Movies: Buzz Worthy or Buzzer?
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ENID, OK - We will review many of the top movies being released today. Our goal is to let you know whether a new release is worth the "Buzz" or needs to get hit with the "Buzzer." We will rate each film on a scale of 1-5 Buzz's. If a film only gets 1 Buzz, it's a "Buzzer" and you should avoid it like a zombie neck licking contest. Enjoy the show!
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You can search for other movie reviews by just typing movie review in the search feature in the right sidebar.
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Movie Reviews: Joker
by Jeff Owens
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My road to accepting Joker has been a rocky one. Upon hearing news of its production, my first two thoughts were that it was a movie that didn't need to be made and that no one wanted to see. I didn't care who was involved on screen or off, I had little to no interest in it. In the back of my mind, though, I wondered if there weren't some extraordinary reason for its existence. (It wasn't even an off/on production; Warner Bros. never paused from moving full steam ahead.)
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Then, in advance of its release, Joker seemed to be receiving rave reviews and even won the top prize at the Venice Film Festival, the Golden Lion (Leone d'Oro.) It was compared to Taxi Driver, for heaven's sake! Rather than excite me, though, the kudos make me more skeptical. I was certain it was a train wreck that the studio was scrambling to make look good before average moviegoers got their eyes on it. We've been fooled before, you know.
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Ultimately, holding dear my lifelong love of comic books, I decided to not treat Joker like a comic book movie at all. At most, I'd consider it an "Elseworlds" story that doesn't take place within normal continuity. I mean, there was no indication that the story would even include any other elements of the Batman mythos. Maybe this wasn't a superhero or supervillain origin at all; maybe it was just an intimate tale of a dangerously insane man.
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So, what in the world do I make of Joker now that I've seen it? I feel like I must first address my original concerns. While I don't know that it needed to be made, I'm kind of glad that it was. I think it's a movie that a lot of people will want to see. I don't think it needed to be set in the Batman universe, yet I think the way it fits is actually pretty clever; I like that. I don’t, however, think that it's an award-winning masterpiece.
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This is in spite of the spotlight performance of Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, a man who gradually grows more unhinged as his story evolves. I'm not one of those people who has to compare or rank every performance of the character with the different actors who played him. I don't care if Phoenix is better or worse than Heath Ledger was in The Dark Knight. His performance here should be judged based solely on his performance here.
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There's no doubt that he's good, but I don't know that he's award-winning. If so, it would be because of his ability to restrain the flamboyant aspects of the character instead of demonstrate them. We know the Joker is going to have a maniacal laugh and bizarrely twisted movements. They might by nice and showy, but does it take more effort and control of the craft to use them sparingly? I find emoting during the quieter moments more impressive (and effective.)
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Joker is all about Fleck's slow burn descent into madness, although he begins already at a fairly high level of madness. His change is therefore more subtle and can at times cause the movie to drag just a smidge. While there are sudden bursts of violence to recapture our full, undivided attention, this is not an action packed film. And while it definitely builds to a big finish, the character's part in it remains intimate; he's not directly involved with the conclusion.
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The things I most admire about Joker are tangential to the character. The grit and grime of the 1970s urban setting is one thing, but the way it parallels 2019 tensions is simply inspired, without being heavy-handed. In a way, it's even a cautionary tale. The way things are going in the good old United States, we may very well be headed toward widespread riots in the streets. Mistrust of our leaders and separation of classes are unfortunately timeless themes.
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It's hard to say if Joker entertains. It's dark and downbeat. There are good, even great, things about it, but overall it's just a little flat. It's one of those movies you can respect, though it's a little harder to like. I'm really straddling the fence about whether or not to recommend it. Let's say yes for comic book fans, but probably no for comic book movie fans, particularly younger crowds. And let's say yes for cinephiles, but no for casual moviegoers.
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Buzz Score:
Joker = 3.5 out of 5
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Jeff Owens
Jeff, a graduate of Enid High School. He is also the Movie Buzz Guy for Enid Buzz and a member of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle. Email Jeff Here or follow his Twitter Page.
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