You don’t have time to waste on long, pensive takes on
movies. You want to know what it is about, is it any good, and should I spend
my hard-earned money on it? So, film critic Jason Evans is hoping to provide
you all you need (and nothing more) in his 100 Word Reviews. This week, Joker!
The Premise: Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is trying to quietly
live his life in early 1980s Gotham City. He lives in a tiny apartment with his
ailing, aged mother and spends his days working for a clowns-for-hire company. Gotham
is not a friendly place. There is a huge divide between the rich and poor and
the city is dirty and smelly from a garbage strike. Arthur barely notices any
of this though, he just wants to make it through each day as he deals with his
own depression and mental illness. Eventually, the harsh reality of the city
causes Arthur to break, unleashing spasms of violence and terror on anyone who
happens to be in his path.
The 100 Words: Joaquin Phoenix’s transformative performance will
surely be in the Best Actor conversation at the end of the year. The film is a
slow burn, taking its time to transform a mentally unstable man into a sociopath,
but really picks up in the final third when it goes from character study to
more of a comic book action movie. Anchored by a sensational score and gorgeous
photography, I was transfixed, but this is a movie that may be too disturbing
for some. You need to be prepared to be immersed in madness. If you are, trust
me, it will not disappoint.
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