the most unique comic book movie ever

Rating: 9/10 (6 October 2019)

As a big Batman fan, the idea of making an origin movie about his greatest foe without the hero can be easily dismissed, let alone from a man who has directed some divisive films. Mental illness is also a thorny societal issue slowly being recognized and governments everywhere are tackling. It comes to no surprise that an adaption about Joker's origin will cause controversy, possibly stirring wannabe lunatics into action, and because we see the character as evil incarnate, bereft of humanity. Seeing the film however, the truth couldn't be more different. Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix deliver a tragic and haunting portrayal of Joker's descent into madness, liberally borrowing from classics such as Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy and taking its cue from acclaimed graphic novels such as Batman: The Killing Joke and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, while retaining core aspects of the character without glorifying his actions into a hero. Joker is without a shadow of a doubt the most unique comic book movie ever.
Arthur Fleck, played by Joaquin Phoenix, is a lonely single man who lives together with his mother. Working as a party clown, he dreams of becoming a popular television comedian in the vein of his idol Murray Franklin, played by Robert De Niro. Consecutive misfortunes and tragedy, however, spiral his already broken life toward anarchy not because of a single character that prevents his personal growth, but society's ill and self-serving agenda. Phoenix is widely considered among the greatest living actors with acclaimed performances in Gladiator, Her and The Master, to name a few. Heath Ledger casts a huge shadow on the role, winning a posthumous Academy Award. Phoenix's Joker is an instant classic alongside Travis Bickle, Ledger's Joker, Alex DeLarge and other cinematic greats. The physical transformation to portray an impoverished man is immersive, drawing the viewer to Arthur on a visceral level. Few actors are willing to undergo drastic body changes from film to film, one of them being Christian Bale, the Batman of Christopher Nolan's trilogy. Before killing Randall, Arthur was doing body contortions similar to Pennywise the Clown in It, unaided by digital effects, all done by sheer physicality. The film is littered with imagery of Arthur's condition. Aside from the physicality, the laugh and mannerisms depict psychopathic narcissistic tendencies that is staple of the character for decades. Phoenix is truly terrifying at times. The best part about Arthur's characterization is how it retained the essence of Joker from the comics. Joker, in the modern age, is an unreliable narrator with multiple origins. Many scenes are actually make-believe imaginations of Arthur, such as the relationship with his neighbor Sophie and being interviewed live as an audience in Murray's talk show. In fact, the film as a whole is ambiguous, leaving open for interpretation if any of the events occurred at all in reality. What makes Joker a timeless character is ambiguity. The writing and acting perfectly captures that characterization.
Joker is by a wide margin Todd Phillip's magnum opus. The direction is simply stunning. The cinematography and production design evoke a 70s or early 80s vibe visually. From the dirty streets and references to popular culture in those decades, the audience is drawn to that world while putting a modern spin about today's views on mental illness. At times, the score sounds like one composed by Hans Zimmer, but it is not. Hildur Guðnadóttir pays homage to the Nolan trilogy with her score, but in a unique way solely for Joker's world. Coupled with Phoenix's acting, the score can be heart-pounding or heart-stopping. Something jarring about the music are placements of songs that would have been better replaced by the score alone. Overall, they do not negatively affect much the film as a whole. Depicting Joker's ambiguity and unreliable narrator would not be possible without masterful editing. The film is perfectly paced that builds to a rousing and violent conclusion. There are moments of levity, such as Gary failing to open the door because of his short stature, but the biggest moments come when Arthur begins murdering people out of revenge. Without proper pacing, the film would just have been another "excessive" show of violence without drama.
On a thematic level, the social commentary feels a bit lacking. For a film reviewed by a significant portion of the critics as excessively violent, Joker is a bit safe and tame. Surely, many other films have exceeded Joker's violence. The film is about class struggle as it is about mental illness. Gotham is a boiling pot of inequality, where the poor are relegated to shabby apartments and the rich in spacious mansions. This is exemplified by Thomas Wayne, who promises that his business acumen can elevate the city's economy as mayor. Thomas Wayne comes off very condescending and detach from the actual living conditions of his fellow citizens, although an argument could be made that is because of Arthur's view on him, not necessarily Thomas Wayne's true personality. Murray Franklin, played by Robert De Niro, is also another rich person with selfish agenda when during his talk show a video of Arthur doing stand-up comedy was played to the ridicule of his audience. Arthur is not motivated by high-minded ideals, but by revenge, thus distorting how we perceive some of the characters are. While the film excellently constructs Gotham's divided class structure, the social commentary is lacking because the supporting characters are weak and are there simply for Arthur to despise after contributing to his eventual downfall. Unlike its inspiration, Taxi Driver, which has outstanding supporting characters such as Iris, Betsy and Sport where the themes are given weight, Joker has none, although they are played decently by their actors, especially Robert De Niro. Murray's exchange with Arthur during the finale is spectacular. De Niro, a screen legend himself, holds his own against another legend at his best.
Do not miss Joker in theaters!
9/10