This biographical drama stars Frank Sinatra in the story of entertainer Joe E Lewis, who had to reassess his career after being viciously attacked by the Mob. Sinatra really manages to find the turmoil and conflict in the role, as Lewis’ personal life starts to spin out of control, and he gives a committed performance. Although the tone is quite downbeat, the film manages to explore a fascinating real life figure, although I think it’s a bit hesitant to get too dark at certain points in the story. It’s quite long, and the amount of shows featured made everything feel slightly self-indulgent and repetitive by the end, although it still has some powerful moments. The way that Sinatra shows Lewis flipping from joking to anger in his stand-up made me think of the later scenes of Raging Bull, and are very well done. I thought The Joker Is Wild was a really interesting film, but it could have been more focused on the backstage side more, as some events in the story feel underdeveloped.
