Brandon Vick and Stoney Keeley hit the theaters over the weekend to catch Joaquin Phoenix in Joker. Check out the SoBros Network’s Joker review here!
JOKER
5 out of 5 stars
We thought we had seen it all when it comes to this incredibly iconic villain, and then Joaquin Phoenix shows up with his dancing shoes on to turn it all on its head. As Arthur Fleck, he’s a mentally ill man who puts on a happy face, but no amount of make-up can hide his sad eyes and negative thoughts. Feeling like you don’t exist must be frightening, and for Arthur – it leaves him with nothing left to lose. When he re-writes his tragedy into a comedy, there’s no going back. Phoenix’s transformation is one for the ages.
For all of the film’s provocation, the controversy it finds itself covered in is no surprise. The fake comic book world resembles one we recognize all too well. Society shapes each of us, for better or worse. And what we see with this unforgettable origin story is unarguably the latter. A person hindered and ignored and thrown to the wolves. Joker’s actions are inexcusable. Same goes for the way Arthur is treated that ultimately leads to the birth of the Clown Prince of Crime.
Who knew the director of Old School and The Hangover trilogy had this in him? Todd Phillips paints a bleak, beautiful picture that’s supposed to be uncomfortable and shocking to see. He’s brilliantly brought us a realistic, chilling story capable of giving us nightmares we desperately want to wake up from. It’s an exceptional kind of entertainment that explores issues civilization chooses not to confront. Is this serving as a wake-up call? That’s up to you. Either way, you won’t be able to look away from Phoenix’s astonishing performance. Delusional, daring and demented. And that laugh. That fucking laugh.
Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
4.75 out of 5 stars
Everything leading up to the release of Joker made it look like this movie was going to be cool – Phoenix’s performance, the time period, the costume, the way it was shot, everything. Now that I’ve seen it, ‘cool’ is hardly the word I’d use to describe it. It’s uncomfortable – I went into it expecting it to be a little on the dark side, but folks, it was more like ‘pitch fucking black.‘ I felt like I needed therapy as I was leaving the theater.
I have a hard time categorizing this movie – is it the story of a man’s descent into madness? Can it be if he’s already there? Could you dare to call this a metamorphosis? That feels gross. Everything about Joker feels gross. Is it a larger social commentary? It’s there if you look for it, but if you were paying attention to the Murray Franklin Show, you should know better. The Joker doesn’t stand for anything. This felt more like the case study of an individual than anything else.
From the moment we meet Arthur, we see the discomfort, pain, and complexity wrestling each other across his face. As an audience, we’re tossed about between what’s real and what isn’t and left with a lasting image of meaningless violence. It’s quite hypnotic, sad, infuriating, and uneasy.
It was a masterpiece for Phillips….one that I don’t know if I’ll ever watch again, to be frank.
By the way, you can go ahead and slap Phoenix’s name on that Best Actor Oscar. One of the most brutally draining performances of the last decade.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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