MC1-Bjornson Bjornson

From my perspective, "Joker" (2019) is a very well-made movie. It wants to talk about social inequalities. However, the movie is unrelenting in its barrage of human ugliness. There's absolutely nothing redeeming about anybody. The character of Dr. Thomas Wayne is supposed to be something of a beacon of light in the Batman stories (for the uninitiated, "Joker" is derived from the Batman world). In this movie, Dr. Wayne lacks compassion, tact and humility. At the end of the day, I thought "Joker" was rather pretentious. A character study that wants to make a commentary on something, but I'm not quite sure what. Easily, one of the most morally bankrupt movies I've seen in a long time. It's crafted well. The music score from the Icelandic composer is appropriate with a chilling use of the oboe. Director Todd Phillips borrows heavily from director Martin Scorsese, which has been talked about, but I would also like to say from Stanley Kubrick as well. At the end of the day, I think I'd rather watch a Scorsese or Kubrick film then an imitation of one. **1/2 out of ****.