Phoenix rising

Rating: 8/10 (6 October 2019)

Joker is a human origin story that dispels the mystery behind the character known only as 'The Joker', or Jack Napier in the rarely referenced comic book lore. In this adaptation, it's a downtrodden Arthur Fleck.
To me, this is not a comic book movie, it feeds into what is ultimately a comic book creation, but it offers a gritty realism that makes even 'The Dark Knight' look pretty.
These are the days before the Batman dons the mask to save Gotham from itself, but 'Joker' shows how the vigilante may just be settling a longstanding debt that has come back to haunt the Wayne family, it even may suggest why Batman is merciful of The Joker - you'll see just how Batman's greatest nemesis was created - and it will surprise you to great effect; even if it differs from the traditional origin story. Some critics suggest this movie hasn't much to say, but in the context of the overarching Batman story, it absolutely does.
It traded the notorious chemical incident and Chelsea smile for something perhaps a little less far-fetched - 'Joker' acknowledges the Batman universe, but the focus is very much on the concept and character that embodies the infamous clown and how the mask is a representation of chaos that can easily be spread, just as a mask can be used for justice. It's the Joker's turn in the limelight, as the Waynes are pushed to near minor characters, and cast in the shadow of moral ambiguity.
Did you know that although the Joker was planned to be killed off during his initial appearance, he was spared by editorial intervention? This movie fittingly gives a nod to this part of the character's past in its closing scenes.
The movie also offers an explanation for The Joker's hysterical laughing; what was once a tragedy became a comedy - and the rest is history.
While fresh concepts carry this movie beyond the box office, it was slow in parts, and lacked a breadth of characters and locations. There weren't many grand sweeping shots of the Gotham landscape. There also weren't many subplots or cutaways to other characters, this isolated the plot into almost entirely Phoenix, where I feel there could have been opportunities to bring in other characters and perspectives.
I disliked the subplot with Sophie Dumond as it didn't add much to the story, and also felt as if Arthur's character could have been more eccentric, instead some of his scripting was jarring, perhaps deliberately so - there needed to be more one-liners to reflect the Joker's natural wit and flair, although his outright strangeness was captured quite well, if a bit excessively.
This movie delivers a solid punchline, 7.6/10.