his humanity right in front of your eyes.
The violence aspect has been blown way out of proportion by the media in my opinion. He kills a total of three men in this film, yes, it's not for the faint of heart.
Oddly enough nobody is mentioning the blood bath in John wick.. Countless brutal deaths.

Twenty years ago the joker was created by a vat of chemicals.
In 2019 the joker is created in something far worse, a vat of society.
This movie puts a spotlight on the problem of mental illness.

Ignore the paid critics on this one and go see the joker.

I wholeheartedly agree. The acting in here is TOP NOTCH... the story is original and they took the cartoony aspect out of the character. Very dark, dramatic and gritty. The violence is fitting/key to the story and subject matter. GO SEE THIS FILM... forget all the #METOO/safe space idiots.. this is a very entertaining movie.

a reply to: Bluntone22

Disturbing but brilliant filmmaking.

a reply to: Bluntone22

Just returned from watching this - it was BRILLIANT! I was filled with every emotion during the movie, including laughter a few times. But the main emotion was dread, extreme sadness and I was very disturbed at times. All the pieces of the story came together in a great manner, they just slid together as if no effort. And yes, I am left wondering about a few scenes. But, that is all I will say as I don't want to cause any spoilers.

I want to see it again right now. Simply amazing.

a reply to: hiddeninsite

I just saw this myself, last night, and my reaction was similar to yours.

I had been wanting to see this movie for weeks, and finally talked my wife and teenage son into seeing it with me.

When I left the theatre, I was dysphoric, not happy, wondering wtf just happened. IT is not a feel good movie.

But, I have thought about everything in the film for the 24 hours since, and I am very glad I DID see this film. The best movies make you think, and this Joker certainly does that, in spades!

It is dark, and twisted, and there were times that were uncomfortable to watch, and I was hoping that these particular scenes would pass more quickly, initially. Now, however, I am glad to have watched every second.

This is not a movie for the lighthearted, and NOT a romantic movie you should take someone on for a 'first date' for sure!

But, in every way, it was epic in the end. Bravo. Totally.

a reply to: Fowlerstoad

I am with you on that. It was so very disturbing to see the way he spiralled. Again, I don't want to say too much for those who haven't seen it yet.

This is an instant classic. I just loved, but yet felt repulsed by the main character, while also having such compassion. It is one of the few movies that I was able to sit through completely entranced and lost all track of time.

You said it: Epic!!!

a reply to: Bluntone22
So the joker movie came out eh?

Most likely going to watch it. There was a thread around here about it when the teaser trailer was out. The joker has been done so many times from the movies were batman had batnipples on his bat suit, with Jack Nicholson and the wacky joker to Heath Ledger's joker. Which by the way, would be pretty dam hard to beat Heath Ledgers joker.

There bound to run out of personas for the joker. I thought they would do a mix of the whole one bad day riff and turn it into something else. By the reviews looks about right, cant wait to watch it. Maybe will watch it today.

Looks entertaining, if albeit not so comical and jovial in the jokers usual way, more of a macabre serious film.

But even in the comic books the joker just makes # up on the fly about his origin story anyways, or depending one which writer did which comic. But then again maybe should not watch it, looks sort of depressing. Watch the movie on a rainy day.

Ah! Heres the thread on the teaser trailer from months ago.
JOKER- Teaser trailer.

Phoenix was brilliant.
DeNiro sucked.

Parts of the movie felt hollowed out, but, it is definitely worth seeing, imo.

Well I seen it yesterday. Dont know what the hoopla is about. The movie was good. Not great, but good, its alright, seems a bit rushed in some parts. I see why some are up in arms about it, the whole pill popping mental thing, may be a bit to close to home for some. Everybody is so cereal.

But in all, I think Heath Ledgers joker was better. Mark Hamil though, may go down not for Luke Skywalker, but for the joker in the 90s batman show. Also both were way more funnier then this joker. Or at least they had more puns.

Though they took liberties with the whole origin story, both the jokers and Bruce Wayne's.

But ya, seems like another take on the the whole "one bad day" joke.

And I suppose all origins, are better when there multiple choice.

The timeline changed a lot. I thought Batman and the Joker were around the same age. In Joker Bruce is about 20 years younger than the Joker.
And they could also be brothers.

Saw it last night. Pretty good movie. I can understand why he is the way he is.

a reply to: galadofwarthethird

There has never been a Joker in a Batman movie where Batman had Bat nipples on his Bat suit

The Michael Keaton Bat-man never had any bat nipples , it was only after Joel Schumacher went in and put the bat nipples and bat butt's in . Val Kilmer and George Clooney had to wear those suits

I actually prefer the Jack Nicholson Joker over Heath Ledger's , as it more of a mobster type character who is a looney , rather than just straight out seriel killer type like Heath Ledger . Heath Ledger acted very well and I liked his portrayal , but it felt a little too off to be the Joker to me

Joaquin Phoenix's portrayal was very good too , I just saw it last week and was very impressed

I bet they tie in a Bat man movie to it

a reply to: JonathanSpencer
Pretty sure there was , its how the whole batman nipple suit joke got started. Thats over 20 years now.

