'Joker' Review

Nominated For: Best Picture, Best Director; Todd Phillips, Best Actor; Joaquin Phoenix, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Original Score.

Won: Best Actor; Joaquin Phoenix and Best Original Score.

Synopsis: Arthur Fleck struggles to find his way in Gotham's fractured society. A clown-for-hire by day, he aspires to be a stand-up comic.. but finds the joke always seems to be on him. Caught in a cyclical existence between apathy and cruelty, Fleck begins a slow descent into madness as he transforms into the criminal mastermind known as the Joker.

Runtime: 121 minutes

MPAA Rating: R (for strong bloody violence, disturbing behavior, language and brief sexual images)

Who should see it? Adult fans of DC Comics and the Joker.

Directed by Todd Phillips with a screenplay from Phillips and Scott Silver, Joker is a standalone film removed from the baggage of a shared cinematic universe. Audiences should prepare themselves for an unsettling, artistic character piece about DC Comics' preeminent villain. While not necessarily a faithful iteration, the representation of Joker put forth by Phillips and Phoenix encapsulates the character's essence to a tee. Arthur lashes out with no particular ideology in mind, choosing to instead relish in the ensuing chaos he's caused. There's no rhyme or reason to his actions. He's crazy. Drawing inspiration from the work of Martin Scorsese (notably Taxi Driver & The King of Comedy), Joker depicts a troubled individual surrendering to his darkest impulses and retaliating against society.

For the past few months, Joker has been a hot topic of conversation as many speculated whether the film might incite real-world violence or not. Frankly, I find this controversy to be absurd and grossly overblown. If anything, the media coverage over the controversy is more likely to inspire acts of violence than the movie itself. Phillips doesn't glorify Arthur's disturbing behavior in the slightest and makes it very clear that he is unhinged. Not to mention, onscreen violence and mentally ill protagonists are nothing new for Hollywood. With that said, I understand this isn't a film for everyone. The violence and subject matter will undoubtedly add to its polarizing reception among other things. 

However, I was riveted and spellbound by an increasingly twisted turn of events. Evocative imagery from cinematographer Lawrence Sher coupled with Hildur Guðnadóttir's nerve-wracking musical score and Mark Friedberg's grungy production design forms an enticing and dread-inducing atmosphere. That maddening sensation festers in a slow-burn leading towards the film's inevitable chaotic conclusion, ideally embodying the Clown Prince of Crime's manic mental state. All the while, Arthur's status as an unreliable narrator further contributed to the insanity.

The Joker is a notoriously challenging role which has enabled all-time great performances and a few not so memorable ones, but Joaquin Phoenix proved to be well up to the task as he commands the screen for the film's entire two-hour duration. His portrayal's not only mentally and psychologically taxing, but physically transformative as well. An emaciated and unhinged Phoenix skillfully contrasts Arthur's sinister nature and naivety to match the profile of a potential serial killer. Phoenix's intensity lends a layer of realism to the role that makes his incarnation all the more frightening when all is said and done. Scattered amongst the supporting cast, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen, and Brian Tyree Henry are noteworthy, but this is Phoenix's showcase through and through. 

In a year filled with lighthearted comic-book adaptations, Joker is a refreshing change of pace. It dances to the beat of its own rhythm. Uninterested in appeasing the masses, it offers an uncompromising glimpse into the origins of an iconic antagonist. For better or worse, it's what Joker would have wanted. So stop clowning around and go see Joker!

Film Assessment: A+ A-

'War Dogs' Review

Wednesday evening I attended an early screening of War Dogs with no idea what to expect seeing as the film was marketed as a crime drama based on a true story and came from the director of The Hangover, Todd Phillips. Would it be serious or would it be hilarious? I had no idea and now that I've seen it, I can shed some light for those apprehensive to checking it out.

'War Dogs' Review 

War Dogs tells the real life story of a pair of friends, David Packouz and Efraim Diveroli, who became arms dealers, bidding on smaller military contracts for a large profit margin. War Dogs wasn't as lighthearted as I expected judging on the  marketing material that made War Dogs appear as though it would take the true story concept and show the outrageous things these arms dealers would get themselves into and it delivers on that promise, to an extent. 

Todd Phillips brilliantly submerges the viewer into an uneasy state the further these arm dealers get into these larger government contracts. I found myself more and more engrossed with the film as the running time wore on as the protagonists actions and morality became increasingly more questionable. This was in large part to Phillip's exceptional direction and the incredible screenplay penned by Phillips and co-writers, Stephen Chin and Jason Smilovic. The writers expertly explain the logistics of complex military contracts and the greedy perspective of actual "war dogs", emphasizing that they see war as a prime opportunity to make profit. 

As for the performances, Miles Teller makes for a fascinating entry point into the film, David Packouz is the more relatable of the two leads. As he gets nearer and nearer to the grungy side of arms dealing, the audience becomes more anxious and I feel that Teller's performance did a great deal to channel these feelings. His character lends voiceover narration somewhat reminiscent of that to be found in The Big Short or The Wolf Of Wall Street and War Dogs is similar in nature to both films. 

However, Jonah Hill steals the show bringing a complex shifty demeanor to Efraim Diveroli that only makes his character more and more intriguing as the events proceeded. Diveroli is edgy, sarcastic, and only a short fuse away from blowing up and Hill brilliantly captures that characterization. His chemistry opposite Teller is virtually unmatched as they have electric charisma onscreen together and have some tense scene that will leave you on the edge of your seat as you worry for their safety despite their questionable decisions. 

Bradley Cooper also gets a great supporting role as a shady middleman and is terrific in the capacity used. Don't expect too much screen time from him though as the nature of the role means he's quite elusive. 

While War Dogs wasn't quite what I was hoping for it to be, I can say I was pleased with the end result and that my reflection upon the film has only made it more engaging. War Dogs features two remarkable leads, a thrilling unbelievable story, and precise direction making for one of the summer's biggest surprises as the summer blockbuster season draws to a close.  

Film Assessment: B+