“The Joker” is a Shallow Masquerade
By Sonali Mathur
“The Joker” is the most beautiful thing you’ll see this year. Not because of the depth of Joaquin Phoenix’s take on the supervillain or because of its nuanced portrayal of someone with mental illness, but because every one of Todd Phillips’s shots is so aesthetically pleasing, even the ones where Phoenix is kicking a trash can, being kicked himself, or shooting innocent people. Every shot is exquisite, in shades of red, green, brown, yellow, and black, so stylish I want to hang up stills from the film in my room.