The King of Comedy (1982)

The King of Comedy

• Robert de Niro, once again, continues to amaze me. I really loved him in this one, as well as the whole movie. One thing I have heard is that this film helped inspire Joker, and it’s very evident if you watch this. In a way, it almost deals with mental issues, much like Joker did. The main plot definitely demonstrates that, which I love. It’s so original, so watching through the movie is a new experience. There were definitely a couple bits that I didn’t care for, but as a whole, it's a great character study. Once again, I want to stress how awesome de Niro is, and his role for this movie. He just did such a great job. I LOVE how de Niro’s character and scenes in Joker are mirrored from this. It’s so cool to see this movie's inspiration for it, as well as Taxi Driver (also with de Niro). It was also neat to see Jerry Lewis in a serious role. If you’ve watched his earlier stuff (with Dean Martin, and others), then you know how goofy he was. But, in this case, he is able to bring dramatic effect to the whole movie. I really enjoyed the soundtrack, and much like Taxi Driver, it brings a city vibe to the movie. It’s perfect for the setting and story. Overall, this movie was great, and not at all what I was expecting. Great performances and a unique plot really tie up the movie as a whole. I would recommend it to all drama/crime fans, especially if you love de Niro, Scorsese, or both. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go check it out now!