Joker (B+ or 3/4 stars)
Bleak, violent, nihilistic, controversial; just your run-of-the-mill comic book movie, right? That is how I would describe 'Joker' (directed by Todd Phillips, of the Hangover movies). This film centers on the iconic nemesis of Batman {still a child in this story} and is a standalone origin story. Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is a troubled man who lives with & cares for his invalid mother, Penny (Frances Conroy), in their Gotham City apartment circa 1981. An aspiring stand-up comedian, he cares deeply for his mom, whose existence revolves around her {and Arthur's} love of late-night TV host Murray Franklin (Robert DeNiro) & her obsession with her former employer/tycoon, Thomas Wayne (Brett Cullen), who is running for mayor.
Chain-smoking Arthur works for a rent-a-clown business alongside co-workers Randall & Gary (Glenn Fleshler, Leigh Hill). And he thinks he might have forged a connection with Sophie (Zazie Beetz), a single mom who lives down the hall in his tenement building. But things are not quite right with Arthur. Having been previously institutionalized in a psych hospital & featuring a nervous tic that manifests as uncontrollable laughter, he's always on edge & must cope with disapproving looks & physical attacks. When he loses his job, an accumulation of disappointments follow {his social work program is slashed, his mom has a stroke}. He continues to unravel and ... armed with a gun provided by Randall, he snaps after being beaten-up by 3 pompous businessmen who poke fun at his clown make-up & laughing tic. While the anti-rich attitude of Gotham City falls prey to full-blown protests, Arthur - now off his meds - begins a slow descent into rageful, murderous psychosis. His dark nature takes over & the twisted personality of 'Joker' overwhelms the relatively passive Arthur. To put it lightly, chaos ensues.
'Joker' does not directly expect us to sympathize for Arthur. The man does some horrible things. However, there are gray areas to Arthur, and I think most people could be able to understand the factors that could lead to someone like him degrade from a meek person with dreams to a maniac -- this film shows how that transformation could unfortunately happen. Now, I have some problems with this film. Namely, there is a stretch of time before the explosive final act where not much happens other than watching slow-burn misery porn. Also, this film's themes are quite obvious. i.e., corrupt government. How budget cuts lead to diminished social services for mental health, & how government is more interested in promoting the interests of the 'haves' and not the 'have nots'. Also, watching prominent politicians insult members of the general public can lead to catastrophic consequences.
Along with some stunning cinematography & visceral bursts of graphic physical mayhem, Joker's success comes down to Joaquin Phoenix's immersive, brittle, uncompromising performance of a ticking time bomb that's teetering on the precipice of sanity. Too many awful things happen for him to keep it all intact. Not only has Phoenix altered his body to play skeletal, dark-spirited Arthur, but the increasingly unhinged, despairing, psychological aspects of the portrayal are staggering. This Joker is more in the vein of Heath Ledger, and not so much Cesar Romero, Jack Nicholson or even Jared Leto. When Arthur finally finds his calling, so to speak, atop that car with the rioters cheering him on ... it's spellbindingly disturbing because we watch as this concave, mentally unstable, hurt man turns into the proverbial butterfly with his arms spread wide to embrace his despicable, macabre purpose.
I like how this 'comic book movie' is actually more of a gritty character study about real-world issues and not cookie cutter cape crusading. It shows how a broken person in a broken society might just turn into a monster. Though director Todd Phillips has a penchant for juvenile comedies, I respect his dark, serious turn, here. Many people are saying that, because of this movie's high profile, the violence in this film might be replicated in real life by individuals drawn to its disturbing content; inspiring copycat situations. I don't know. To me, unfortunately, people are going to do what they're going to do whether it is in their broken hearts/minds or depicted in a Hollywood movie. 'Joker' is often unpleasant & grim. It is a hard film to like and it has issues. But it's also powerful & difficult to shake.
Chain-smoking Arthur works for a rent-a-clown business alongside co-workers Randall & Gary (Glenn Fleshler, Leigh Hill). And he thinks he might have forged a connection with Sophie (Zazie Beetz), a single mom who lives down the hall in his tenement building. But things are not quite right with Arthur. Having been previously institutionalized in a psych hospital & featuring a nervous tic that manifests as uncontrollable laughter, he's always on edge & must cope with disapproving looks & physical attacks. When he loses his job, an accumulation of disappointments follow {his social work program is slashed, his mom has a stroke}. He continues to unravel and ... armed with a gun provided by Randall, he snaps after being beaten-up by 3 pompous businessmen who poke fun at his clown make-up & laughing tic. While the anti-rich attitude of Gotham City falls prey to full-blown protests, Arthur - now off his meds - begins a slow descent into rageful, murderous psychosis. His dark nature takes over & the twisted personality of 'Joker' overwhelms the relatively passive Arthur. To put it lightly, chaos ensues.
'Joker' does not directly expect us to sympathize for Arthur. The man does some horrible things. However, there are gray areas to Arthur, and I think most people could be able to understand the factors that could lead to someone like him degrade from a meek person with dreams to a maniac -- this film shows how that transformation could unfortunately happen. Now, I have some problems with this film. Namely, there is a stretch of time before the explosive final act where not much happens other than watching slow-burn misery porn. Also, this film's themes are quite obvious. i.e., corrupt government. How budget cuts lead to diminished social services for mental health, & how government is more interested in promoting the interests of the 'haves' and not the 'have nots'. Also, watching prominent politicians insult members of the general public can lead to catastrophic consequences.
Along with some stunning cinematography & visceral bursts of graphic physical mayhem, Joker's success comes down to Joaquin Phoenix's immersive, brittle, uncompromising performance of a ticking time bomb that's teetering on the precipice of sanity. Too many awful things happen for him to keep it all intact. Not only has Phoenix altered his body to play skeletal, dark-spirited Arthur, but the increasingly unhinged, despairing, psychological aspects of the portrayal are staggering. This Joker is more in the vein of Heath Ledger, and not so much Cesar Romero, Jack Nicholson or even Jared Leto. When Arthur finally finds his calling, so to speak, atop that car with the rioters cheering him on ... it's spellbindingly disturbing because we watch as this concave, mentally unstable, hurt man turns into the proverbial butterfly with his arms spread wide to embrace his despicable, macabre purpose.
I like how this 'comic book movie' is actually more of a gritty character study about real-world issues and not cookie cutter cape crusading. It shows how a broken person in a broken society might just turn into a monster. Though director Todd Phillips has a penchant for juvenile comedies, I respect his dark, serious turn, here. Many people are saying that, because of this movie's high profile, the violence in this film might be replicated in real life by individuals drawn to its disturbing content; inspiring copycat situations. I don't know. To me, unfortunately, people are going to do what they're going to do whether it is in their broken hearts/minds or depicted in a Hollywood movie. 'Joker' is often unpleasant & grim. It is a hard film to like and it has issues. But it's also powerful & difficult to shake.