Joker (2019)

Joker is a gritty, grimy, and nihilistic R-rated origin story on the classic “Batman” villain, directed by Todd Phillips from a script he co-wrote with Scott Silver. Set in a crime-ridden Gotham City sometime in the early 1980s, Joaquin Phoenix stars as Arthur Fleck, a man who has been dealing with mental challenges his entire life, with little to show for all of his efforts to keep on the sane path. One of his afflictions is his uncontrollable laughter when faced with things that make him anxious, which often gets him into further trouble on its own. He’s living in a Gotham City apartment with his ailing mother, Penny (Frances Conroy), trying to make it in show business either as a clown or as a stand-up comedian, on the hope of getting on the number-one late-night talk show starring Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro). Even with the several medications that he is on, his afflictions often get the better of him, but now he’s lost his job, his therapist, his meds, and his sanity. Arthur soon finds there may be a new path to an audience when he gains notoriety as a Bernard Goetz-style subway shooter.

Essentially, Joker is one part character study and one part homage to Martin Scorsese’s earlier work, most notably The King of Comedy and Taxi Driver. That homage goes one step further by casting the star of both of those portrayals of madness, Robert De Niro, in a supporting role as the host of the late-night talk show that Arthur daydreams constantly of making his debut appearance. As a character study, it’s a relatively slow-moving tale without any real action set-pieces, content to build on a more realistic portrayal of how a sick and lonely person could find himself transformed into a madman with grievances on society he wishes to take to a public forum.

Joaquin Phoenix delivers another mesmerizing and gutsy performance full of inner pain and obvious turmoil, but with a touch of tragedy and unpredictability that makes his the most nuanced version of the Joker yet. The palpable torment is fascinating to observe, as he reels off unnerving behavior that is both emotional and physical in execution. Still, when you’re dealing with the Joker, it’s hard not to come off as a caricature rather than a fully realized character, but Phoenix does about as good a job that could be done meeting the task in the middle between plausible illness and cartoonishly malevolent burgeoning supervillain behavior.

Joker benefits from a classic look thanks to stunning cinematography by Lawrence Sher that highlights its dark tones and bleak atmosphere. The editing, lighting, and camera work are also top-notch, in this narrative that largely strays away from the kind of CG work that usually overtakes comic book-based films. The soundtrack filters in like a weird dream, in keeping with the lucid daydreams Arthur engages in when he envisions his own time in the spotlight on the Murray show. Nothing we see can quite be trusted as 100% real, as Arthur’s day-to-day existence blends with his own twisted fantasies in a way that we can only guess from the context whether it is fact of fiction.

Themes regarding the mentally ill and their shunning by American society run strong. Arthur becomes, at least in his mind, the voice for the poor and overlooked people who fall through the cracks of society, for whom no one seems to find a voice to help get back on their feet. There is also the notion that those who are rich and famous get to control the crumbs of attention or success they will allow among those who are poor nobodies. Arthur’s quest to find a way to earn his overnight success and notoriety become part of the film’s notion of a climax. In real-life America during the 1980s, much government funding was being cut to help the mentally ill, resulting in a marked increase in those who were able to get the support or medication they needed to keep it in check, and a boom in homelessness and violence would plague the era in a way that has continued to this day.

Although dealing with a character they may know from their cartoons and comic books, parents should be aware that this film is absolutely not for children, and it may be a bit too violent and depressing for some adults. “Batman” purists may have trouble embracing this take, as well as those who expect their comic book stories to not cross over into sad and sadistic R-rated territory. The depiction of Thomas Wayne, a billionaire running for political office, in particular, which makes him out to be not a very kind and loving father or husband, may rankle a few longterm fans of these characters and their backstories. In fact, Joaquin Phoenix argued against his inclusion in the film, and most other direct tie-ins with the Batman mythos, including having to shed over 50 lbs. to play Joker in the gaunt manner in which he is frequently depicted. Even with these things, Joker mostly stays away from the typical “Batman” story much of the time, only tying it in within a couple of scenes, with one that doubles as the origin story for a young Bruce Wayne to later be what he intends to be in life.

Joker succeeds at leaving a lasting and discomfiting impression of how a tragic life often can result in tragic outcomes for the person who experiences it, but also in those in his sphere of influence. Not everyone will be in tune with its delving into uncomfortable areas to find the film gives the kind of entertainment value they want going in. This is a case where one’s expectations will largely dictate one’s feelings by the end, but taken on its own terms as a relatively grounded way to explain how Joker came to be, Phoenix manages to convince through the method acting of his madness. There’s no joy in hearing his laughter.

Qwipster’s rating: A-

MPAA Rated: R for strong bloody violence, disturbing behavior, language, and brief sexual images
Running Time: 122 min.

Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Frances Conroy, Zazie Beets, Brett Cullen, Shea Whigham
Small role: Marc Maron
Director: Todd Phillips
Screenplay: Todd Phillips, Scott Silver