"Joker": Joaquin Phoenix's Performance Is Amongst The Greatest Ever Put To Screen, But The Actual Film? Not So Much

"Joker": Movie Review

What an enormous waste of one of the most brilliant performances put to screen in recent memory. Joaquin Phoenix has demonstrated time after time, he is the greatest living actor in the last decade, and "Joker" is no exception. Phoenix is incredible, but the actual film? Not so much.

With one of the most grounded takes of the DC universe ever put to screen, Arthur Fleck (Phoenix), a lonely wanna be stand up comedian, takes on director Todd Phillips world of Gotham (a fictionalized New York City). A miserable, damp, and quite bleak, comic book world, that sets out to break down Aurthur's psychological traumas.

Some gorgeous visuals and an out of this world performance by Phoenix , can't halt it's quite lifeless and monotonous script. With its flurry of two dimensional side characters, "Joker" suffers and fails when it tries to achieve more than Arthur's narrative. A comically contrived and pointlessly distracting Thomas Wayne tale , or a predictably anti climactic storyline of Arthur's mother, Penny Fleck (Frances Conroy) should've been edited out completely.

Phoenix's physical and emotional transformation is beautiful, staggering and unnervingly convincing. The films strength lies in an acting job so extraordinary, it will be talked about for years to come, and a monumental personal story about mental health that ends up being muddled by some questionable plot decisions.

"Joker" falls into the category of a pretty poor film, elevated by an Oscar worthy performance. Even with it's amazing visuals, and unsettling message, there one too many weaknesses to recommend.

2 1/2 Stars Out Of 4