This morning I went to the local theater to see the Joker.
I have to say it was an unhinged movie.
It was scarily accurate in it's portrayal of mental illness and the battles there in.
Without giving away too much of what happens, because this is a film that needs to be experienced, it reminded me a lot of "Cast Away" but rather than watching a man alone on an island you watch a man alone in the world. Which is much more unnerving.
The art direction, costuming, and musical selections gave this comic book film a grounding in reality that made me go "hmm, yeah, I can see exactly how something like this could happen." Not to mention Joaquin Phoenix's performance. The laugh, the way he inhabits the character and giving homage to all of his predecessors while making it distinctly his own.
Was the movie enjoyable?
Well that's a difficult question to answer. Because between the writing, the acting, and the design aesthetic they did such an amazing job of being unnerving that it really did feel unnerving. I thought it was amazing. A movie that, as I said, needs to be experienced.
Because it is an experience.
Arbitrary Rating?
A+
A character study artfully put together and grounding one of the most over the top characters in a believable story arc. Not to mention being creepy as all get out.
