Language - English
Director - Todd Phillips
Run Time - 2 hours, 2 minutes
Genre - Drama
Starring - Joaquin Phoenix, Robert DeNiro and Zazie Beetz
Todd Phillips' evolution as a director is fascinating. He started by making college movies like Road Trip and Old School, built a billion-dollar franchise in Hangover, took a turn towards dark comedy in War Dogs and lo, his magnum opus - Joker.
The character of Joker has always appealed to actors and viewers alike. The enigma and mystery behind the origins of the villain pave the way for a crazy performance by Joaquin Phoenix, where we see Arthur Fleck's evolution into the Joker. Others might berate me, but I feel that his acting can be said to be at par with Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight. He didn't even need any other lead actors for the role too.
Todd Phillips showcases how to deconstruct a villain aptly and takes us through a journey of making a psychopath. He has clearly picked up from classics such as Taxi Driver and Fight Club, both movies which subtly exhibited public angst against one-percenters and the world in general.
The cinematography is almost always on point. The background, the colours, the shots will be remembered for years to come. The glorious stairway scene, the scene where the doctor informs Arthur of the city closing down social services, and the penultimate scene where the mob rescues him are such examples.
Absolutely do not miss out on this movie - Phoenix already being tipped of Oscar!
