A Slow Descent Into....Okay

Rating: 6/10 (19 October 2019)

No one will ever say Joachin Phoenix didn't give his all, but if you watch enough loner-with-an-agenda film such as "King Of Comedy" or "Taxi Driver" you know where the pieces will fit.
The other thing is that the message of how society, in its neglect for the mentally ill will cause a rift in a population that is sick and tired of being sick and tired. In this case, where you identify with is where the Joker can get you. And empathize for what he must do. An achievement in making the unintentional sociopath that we see in all the movies. It's not without its charm. Granted, these dark misanthrope characters never bothered me...call me a dark person...there are sly nods at what is to be (a young Bruce Wayne sliding down a playset pole to greet Fleck was an especially nice one).
The other thing is what is known as anachronistic music and movies. Okay...having Cream and Gary Glitter and having Charlie Chaplin is no longer an alternate universe. It means Gotham is real and it kept having to readjust my mind that it wasn't New York City circa 1981. They either know our pop culture evolution or you don't.
The other thing...is that it still raises so many questions as to the Joker's history. A simple one of emotional betrayal by those he held close but can't exhibit closeness isn't going to work. The betrayal is meaningless. Which, unfortunately, is the ugliness of The Joker.
Who do you root for here. Thomas Wayne, the future tyrant capitalist, unwavering in a modicum of kindness who is a victim of rampant unrest between the rich and poor. Or the Joker, a product of the most sludge scraping bottom who does very little to further his lot in life other than to report to a menial job while being medicated to death? It's all ugly and there are no sunshine. That is NYC today...I mean Gotham. It's a perverse film that sets up larger ideas that seem to fizzle into an unnecessary overbearing notes of "gee, isnt the music so different than what we see" territory. Todd Phillips does an excellent job at capturing the time but look...it's either reality or it's not.