Anthony's Film Review - Joker (2019)

Joaquin Phoenix's performance is memorable, and this villain origin story is written nicely...

Among the many villains Batman has faced, one easily stands out: the wicked clown-faced criminal known as the Joker. This is a character we have seen plenty of times over the years, portrayed in different styles by multiple actors. There's the comical presentation of Joker by Cesar Romero in the 1960s Batman television series, and even, for that matter, the silly Joker in The Lego Batman Movie recently. For something mildly dark, there's Jack Nicholson's Joker in the 1989 Batman movie and Mark Hamill voicing the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series in TV in the 1990s. Then, if you really want an ultra dark Joker, look no further than Heath Ledger's Oscar-winning performance in The Dark Knight in 2008. With such a high bar set, it would be a challenge to reach the same level of excellence that Ledger achieved.

Now we have Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker, who also fits in the same category of ultra dark. Obviously, the first question is whether Phoenix or Ledger is better as the Joker. Honestly, I find it hard to decide. It's not just because they're both great in their own way. It's also because these actors portray different stages of the Joker's descent to evil. Whereas Ledger's Joker is in the deepest part of the abyss, Phoenix's Joker is at the edge of it and already sliding down slowly towards its center. It's almost like comparing apples and oranges, so I say we just proceed to look at Phoenix's Joker closely without further comparisons.

Phoenix plays a man in Gotham City named Arthur Fleck. He appears at first to be like any ordinary person, with a job (as a party clown), a place to live (a rundown apartment), and a living family member (his mother Penny, played by Frances Conroy). But look closely and you'll see someone who is disturbed. A mental health specialist may note Arthur's limited emotional expression, wide-eyed stare, sharing of negative thoughts, and involuntary laughter not matching the context of the situation. So yeah, he's pretty damaged from the moment we first see him. But you know what else is messed up? His circumstances. Just when you think he may be able to barely hold it together while going through life, bad luck strikes multiple times.

Basically, a series of unfortunate events pushes this already fragile man to the brink. The descent suddenly quickens after Arthur commits murder, which may not have been a planned first-degree incident, but it still sets two things into motion: a police investigation that soon heads his way, and a citywide revolution by the masses against the wealthy class. By this time, we may feel a bit of sorrow and sympathy for Arthur, because it's clear that society has treated him unfairly. The same could apply to many other residents of Gotham City struggling to make ends meet.

As the story proceeds, Arthur continues to be pushed around. More things happen that trigger anger towards those around him, further feeding the notion that society is cruel and working against him, never for him. This leads to further moral decline. There are also a few more killings, which are shocking not just because of the amount of on-screen blood shown but also because of how unexpected they are. And at just the right moment, he puts on a frightening clown persona and fully transforms into the Joker.

Although there is a plot in this film, it's not the primary focus. The story can be described simply as a series of events that influence the main character and lead him down the path of evil transformation. It's not one of those movies that has plot twists and an epic climax. In fact, the climax in this movie is one that you'll likely not notice to be a climax until after it's over. So Joker is not a plot-based movie. Rather, it's primarily a fascinating character study that dives deeper into a familiar fictional character.

There's another secondary element worth mentioning: social commentary. Beyond the world of Gotham City, this film presents a microcosm of the society we live in. Like the real world, Gotham City has a large wealth gap between the haves and have-nots, plus associated poverty, unemployment, and crime. The film also reminds us how selfish we can be sometimes, and that has unfair consequences for certain other individuals. That in turn reminds us that the concept of the villain is relative. Traditionally, Batman is on the side of good and the Joker is on the side of evil. But in this film, it seems Gotham City is the villain and the Joker is the one trying to make things right in whatever circumstances. This is another reason I appreciate seeing things from the Joker's perspective.

Obviously, this is not a superhero movie, which is something you see a lot these days. Rather, it's a supervillain movie, providing a new take on an established genre. I definitely appreciated this movie for doing something dramatically different and doing it well. It was fun seeing the Joker's life before Batman came along. That's not to say there's no indirect reference to Batman, because the young Bruce Wayne, who will eventually become Batman, appears briefly in this film, as a way to connect the Joker back to Batman and to better see how one influenced the other. Again, another neat take on a familiar story.

Now, will we see more origin films centering on superhero villains? I say maybe. If this film is any indication of what's possible, I expect more will be coming along, and they will really expand the already huge genre of superhero movies.

Anthony's Rating:

For more information about Joker, visit the Internet Movie Database.