Dragonlord’s Review of JOKER (No Spoilers)
Bottom Line: With an origin story no one asked for nor wanted, Todd Phillips’ Joker is a stylish, gritty, psychological crime drama featuring a tour de force performance by Joaquin Phoenix.
After the failures of
Batman v Superman and
Justice League, Warner Bros. decided to de-emphasize their focus on the DC Extended Universe and just use the following principles: Throw anything against the wall and see what sticks and then build a universe around what worked. And so, Todd Phillips’
Joker was born (and possibly DC Dark). Nobody was really clamoring for a Joker origin movie and most of the fans prefer the character’s history to be ambiguous and more of a multiple choice as shown by Alan Moore and Christopher Nolan.
Meant as a standalone tale unrelated to the DCEU,
Joker is a realistic origin take on Batman’s arch-nemesis and the tragic circumstances on how he came to be the Clown Prince of Crime. Joaquin Phoenix stars as Arthur Fleck, a mentally-imbalanced aspiring comedian who suffers from a medical condition that causes uncontrollable laughter. When he’s not stalking his female neighbor, he works as a clown and lives with his frail mother. Battered by the cities’ griminess and harshness, abandoned by the system and betrayed by people close to him, Fleck’s descent towards madness threatens to burn everyone around him and change Gotham City forever.
Acquiring some cool cred, hamming it up for the cameras and being mentioned alongside Nicholson and Ledger, Joker is one of those iconic roles every character actor dreams of landing. Phoenix gives a brilliant, evocative performance that will likely earn him an Oscar nomination (or win) next year. Aside from his incredibly nuanced and emotionally powerful acting, Phoenix transforms himself physically to an emaciated bod worthy of Christian Bale in
The Machinist. There are so many compelling little details Phoenix imparts with that people will surely dissect and discuss his performance for years to come. One particular behavior I found to be fascinating is Fleck’s slow victory dance which in my mind originated as a Tai Chi but evolved into something more creepy and sinister, like a mad contortionist maestro.
Just like Hans Zimmer’s score played an instrumental part in
The Dark Knight’s success, Hildur Guðnadóttir’s haunting score packs the film with ominous feelings of dread which captivates the audience at even the most mundane scene. With Joker’s story set roughly around 1981, Lawrence Sher’s dazzling cinematography captures the dour urban decay of that era. The atmospheric look is fitting since Phillips’ drew inspiration from
Taxi Driver,
The King of Comedy and a few other films and pretty cool for Robert De Niro to be part of the cast as he was the star in the two films mentioned. Not really a major complaint but De Niro as a talk show host didn't feel authentic, he just oozes this tough guy mafioso persona that doesn't suit the role.
What could have made Joker into a truly disturbing piece of cinema is if the murders onscreen weren’t just restricted to victims that “had it coming.” It sort of becomes a bit predictable on who’s going to die and where the plot is heading based on the movies it drew upon. The kills are a bit jarring and brutal but the most chilling and effective parts are the ones where it happens offscreen (in the end) and ambiguous (when he leaves from someone's apartment room).
The movie goes out its way to make the audience sympathize with underdog Fleck and make them cheer when he finally transforms in full Joker mode. On one hand, making the Joker into a pitying anarchist anti-hero is fine, but on the other hand this is the Joker we are talking about; He is supposed to be a destructive force of nature, evil incarnate to some if you will, not someone you should be rooting for.
Overall, Joaquin Phoenix’s outstanding Oscar-worthy performance is a must-see, catapulting
Joker alongside
Logan and
Watchmen in the list of top R-rated comic book movies ever made.
Preliminary Rating: 8.5/10