But this is over 15 or 20 years ago now. Cant even find a vid on it anymore, maybe they changed up the older batman movies. Editing nipples out so people would stop making the bat nipples joke from newer versions of old batman movies, should not be that hard to do.

Nor would it be hard to edit them in. I think they shot the whole superman movie with Henry Caville with his mustache in, then they edited it out of the whole movie. So by now. It does not matter. In fact cant find youtube clips that are past 10 years old it seems.

Its history now. And history is always re-writen...Or edited as it is known these days.

I actually prefer the Jack Nicholson Joker over Heath Ledger's , as it more of a mobster type character who is a looney , rather than just straight out seriel killer type like Heath Ledger . Heath Ledger acted very well and I liked his portrayal , but it felt a little too off to be the Joker to me Joaquin Phoenix's portrayal was very good too , I just saw it last week and was very impressed I bet they tie in a Bat man movie to it

Ah, the original Jack Nicholson joker, was more a gag real. Hard to compete with Heath Ledger joker, even this new take on the joker by phoenix. But everything changes, pretty much every movie or even comic they do, its a different take on an old thing.

But they kind of screwed up on the whole joker was around when Bruce Wayne was a kid. That means by the time Bruce, he becomes batman through and through some 20 to 30 years latter after his parents get killed, the joker should be in his 60s to 70s.

Maybe committing crime and doing all kinds of death defying stunts, while sporting a cool walking cane, and throwing his dentures at batman as a gag.

a reply to: galadofwarthethird


The Michael Keaton Bat man definitely never had nipples , as Joel Schumacher was not around on those movies to include them in . It started when he added them to his Bat man movies as he was a homosexual . He also added in the Bat butt

I have the 89 Bat man and Bat man Returns on original VHS , so have seen it from that

The nipples joke started in the 2000's when the You Tube movie review craze started

I didn't like Heath Ledger's Joker that much , I think he was way too off . The acting was good , but it just wasn't the Joker to me

WARNING: This review contains SPOILERS.

My first ATS review of a movie, away from the 'UFOs and Aliens' forum.

originally posted by: OtherSideOfTheCoin

... he kills (spoiler) 5 people in the movie by my count not 3.

I make it 6, including his mother. Possibly 7 since he 'seemed' to have killed the Arkham Asylum doctor in the final shot (remember the bloody footprints after his interview). Aaaaaanyway, I have only just caught up with this movie, having also felt "jokered out", mistrustful of a director known for 'The Hangover' franchise, and bored with all the endless chattering controversy over it.

The final verdict? I thought it was one of the most astonishing movies I have ever watched, with possibly the single most incredible lead performance by an actor in decades - which I did NOT expect, especially from this director and such a well-worn DC source. The gradual mental disintegration of professional clown Arthur (who also has stand-up ambitions despite not understanding the fundamental nature of humour) runs parallel with the discomfort felt as we're drawn into a troubled mind. He at first elicits sympathy for his plight due in no small part to the abuse he receives for a medical condition that manifests as manic laughter in times of stress; such laughter often replacing tears, leading to constant misunderstandings and his first act of murder when attacked by three arrogant rich young men on a tube train.

Sympathy is thus eroded, especially as the murder suspect is treated as a local hero by 'V For Vendetta'-style city folk donning clown masks. When Gotham cuts funding for his crucial counselling sessions, thus cancelling his medication, and as past revelations about the mother he lives with and cares for are unveiled, his flailing stand-up comedy ambitions suddenly take a turn for something far, far worse when he is invited to perform on Robert De Niro's chat show - someone had filmed him in a comedy club telling two jokes that were unrepresentative of his talent, or lack of.

Before reaching the TV studios, though, the murder of his mother has finally turned him 100% insane, leading him to brutally murder a fellow clown colleague trying to express his condolences, watched by a dwarf friend of Arthur's who is terrified, mirroring Jodie Foster's reactions in 'Taxi Driver' during Travis Bickle's final baptism of violence, both heightening scenes of violence not easily forgotten. That he spares the dwarf's life (a potential witness) is unexpected until Arthur explains that he was the only person who was ever nice to him.

Arthur thus parades his own warped idea of justice, only attacking those who have wronged him, taking 'self-defence' to deplorable levels of excess. Like a warped 'Death Wish'-style vision of his own internal hell. By now, we only understand his motives, but can never justify them. De Niro's participation makes some obvious parallels to Scorsese's 'Taxi Driver' (1976) and 'The King Of Comedy' (1982) more acceptable.

The overriding message of this film, contrary to the more extreme hyperbole in the media, is ANTI-violence and the basic advice that everybody should be nicer to everybody, particularly in the toxic political climate we inhabit today. And if Phoenix doesn't receive an Oscar for this outstanding characterisation, we'll also lose a bit of justice, too.

10/10 (very rare)

Not to everybody's taste, though, and definitely NOT a date-movie.

Quite possibly the best film ever made.
Certainly the best since David Lynch's Lost Highway.

Anyone who says different probably has part of their soul missing...