I must admit that, back when this film was announced, and photos and footage were released, I was excited to see Joaquin Phoenix’s take on the iconic Batman villain. At the same time, I was extremely skeptical to see what a standalone film with this character at the center of it would look like (with Hangover director Todd Phillips behind the lens, no less). Considering the mass shootings that took place at the Aurora Theater when The Dark Knight Rises premiered, these concerns were not wholly unwarranted. After all, life often imitates art, and Joker is being lauded by many as “art”—and has naturally sparked all kinds of controversy before the film even opened to the public.
Phillips shows us a 1980’s version of Gotham, which is suffering from a nightmarish garbage strike and is plagued by “super rats”. Phoenix plays Arthur Fleck, a clown-for-hire and aspiring standup comedian who suffers from mental illness and a neurological disorder that causes him to burst into physically painful spasms of laughter at inappropriate times. He cares for his mother Penny (Frances Conroy), who tells him that his purpose in life is to bring people laughter and joy. He also finds comfort in a relationship with Sophie (Zazie Beetz), his neighbor down the hall. Indeed, when we first meet him, he’s well-intentioned.
However, Arthur is on at least seven different medications, and his regularly scheduled appointments with a therapist don’t help diminish his “negative thoughts”. He is repeatedly dealt a bad hand in life, from being beaten up on the job and having his sign stolen to being blamed for the incident by his boss to the government cutting his therapy sessions and him having to stop taking his medications. This is a city where the poor suffer while the wealthy, like mayoral candidate Thomas Wayne and Arthur’s idol, late-night talk show host Murray Franklin (Robert DeNiro), are devoid of empathy.
One day, he’s beaten up by three drunken Wall Street businessmen on the subway. Arthur shoots all three of them dead, and then the experience leaves him feeling quite empowered. Before you know it, he’s inadvertently started a revolution, with the poor and downtrodden donning clown masks and giving the rich and the wealthy “what they deserve”: mayhem in the streets and bloody death. The scenes of violence in this movie aren’t exactly frequent, but because we know what’s coming, it’s all the more shocking.
Without question, the highlight of Joker is Phoenix’s riveting, disturbing performance. He completely disappears into his role, to the point where you only see Arthur Fleck (without spoiling anything, audiences don’t even see Joker emerge until the final twenty minutes). The cinematography by Lawrence Sher is gorgeous, giving the film a look that harkens back to movies such as King of Comedy and Taxi Driver. Hildur Guonadottir’s haunting score is surprisingly effective, slowly building tension through every scene right from the beginning.
This is a dark character study where the main character is set on a trajectory, and we already know where he will end up. Phillips creates a character we can feel empathy for while not condoning his violent and disturbing actions. It also challenges viewers with questions about the part society might play in creating the monsters that live among us, through our lack of empathy. The film certainly tackles some interesting themes, even if it’s not nearly as subtle as the films that inspired it. Although Joker is supposed to be a standalone film, it establishes some connections to Batman, including characters like Thomas Wayne and even young Bruce. Fortunately, these tie-ins largely work, rather than feeling like retreads of familiar ground.
This film will be, as mentioned, extremely controversial—not only when it comes to how Phillips handles the violence or whether or not it glorifies villainous behavior, but how it deals with mental health as well. Phillips and Phoenix mostly succeed in telling a cautionary tale about how we treat others, and the consequences of those actions. Unfortunately, the story is largely derivative of its source material (DeNiro’s sole purpose is to swap out his role in King with Phoenix). Beetz is also largely wasted here, to the extent that one almost wonders why she was even cast in the first place. Finally, Phillips’ message is sometimes lost in an ambiguous finale that will undoubtedly demand multiple viewings—Joker always wanted his origins story to be multiple choice, didn’t he?
Heath Ledger will always be the quintessential Joker, but Phoenix’s uncomfortable cackle and rail-thin shape puts a human face on the infamous Clown Prince of Crime. The subject matter may make repeat viewings difficult, and Joker is certainly not as insightful as other comic book films such as Logan or The Dark Knight. Nevertheless, it’s great to see that D.C. is taking a step in the right direction. We get something unique (if imperfect) film here: a thought-provoking masterclass act that relishes the discomfort it causes.
★★★ out of four
Rated R
2 hours, 2 minutes
THE REEL REVIEWER WITH JOSHUA KROEGER 