JOKER

Here I am. Back with another review for the masses. This time, it's going to get gritty.

We all know how dark the Batman characters can be, as we have seen multiple iterations of the characters through comics, films and even video games. This is a known fact.

This film does NOT hold back in any way. I'd say, BE PREPARED for a very tense, heavy film, with shades of dark humor. It is definitely not for the light hearted. I wouldn't say it is along the lines of a 'horror' film, by any means, but it is very intense.

Joaquin Phoenix plays Arthur Fleck, an ordinary man in Gotham who is living his life with severe mental illness. He takes care of his mother and works a low income job to keep things afloat. He is most known for working as a clown doing odd jobs around the city, such as holding signs for local businesses and entertaining children in hospitals.

We learn early on, that his dream is to become a stand-up comedian. He is occasionally seen writing in his journal/joke book throughout the film. The city of Gotham is in a very tense state politically and Arthur's mom is continuously praising Thomas Wayne, a known rich man in the town, running for mayor.

We see Arthur constantly being bullied and treated like less of a human. We also see how he copes with these incidents while battling mental illness, barely on medication.

The story takes a lot of turns for the worse as Arthur begins to spiral downward. His life is one bad day after another. We see someone who is constantly beat down for having mental illness and being low income. This, to me, hit close to home, as we are still living in a world that is similar. Our political climate mirrors a lot of what was going on in Gotham.

This movie could be looked at as almost a modern day 'Taxi Driver', as Arthur shows shades of Travis Bickle in his ideals and thoughts about the world. As to not give much more away, I have kept this kind of vague. I wanted to at least paint the picture for you.

SEE THIS MOVIE. 

It is probably now my favorite portrayal of the Joker to date. Joaquin absolutely nailed the role, and I believe he did it justice. If he isn't nominated for big awards, then there must be something wrong.

I will give this film a 10/10. I did not, for once, get distracted throughout. I was hyper focused on the story and the cinematics. Let me know what YOU think of the film & put on a happy face...