Directed by Todd Philips, Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker has been the dominant most film at the box office since its release on the 31st of August. Unlike the comic version of DC Comics’ legendary character, Joker is shown to be an abnormal figure who has been affected by a medical condition forcing him to live with pain and infinite aggression.
These abnormal changes found in his neurological structure make him appear a funny man who thinks and acts differently than the normal human beings. Bullied by society due to being a psychopath, Arthur Fleck’s reaction to the society’s unjustified behavior towards him breaks him apart. The film sets Joker in a more powerful position than other films revolving around Joker as the absence of a superhero or an enemy to the psychopathic character has been felt badly.
The Way Joker Has Been Presented in the Film
A man who strives hard to make people laugh at night, Joker feels the pain after every single rejection leading to the darkening of his soul. The mood swings and the unexpected arrival of aggression make him a kind of a scary creature who can pose a potential threat to anybody anytime. He is not a sinner, a thief or even a man born with bad intentions, yet the incurable mental condition turns him into a purely evil creature.
Dominated by sadness and despair, the psychological problems often annoy Joker forcing him to do what he wouldn’t do if he was one of the normal humans. But, what’s so cool about the film is the fact that the ill-minded character does not have to deal with a bunch of superheroes or Batman, his greatest rival.
The Critics Version
Let’s talk about it! When it comes to Hollywood movies, critical remarks matter more than the positive ones. It is when you get to decide whether or not the film is enough good to be spent your hard-earned money on. According to the critics, Philip’s version of Joker isn’t up to the mark. The dark-themed film has massively disappointed the critics leading them to pass negative remarks against Philips and pointing out the flaws. This has been the major reason, Landmark Theatres, the largest chain of theatres in the U.S, has imposed a ban on costumes and painted faces.
Moreover, the psychological theme is quite disturbing for general public raising questions whether or not it can be watched in a cinema. Except for the mind-blowing acting performance by Joaquin Phoenix, critics aren’t willing to rate it high. In short, critics don’t find the film to be compatible with the standard Joker movies based on the literary character often depicted in the DC Extended Universe.
Joker for Oscars?
There might be hundreds of films In the long race to win Oscars but Joker is surely one of the best contenders to take away the award. Despite the hatred-filled reviews concerning the film, Joker has the ability to effortlessly be the best movie of the year. Inarguably, Joaquin Phoenix, Todd Philips and the team have done whatever it would have taken them to give a new identity to the character which was restricted to the city of Gotham.
The artistic aspect of him including his quotations and the Joker Joaquin Phoenix Red Tuxedo which is probably way more famous than all the superhero jackets combined puts the film on top of the list. Notably, the film has already received an eight-minute standing ovation at the premiere at the Venice film festival for putting up great work.
For a bit of transparency, given the amazing acting performance of Joaquin Phoenix and an untraditional storyline concerning the character, the film is likely to win a few awards for sure.