Rating: 5 out of 5
Let me just preface this review saying that Joker is by far my favorite villain of all time. Joker has a special place in my heart much like boobs have a special place on my face. He is forever a compelling, interesting character that is full of surprises and fun.
There. That is out of the way.
The latest incarnation of Joker is a demented trip into the mind of a mentally ill man living in a disheveled Gotham. However, the thing that I found most intriguing about this movie was that it didn’t need this setting. It didn’t need any connection to the Batman universe at all. That connection only enhanced the movie by providing a startling backstory for America’s favorite clown (next to Bernie Sanders. Feel the buuuuuuuuuuuuurn).
This was not the Heath-era Joker that loves chaos with no real rhyme or reason for his destructive actions. I love, even prefer, that interpretation of the character, but this was not it. This was a mentally-disturbed man that spent his life slowly descending into a pit of solitude until he finally hit rock bottom and rose from the depths with a desire to get back at a world that never loved him and never accepted him. It was a very real, very uncomfortable experience, and I thought it was brilliant.
Uncomfortable is the best way I can describe it. I left the theater feeling uncomfortable. The thing is, it’s difficult to describe why it made me feel so uncomfortable. It’s like when you’ve just masturbated, and you walk out of your grandmother’s bathroom and you are immediately certain that everyone knows what you have been up to. Your cousins are staring at you, your niece is drooling and mumbling something that sounds like thinly veiled racism, and your wife is shaking her head in disbelief. You start to wonder if your hand smells like dude yogurt, and one tear begins to roll down your face in shame. That is what watching Joker was like.
Joaquin Phoenix gave a performance that was otherworldly. He completely transformed himself, and if he does not receive an Oscar for the role, I will travel to the Academy Headquarter Place of Doom and dump a truckload of thirty-seven-day old porta potty dookie in their lobby. He deserves that shit. I loved the writing as well. It was political without being pushy, and it was disturbing without being unnecessary. To me, it was a perfectly balanced film.
I must say this: Don’t listen to the critics. Those dildo chompers wanted to call Joker derivative and uninspired, but all I got from their reviews was that they are the ones who are derivative and uninspired. They are bags of shit on the soles of my shoes. I hope President Donnie-licious signs an Executive Order forcing these critics to live in solitude in cages made of butthole skin.
Overall, I thought Joker was fantastic, and I highly recommend getting the full experience while it is in theaters. I give it a five out of five.