Joker (2019)
Director: Todd Phillips. 2hr 1 min/121 mins. (15)
Jason's Rating: 3/5 - worth watching
Win's rating: 1/5 - give it a miss
Synopsis
Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is a man who has been forgotten by society living in the fetid, every-man-for-himself misery of an uncaring city lorded over by the rich who look down on the poor.
Craving recognition and determined to make it as a comedian like his TV chat show host icon Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro) but feeling the strain of a world he feels is attacking him, underlined by a series of brutal physical beatings he suffers, Arthur has a breakdown and turns into the psychotically unhinged anti-hero, Joker.
Review
There can't be many mainstream movies released this year that come as close as this one to polarising audience opinion, as summed up by own experience.
I saw Joker with two friends and we had a great post-match chinwag about what we had seen - all having very different takes on it.
Pal Emma loved it and really rated the movie, particularly praising Joaquin Phoenix's incredible, physical performance as we all as the other performers.
Win absolutely loathed it, rating it only one star, mostly for the characterisations and uncomfortable - and sometimes uneven - story.
Then there's me, pretending to be all diplomatic and measured and sitting on the critical fence but agreeing that Phoenix is phenomenal.
For more, read our full review: http://bit.ly/JokerFilm2019
Cast & credits
Director: Todd Phillips. 2hr 1 min/121 mins. BRON Studios/Creative Wealth Media Finance/DC Ciomics/DC Entertainment/Joint Effort/Village Roadshow Pictures/Warner Bros. (15)
Producers: Bradley Cooper, Todd Phillips, Emma Tillinger Koskoff.
Writers: Todd Phillips, Scott Silver.
Camera: Lawrence Sher.
Music: Hildur Guðnadóttir.
Sets: Mark Friedberg.
Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beets, Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen, Shea Whigham, Bill Camp, Glenn Fleshler, Leigh Gill, Josh Pais.
