Shocking, downbeat and shockingly profound

Rating: 10/10 (22 October 2019)

The cinematic event of the fall season finally arrived and boy were our collective minds blown! Who would have thought that a dark comic feature from the director of the "Hangover" trilogy could be as popular as it currently is? Well friends, Todd Philips delivered a solid origin story for Batman's greatest nemesis and separated it from the DCEU fare with its own little universe.
I won't delve too much into the plot as it would spoil this masterpiece of dark cinema. The basic concept follows a down-on-his-luck man who after a series of unfortunate circumstances finally snaps and the outcome is horrifying to watch unfold.
After such performances by Caesare Romero, Jack Nicholson, the deliciously insane vocals of Mark Hamill and the post-humous Oscar winning performance of Heath Ledger in Christopher Nolan's 'The Dark Knight' we were all wondering what acclaimed actor Joaquin Phoenix would bring to the iconic Joker. There was some doubt over how he would top the late Heath Ledger, but if you ask me: we got the most human portrayal of this iconic villain yet. Arthur Fleck is a tormented sign-twirling salesman who is eking out a meager existence to provide for himself and his ailing mother (Frances Conroy), but when he finally has become fed up his mind cracks. His journey is a slow descent into madness that is actually heartbreaking to watch as he is a man who really has no support network to rely on and is relentlessly made the butt of the joke by his peers, Known for his intensity, Joaquin Phoenix deftly approached the character as a man who longs for a connection to the world around him and to be accepted as the person he is, but the cruel real world practically spits on him and laughs at his attempts. Phoenix broods and oozes an inner ticking time bomb that when it explodes he goes full throttle without becoming a cartoon caricature, but "that's it! I won't take this anymore and here's what you get for how you treated me!" I condone Arthur's actions as they are violent and should not ever be replicated in reality, but in a bizarre way we do sympathize with him since we are always in his troubled perspective.
The standout supporting cast include Frances Conroy as Penny Fleck, Arthur's ailing mother who holds some dark secrets that help lead to Arthur's downfall to insanity, and the great Robert De Niro as condescending TV show host Murray Franklin. First, Frances Conroy is so understated as Penny but she is a terrific foil to the more clearly unstable Joaquin Phoenix. She is caring towards him, but she has a Mrs. Bates quality to her as she relies on Arthur as her caregiver and little boy. Watching her and Phoenix's scenes is both strangely touching, but also unsettling as it is slowly unraveling as the catalyst for the film's climatic reveals about her true self. Now to Robert De Niro, where has this kind of talent been with him these past few years?! After sub-par junk like "Dirty Grandpa", we get a return of the De Niro from his earlier career especially the 1980s. The character of Murray Franklin and his interaction with Arthur Fleck near the close of the film echoes the largely forgotten 'The King of Comedy' which had a direct influence on this film's story. While in the Scorsese film, De Niro was the struggling comedian and the late Jerry Lewis was the snide TV host, here the roles are switched as De Niro gets to be Jerry Lewis while Joaquin Phoenix plays the struggling artist in question. The film plays with the wholesome image of De Niro throughout the majority of the film since we, like Arthur, only see Murray on TV until the third act of the film where our troubled anti-hero meets his idol. When we see the moment that helps Arthur's mind snap, we become angry at how the audience and Murray treat Arthur like a sideshow and only invite him on as a joke. The dialogue between the veteran actor and Phoenix is revealing as we watch Arthur take down Murray and the public's perception of him while De Niro attempts to hold his disturbed guest in check. However we still see his true colors as he tries vainly to humiliate Arthur on national television, but at this point in time it is futile as the persona Arthur has since adopted could care less than Arthur's more human side did. De Niro may have to let the spotlight be on Phoenix, but he never wastes a line as he verbally spars with the harsh-tongued lunatic opposite him.
Todd Philips and co-writer Joel Silver deftly tackled this origin story by not just adapting one of the numerous tales that the Clown Prince of Crime has told over the decades in comics and films. Here we get almost an amalgamation of different inspirations such as the infamous 'The Killing Joke' where one bad day can push certain men and women to insanity and the aforementioned Martin Scorsese drama-comedy "The King of Comedy' mixed with a few elements from 'Taxi Driver'. Given that Scorsese was once in talks for the project, it makes sense that his influence would be felt. This is one of the greatest strengths of the narrative as the ambiance feels like being in an early Scorsese film with the coloring to the haunting musical score and particularly Joaquin Phoenix's performance as Arthur Fleck. The character is similar to how Robert De Niro behaves in 'Taxi Driver' especially in the behavior towards his peers like Zazie Beets who is practically a stand-in for Cybil Shepard in the latter film. Though in Arthur's case, his interaction with Zazie Beets' character doesn't really copy what happens with De Niro and Shepard in 'Taxi Driver' since we find out the real truth near the climax of 'Joker'.
There is shocking moments of violence in the film, but I doubt we will have a repeat of what happened in Aurora, Colorado. However, I strongly encourage anyone who sees this film to remember this is a fictional film, but there are people who suffer from mental illness like Arthur Fleck and have done awful acts like him in the real world. Please DO NOT replicate this violence and cost innocent families and individuals their lives. If you are suffering from mental illness, remember there is help and it can provide some comfort.I want all to be well and be safe.