Joker review

JOKER:

JOAQUIN PHOENIX BRINGS A WHOLE NEW LEVEL OF ANARCHY TO THE ICONIC BATMAN SUPERVILLAIN! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: **** out of 4

WARNER BROS. PICTURES

Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker

            A man disregarded by society turns to a life of crime in Joker, a psychological thriller based on the infamous villain from DC’s Batman comics and the first film in the Batman franchise to focus entirely on the Joker character. The film is directed by Todd Phillips (Old School, The Hangover trilogy, War Dogs) who is usually known for directing comedies and starring Joaquin Phoenix (The Master, Her, Inherent Vice) in the titular role bringing a new perspective on the character never explored before in film, how the Joker was driven to madness and crime. 

            There have been stories and movies before that told the origins of the Joker like the 1989 Batman movie with Jack Nicholson or the comic and 2016 animated film Batman: The Killing Joke, but they were usually glanced over and needed to focus on both the good (Batman) and the bad (Joker). Now, we have a movie focused entirely on the Joker’s origin with a gripping and bone-chilling character study showing how an average person living in a crime-ridden city can be pushed to his limits and it’s done tremendously well.

            Despite the controversy surrounding the film regarding concerns of inspiring real-world violence and polarizing reviews from critics, Joker is one of those movie experiences that must be seen to be believed. This is a phenomenal and genuinely terrifying movie that shows a chillingly plausible origin for one of the greatest villains of all time with Phoenix’s demented portrayal of the Joker as the highlight that could give Heath Ledger’s game-changing performance in 2008’s The Dark Knight a run for his money. 

            The film follows Arthur Fleck (Phoenix), a man with a rare condition of uncontrollable laughter and disregarded by society just trying to make a living in Gotham City and aspiring to become a stand-up comedian. But he finds the joke always seems to be on him with apathy, tragedy, and cruelty everywhere he turns and only has the support of his ill mother Penny (Francis Conroy-Six Feet Under, American Horror Story, Casual) and his cynical neighbor/love interest Sophie (Zazie Beetz-Atlanta, Easy, Deadpool 2). 

However, things continue to go horribly wrong including being fired from his day job as a clown for bringing a gun to a children’s hospital, constantly being mocked and abused, and his stand-up routine going poorly. Arthur is pushed to his limits and slowly starts giving in to the madness and realizes his life is not a tragedy…it’s a comedy which leads him to begin his life of crime and transformation into the notorious Clown Prince of Crime, the Joker. 

The film also stars Robert De Niro (Taxi Driver, The Godfather: Part II, Goodfellas) as Murray Franklin, Brett Cullen (Apollo 13, The Replacements, The Dark Knight Rises) as Thomas Wayne, Glenn Fleshler (A Most Violent Year, Billions, Suburbicon) as Randall, Marc Maron (Late Show with David Letterman, Maron, GLOW) as Gene Ufland, and Josh Pais (The Assassination of a High School President, Ray Donovan, Mississippi Rising) as Hoyt Vaughn.

Overall, Joker is a dark, twisted crime thriller heavily inspired by character studies from the 1970s and the works of director Martin Scorsese such as Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy that offers a unique perspective on the origin of one of the most iconic pop-culture villains of all time. Going the extra mile as the first live-action film in the Batman franchise with an R rating, Joker earns it not just in bloody violence but also with its disturbing subject matter that makes The Dark Knight look like the Adam West Batman show from the 60s by comparison.

The film covers themes of mental illness, poverty against wealth, and what specifically can make a seemingly ordinary person become a murderer. Kind of like if the Zodiac killer was a clown and it’s a fascinating dive into the Joker’s mind and perspective on a cruel society. 

Joaquin Phoenix doesn’t just chew the scenery he DEVOURS the entire movie as the Joker and is easily the highlight of the film. Like other on-screen Jokers, Phoenix brings a Joker performance that’s both faithful to its source material but also very different. 

He starts off as an average guy living in Gotham who wants to become a comedian, but he has this rare condition where he can’t control his laughter and society always rejects and walks over him driving him to madness. It’s an odd balance between a person you feel sorry for and someone you’re legitimately scared of, it gave me the chills while I was watching it, and Phoenix sells every moment topped off with yet another legendary Joker laugh. 

If I had to point out a flaw with the movie is that the narrative is basically the plot of Taxi Driver with a Joker paint job. For the most part it works but other times it just feels like Todd Phillips is desperately trying to impress Martin Scorsese even right down to having the “Driver” himself, Robert De Niro appear in the film. 

With that said, Joaquin Phoenix’s performance, Todd Phillips’ directing, and the gritty crime drama/character study tone depicting how Batman’s archenemy was created, Joker is a haunting cautionary tale showing exactly how far a person will go to rise up against a collapsed society that fits in the Batman universe without heavily relying on franchise building aside from a few callbacks and references to Gotham City and Bruce Wayne, but also works as a standalone film. 

Joker brings a whole new level of anarchy to the iconic Batman villain and offers a unique interpretation of the character’s origin made even better by an award-worthy performance by Joaquin Phoenix. What else can I say but go experience the movie for yourself and “Put on a Happy Face”.