Brutal, vicious and grounded, and is perhaps the path that DC should take with all future adaptations, a disconnected, non-cinematic-universe-binding, standalone story

Rating: 9/10 (3 October 2019)

***Spoilers ahead in what will be a very long read***
First off, let's get this out of the way. This is a not your average comic-book romp with flashy CGI, placed humour (often forced) and grand centerpiece sequences. This a character study rooted deeply in the 70s-80s gritty dramas of which I have personally longed for a return to. It is clear to all, that is a Warner Bros film and not really a DC one from the title card and those who are expecting this film to be a faithful comic book adaptation will be disappointed. Personally, as a huge fan of that section of literature, I went into this film not expecting any lifting from the pages of comics or graphic novels and therefore, absolutely loved the end product. I do however have to state in no uncertain terms, that saying I love this film may be a misnomer on its own, as it is an extremely difficult watch. I felt overwhelmed, a little disturbed and all in all flabbergasted as the credits rolled
Make no qualms about it, true comic-book fans will love this film and will understand that this is an Elseworlds story. Yes, it may be based in parts on the anarchic character (who in my opinion is comicbook-dom's greatest villain surpassing even Darkseid, Doctor Doom et al) whom we have gotten used to in various depictions on-screen. There are a few character traits and plot points lifted from the source material namely the failed comedian angle and the quote "All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy" (from Alan Moore's 'The Killing Joke'), the story taking place from the villain's point of view (from Brian Azzarello's 'Joker') and the climactic riots (from the line in Ed Brubaker's 'The Man Who Laughs' - "One by nne, they'll hear my call. Then this wicked town, will follow my fall"), however that is where the similarities end
Todd Philips is unapologetic in his clear tributes to various directors from the golden era of cinema. Never are they more apparent in his shot compositions, use of atmospheric music and noir themed cityscapes which harken back to the literary-cum-celluloid musings of Sidney Lumet, William Friedkin, Roman Polanski, Ingmar Bergman, Werner Herzog, Federico Fellini, Andrei Tarkovsky, Milos Forman and Claude Chabrol. He reserves his absolute homage to Martin Scorsese though, in the storyline and lead character's motivations. To think that the comedic director behind The Hangover trilogy (out of which only the first one was really great), Old School and War Dogs (a little more serious than his prior films) could come up with something this cerebral and violent is almost asinine. He succeeds brilliantly and puts all doubters to shame. It is set in the late 70s, early 80s Gotham City (analogous to the New York City of the same decade) where the rich are getting richer while the poor are getting poorer. There is a garbage strike, rats are abound in the city and crime is rampant. Gotham City is descending into a hellhole and many of its nondescript residents are its biggest victims
Joaquin Phoenix is an arresting presence, the focus throughout the film and he reels you in from the first frame of the film where we first meet Arthur Fleck. We see him sitting in front of a mirror and applying his clown make-up. He attempts to put on a smile and resorts to holding the corners of his mouth as a single tear rolls down his cheek unbeknownst to him, all the while disrupting his make-up with it. This single scene sets the tone for the film. How a carefully, regimented façade is disturbed and ultimately destroyed by a simple action. There is no costume or monologues, just a man. A sad clown
Phoenix's gaunt and often emaciated appearance is scary (you can't help but wonder what he had to do to get in this "shape") and evokes memories of Christian Bale's Patrick Bateman from 'American Psycho'. He contorts his frail, spindly frame and on occasion breaks out into a frighteningly joyful, Kabuki-esque dance that is mesmerizing. Phoenix is in his absolute element, and proves once again why he is one of his generation's greatest actors. He portrays Fleck as one of life's victims, a freak to everyone else but someone who is constantly pushed down until he finally snaps. He is mocked, beaten up and often misunderstood by even those closest to him. Phoenix revels in showing pain in each and every sinew of his fibre, his eyes are haunting and hollow, his physicality is precise in the way he walks, sits, smokes or when he shrinks into the shadows. Fleck's hyena-like cackle is uncomfortable and painful and is attributed to Pseudobulbar Syndrome in the film but fits in very well with the overall narrative. You start to sympathize for Fleck but it soon turns from one of affinity similar to the ones we felt for the lead characters of 'Serpico' or 'Dog Day Afternoon', to one of pity that is more akin to the lead characters from 'Taxi Driver', 'A Clockwork Orange' and 'One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest'. His damnation begins with one after another "bad day" and ends in a brutal, violent and utterly savage actions
Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Brett Cullen, Frances Conroy and the rest of the cast are pretty much just supporting characters and they appear for a miniscule amount of time. They however perform well, De Niro especially, channeling his very own Rupert Papkin from 'The King of Comedy'. On the technical side, the film is littered with masterful brilliance. Scott Silver who co-wrote the film with Phillips utilizes simple but ultimately chilling dialogues to considerable effect. Lawrence Sher delivers a career best cinematography wherein his wide angle and close up shots were both immersive and introspective (especially on IMAX). I also have to give a very big kudos to composer Hildur Guðnadóttir, whose haunting theme, musical cues and overall soundtrack choice work perfectly throughout the film. This should be her big breakthrough and I foresee a lot of awards for her in the future
There are a few drawbacks namely the fisting of certain characters from the larger Gotham universe which no doubt was done to appease the so-called modern comic-book fan. I for one felt that it was unnecessary as they could have been named anything else and it would not have made a dolt of difference in the end product. There is also a worry that the film glorifies incels who resort to violence, but then again, anyone with a sane mind would be able to differentiate real and reel life
Joker has already won a few awards in its fledgling run, including the Leone d'Oro (Golden Lion for Best Film), Graffetta d'Oro (Audience Award for Best Film), Premio Soundtrack (Best Score) and an 8 minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival with Phoenix also winning the Tribute Actor award at the Toronto International Film Festival. This augurs well for the film's Academy Awards chances as the last two winners ('The Shape of Water' & 'Roma') both went on to win Best Picture at the Oscars. Joaquin Phoenix alongside Jake Gyllenhaal is one of my favourite actors who often win plaudits for their performances but not awards. In my opinion, Phoenix should be a shoo in for a Best Actor nomination joining Leonardo DiCaprio (for 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'), Taron Egerton (for 'Rocketman') and potentially Adam Driver (for 'Marriage Story') as well as Christian Bale (for 'Ford v Ferrari')
To compare this Joker with Mark Hamill's playful menace (from the animated series and several animated films), Heath Ledger's chilling anarchist (from 'The Dark Knight') or even Jack Nicholson kitschy gangster (from 1989's 'Batman') would be superfluous (I purposefully chose to ignore the meth-head emo dude that Jared Leto plays in 'Suicide Squad'). This is an origin story for "A" Joker not "THE" Joker and that is how we should evaluate the film. As the Clown Prince of Crime himself once said, "If I'm going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice"
In this film, the Joker is someone who lets his mental illness get the better of him and essentially leads him into what he feels is justifiable violence. This Joker is born of our apathy, we made him and we deserve him