Joker (October 2019) Review

 Having come out in October 2019, Todd Philips' Joker is too young to feature on IMDB's top 1000 films of all time, but I am sure it will feature on the next iteration of this list.

Joker provides a re-imagined origin story for the Clown Prince of Crime. It follows Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), a mentally-ill clown and stand-up comedian who goes through a dark journey into becoming the titular Joker. We see his descent into insanity as he navigates the dark underbelly of Gotham City. Robert De Niro and Zazie Beets co-star.

I've never been a fan of superhero films. In the Marvel/DC debate, I pick neither. I tried watching the MCU, but I got bored by the Age of Ultron. I've seen fewer DC films, but that's done little to convince me of joining their side. IMDB obviously disagrees with me as the Dark Knight featured at number four and you will find the various other superhero films scattered throughout the list.

I had low expectations going into Joker; I thought it would be the usual mess of CGI, gun fights and explosions, but I couldn't have been more wrong. Joker was a masterful psychological thriller exploring what happens when you push a nice man over the edge. It is a far cry from the campy 60's Batman and Robin TV series - tonally closer to the gritty, dark world that Christopher Nolan created in his Dark Knight trilogy.

And just like Heath Ledger, Joaquin Phoenix won a well-deserved Oscar for the role. It was a phenomenal performance, as he brought a scarily-human element to his role. His version of the Joker isn't a gangster or an anarchist, but an everyman who is pushed to his limit. He becomes a symbol for a revolution, as he inspires the down-trodden underclasses to rise up.

Considering Todd Philips is better known for his comedies like the Hangover franchise, it is impressive that he created such an intimate character study which is simultaneously fascinating and terrifying. The Joker could be any one of us. In may ways, he became a mouth piece for our deepest, most-repressed thoughts.

Critics of Joker have said that it is too derivative of previous films such as Martin Scorsesee's Taxi Driver or the King of Comedy - both of which also star Robert De Niro. However, Scorsesee certainly did not pioneer the dark, mysterious loner. I don't think Todd Philips so much ripped off Taxi Driver, as much as he was paying homage to it.

I did touch on Joaquin Phoenix before, but he gave an excellent performance, highlighting why he is one of the most versatile actors working in Hollywood today. You could argue that he should have won an Oscar before now, but Joker was certainly not a legacy win. He earned that award.

Yes, Joker has its critics, but that's only natural. As Frank Sinatra sings throughout the film: "that's life!" 

The Adventures of Robin Hood review

 Number 297 on the top 1000 films of all time is the 1938 swashbuckling adventure 'The Adventures of Robin Hood.'

Robin Hood (Errol Flynn) is an outlaw living in Sherwood forest while King Richard I is fighting in the crusades. In his absence, the villainous Prince John (Claude Rains) rules the country along with the evil Guy of Gisborne (Basil Rathbone) and Sheriff of Nottingham (Melville Cooper.) When the trip start exploiting the poor, it is up to Robin Hood and his merry men to save the day.

Unlike other films where Robin Hood does not speak with an English accent, the Adventures of Robin Hood succeeds, because it doesn't take itself too seriously. It's complete nonsense, but that's what Robin Hood should be. It shouldn't be dour and broody like Prince of Thieves or a block-buster like the Russell Crowe adaptation. Robin Hood should be fun, gaudy and colourful and this film fit the bill perfectly.

A lot of that was down to Errol Flynn's energetic and irreverent portrayal of Robin Hood. He played the outlaw with a brash aloofness that meshed well with the light-hearted nature of the film. In many ways, it reminded me of Cary Elwes' portrayal of our roguish outlaw almost fifty years later. 

Although, reportedly, Errol Flynn was a nightmare on set, being difficult to work with and acting with a level of unjustified arrogance. Perhaps his portrayal of Robin Hood was Flynn being his usual rude self.

I've never been accused of being a SJW, but I definitely depicted some queer-coding within Claude Rains' portrayal of Prince John. I'm not sure whether this was historically accurate, but I can understand why modern audiences might find that problematic.

Nonetheless, I did enjoy the light-hearted romp that was the Adventures of Robin Hood.