Emily Mudie

Its not a bad film..... After a lot of hype I got myself in the cinema seat for this. The vintage take on it worked well in highlighting the gritty story and added appropriate creativity to the cinematography. However I left feeling unsure of its impact strength both in terms of its memorable impression, and its emotional impact. Phoenix is undoubtedly a convincing actor who is a master in portraying the disturbed character that is Joker. However I felt that I was being kept at a distance from too much emotional involvement. There isnt really a character that gripped onto my emotinal heart strings. Of course you feel sorry for the misfortunate main character, but I felt I was neither on his side, or against him. Its more an observation of how the Joker character is formed, without being fully emotionally commited to him. Reality and the musings of his mind are also muddied which also diminishes commitment to the story, as you are not entirely sure where reality and fantasy seperate. It was an interesting place as a viewer to be, somewhere between feeling sorry for and rooting for the Joker, but not really fully feeling either. I did enjoy it and I can think of a few politicians who would certinally feel uneasy by its message, especially in the current times. Considering this I suspect I found it a bit too socially air-brushed, and perhapse not quite daring enough to go fully into the void of Joker.