I greatly respect Todd Phillips’ Joker, and feel that Joaquin Phoenix’s performance is both extraordinary, as well as award-quality, but while I love dark films, Joker was a bit on the nihilistic side for my taste.
Beautifully shot by Lawrence Sher, with blacks that are occasionally darker than black, it’s an extremely welcome release from WB on 4k.
Projected, as one might expect, the black levels don’t quite hit their intended mark, but the film still works visually, and the Dolby Atmos track knocks it out of the park.
On a Sony OLED, it another beast entirely, with gorgeous rich, inky blacks, and colors that drip off the screen.
Not loving a film doesn’t mean that one can’t sit back, and appreciate the look and feel of it. And Joker allows that in spades.
While not a collector of slipcovers, the design for Joker is extremely impressive, and one that shouldn’t go in the trash. It’s dark, and along with the black case, beautifully replicates the look of the film it contains.
As modern film releases go in 2020, there won’t be many as beautifully mastered as Joker.
Image – 5
Audio – 5 (Dolby Atmos)
Pass / Fail – Pass
Very Highly Recommended
RAH
Robert has been known in the film industry for his unmatched skill and passion in film preservation. Growing up around photography, his first home theater experience began at age ten with 16mm. Years later he was running 35 and 70mm at home.
His restoration projects have breathed new life into classic films like Lawrence of Arabia, Vertigo, My Fair Lady, Spartacus, and The Godfather series. Beyond his restoration work, he has also shared his expertise through publications, contributing to the academic discourse on film restoration. The Academy Film Archive houses the Robert A. Harris Collection, a testament to his significant contributions to film preservation.
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