A Gem of Modern Cinema

Rating: 10/10 (27 October 2019)

Phillip Glass's Joker is something that does not occur often enough. It brings you into the depths of the mind, experiences and environment of someone with severe mental illness. Not only does it give you empathy, but also understanding into how and why the Arthur Fleck become the Joker.
Joaquin Phoenix is outstanding in his portrayal of Fleck. He is able to easily display the futile attempts of Arthur to live a somewhat normal life. A struggling part-time clown, part-time stand up comic, Arthur tries to balance taking care of his aging mother with his career and aspirations. All the while, he is being stepped upon and ignored by all others around him. I would be very surprised if Joaquin is not nominated for an Oscar award.
"Gotham" of the 70's/80's is a harsh environment for Arthur to live in. Crime, trash and "super rats" are ubiquitous; Violence and income inequality far-reaching. Thomas Wayne, local billionaire, decides to run for mayor in an attempt to clean up the city. Meanwhile, social-welfare funding is cut, including in mental health care.
As the story progresses, we learn more about Arthur's dark past and how it all starts to manifest itself in the present. The only thing that seem to be developing for him is his relationship with his tenement neighbor, Sophie, played well by Zazie Beetz.
This movie seems to be heavily influenced by Martin Scorsese's 'The King of Comedy' and 'Taxi Driver,' especially the gritty setting and dark subject matter. Joker plays homage well to these classics while blazing it's path in cinema history.
Make no mistake, this is not a standard super hero film. It is in no way kid-friendly and approaches topics on the fringes of society that do not get talked about; it is a philosophical film in many ways. and While The Dark Knight Trilogy, 'Watchmen,' and 'Logan' all have taken superhero films in a more serious direction, this film would be great if you removed all the elements of the DC-universe.
A real great feat in modern cinema. I hope we see more films start to explore these subject matters presented in Joker.