Hey J-okers
Last night I decided to see the much talked about Joker movie starring Joaquin Phoenix as the lead character. I am a huge DC comics fan, and the Joker has hands down my favourite character of all time. The Joker is often seen as Batman's ultimate nemesis the opposing force to his brand of Justice, and he often dismissed as a lunatic due to his clown persona.
The Joker has never really had a definitive origin story with many alternative iterations of how he became the Clown Prince of Gotham.
Over the years we've seen several versions of the iconic character. I often refer to has Mark Hammil's version as the baseline. The character is so deep and well fleshed out that as it matures the persona has alternative interpretations such as Jack Nicholsons more slapstick insane version, Heath Ledger's anarchist version, Jared Letos more refined (much maligned but I did enjoy) gangster version and now we have Joaquin gritty depiction of a societal outcast struggling with mental illness and moral relativism.
Each Joker brings a unique insight into the mind of the character, and all have its pros and cons, never the less each performance I felt had something to offer.
So how did this iteration of the character fair?
Poster for Joker - Image source: - traileraddict.com
The movie is a stand-alone alternative origin story loosely based on the DC character; it draws inspiration from The Killing Joke comic and the Dark Knight Rises comic. The story revolves around failed comedian Arthur Fleck. A man who suffers from mental illness and sheltered from his past by his mother seeks connection as he walks the streets of Gotham City teetering on edge due to economic disparity taking its toll.
Forever alone in a crowd, Arthur wears two masks -- the one he paints for his day job as a clown, and the guise he projects in a futile attempt to feel like he's part of the world around him. Isolated, bullied and disregarded by society, Fleck begins a slow descent into "madness".
His ideas are trained by his harsh upbringing and realise that societal moral standards aren't the definitive rules we like to suggest them to be. A man stripped of everything, his desperation sees him embrace the chaos. Through his existential crisis, he transforms into the criminal mastermind known as "Joker" a symbol for those who have been marginalised by society.
Trailer for Joker
In an era of cinema so saturated with superheroes and gritty remakes, Todd Phillips and Phoenix somehow take a character so deeply entrenched in pop culture and create something unapologetic and different. Yes the concepts are all taken from DC, and there are deviates from other movies like The Machinist and American Psycho (Ironic that Bale former Batman played both those roles), but it doesn't mean this movie is a copycat.
This film is unafraid to be bleak and scary. Showing us how some of the worlds have to deal with the harsh cruelties of the world is by treating it as a joke. Upon leaving this movie, you will not hate Joker; you will hate the world that made him. Arther is but a product of his surroundings and the sign of the times, his a symbol of what a perfect storm of depression and despair and unearth when left to fester.
Joker is a movie that tells us life is full of sadness, and then gives us a character whose purpose is to spread laughter and joy. I was going to finish this review with a joke, but you wouldn't get it.
As for the technical side, this movie is far different than any other superhero films of recent years. There are wide shots with deep concentration, but they are used sparingly because this movie is about a character, not action or explosions. The scenes are mostly shot up close, so you get to feel more of the character, his experiences, his inner battles. It gives his terrible narrations to himself more meaning as we watch the slow decay of his little mental resistance to outside influence.
The colour palette of this movie is intentionally composed of dour greens, blues and warm yellows--- all of which gives the world a sickly feel. The soundtrack is used affectively, bringing waves of optimism to clash with our protagonist's battle between anger, depression and his innocent boyish ways in many ways I feel inspiration was drawn from Michael Jackson.
I think anything short of an Oscar nomination for Phoenix would be disrespectful to the effort he gives. Phoenix simply cannot be praised enough. He brings both sympathy and tragedy in the way he moves his eyes, the way he contorts his shoulders, the way he varies laughs, deals with his condition.
A lesser actor would be unable to swing his moods from as far extremes as Phoenix does nor add the layers that Phoenix intricately builds for his character. The way he twists and writhes his body is mesmerising and brings even more tragedy to the Joker. This is Phoenix's movie.
The performance leaves you thinking that the Joker isn't, in fact, insane but saner than all of us. Free of the joke that is our subjective reality and moral code that keeps our society going. Once you have nothing to lose, you realise you have nothing to gain from playing the game.
To say it was satisfying would be somewhat misleading. Joaquin Phoenix makes you feel uncomfortable almost the entire time, but that's the point. Its gritty realism touches on so many topics and provides commentary on the society we have built and how we assume moral standpoints. It deals with deeply unnerving issues such as mental illness, poverty, desperation, subjective morality and much more.
If you're expecting a traditional comic book story, you will be disappointed. While it pays homage to the character, this dark and gritty adaptation of the character makes his sinister actions seem acceptable in cases and has you questioning a lot of what we accept as a society.
The movie is shot incredibly well, and the scenes and score create some immersive moments that will stick with you long after the film has completed its 2-hour run time. It will be a movie that generates a lot of heated debate due to the content and the disturbingly fantastic performance by Joaquin.
I enjoyed this break from the traditional formula and feel this is a direction DC should go with more of its characters. I would love to see a version of the Riddler, Scarecrow, Victor Freeze, Mad Hatter, Ventriloquist and even Victor Zsasz done or added to this universe.
Joker is a character-driven self-contained thriller in a sense that has you questioning the bad joke that is our current standard of reality.
I enjoyed the film, and it's easily the best movie in 2019. I have to give this movie 9 laughs out of 10
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