Joker (2019)
From very early on in the year Joker was a film that bounced around on the list of my most anticipated films of the year. Despite not being a huge fan of Todd Phillips and his filmography up to this point I was beyond excited to see Joaquin Phoenix take on this legendary character and the more details revealed about the film the more interested I was. The fact that it would be rated r, an original story not based on the comics, etc. This movie had the big shine of being a Joker film but beyond that, this film grew an almost enigmatic presence for itself with so many including myself waiting to see what this movie even would end up being. Finally, it debuted at the Venice International Film Festival where it shocked the world with not only across the board rave reviews but also winning the Golden Lion propelling the film into the Best Picture conversation. For better or for worse this is a movie that became a moment for those who follow the film with the seemingly endless conversation surrounding its release. For me at least, the hype was at a maximum when it finally released to the public and after seeing the film twice I have come to appreciate the film greatly. Where I don’t think it fully hits the nail on the head to become a masterpiece it is an extremely compelling character study that clearly has captivated audiences. Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is a man down on his luck living with his mother (Frances Conroy) in Gotham City which has become overrun with garbage and poverty. Arthur makes enough as a clown for him and his mother to get by but just barely. After an unfortunate incident where Arthur ends up murdering 3 men on the subway after they physically attack him Arthur falls down a dangerous rabbit hole of power and anger as tensions rise not only in his personal life but in the society around him as riots and movements rise up against the rich and Thomas Wayne (Brett Cullen) who is starting his run for mayor.

The main headline that most reach when coming out of the film is the performance by Joaquin Phoenix. This is easily the biggest awards contender the movie has and across the board whether you love or hate the movie seems to be something people can rally behind. If you followed Joaquin Phoenix throughout his career it really shouldn’t shock you the level of physicality and intensity he brings to a performance, nonetheless this performance is extremely well done and is quite captivating. Straying away from the traditional Joker origin story this film has to balance criticizing the Joker and his actions while also adding a level of empathy and understanding to why he goes down this dark road which is something from a performance standpoint Phoenix does a really wonderful job with. He has such a clear understanding of this character and how he feels about himself, from feeling powerless and meaningless to finally losing it and carving a place for him in society even if they reject who he is. This performance is a real force of nature that doesn’t need to be over the top in order to be effective.
The film also does a really good job with this character, many had reservations on having such a dark and twisted character at the center of a film and worried that the movie would glorify him and his actions. These are valid concerns but the movie is smart and creates a character where you can feel for the trauma he has and understands why in the context of this world he turns out the way he does but also very clearly see that it is wrong. If anything this movie really isn’t even about the Joker at heart, it is much more a film about society. It is this system and society that creates Arthur Fleck which is much more captivating than some tub of goo. Sure Arthur has specific events in his life that sets him apart enough to where he is the one who falls through the cracks but time and time again we see the system fail to fix these cracks and turn their back on Arthur Fleck. The class warfare displayed in the movie also creates an opening for Arthur to find a place in society where he can feel like somebody which he relishes in. Sure none of these concepts are new or done to such a level that they stand out across all of the cinema but they are really effective and give this character a worthy buildup that has something to say. Past the darker and deeper message, the film has I will also say that the comedy is surprisingly effective, sure it clearly is not the main focus this movie wants to have but there is some genuine laugh out loud moments and to overlook those feels like a crime.
The film also does a really good job with this character, many had reservations on having such a dark and twisted character at the center of a film and worried that the movie would glorify him and his actions. These are valid concerns but the movie is smart and creates a character where you can feel for the trauma he has and understands why in the context of this world he turns out the way he does but also very clearly see that it is wrong. If anything this movie really isn’t even about the Joker at heart, it is much more a film about society. It is this system and society that creates Arthur Fleck which is much more captivating than some tub of goo. Sure Arthur has specific events in his life that sets him apart enough to where he is the one who falls through the cracks but time and time again we see the system fail to fix these cracks and turn their back on Arthur Fleck. The class warfare displayed in the movie also creates an opening for Arthur to find a place in society where he can feel like somebody which he relishes in. Sure none of these concepts are new or done to such a level that they stand out across all of the cinema but they are really effective and give this character a worthy buildup that has something to say. Past the darker and deeper message, the film has I will also say that the comedy is surprisingly effective, sure it clearly is not the main focus this movie wants to have but there is some genuine laugh out loud moments and to overlook those feels like a crime.

Technically the film is also wonderful, especially when it comes to the cinematography from Lawrence Sher and the overall visual design this movie chooses to use. Gotham City has always been a darker place but this movie brings it to life making it a character of its own. It is filled with struggle and garbage (both literally and figuratively) but it doesn’t fall apart into the stereotypical basic criminal filled city that so many other adaptations turn to. They're clearly still is a heart to the city and the people living there which can be seen throughout the film. The actual camera techniques especially with how they decide to show the scale and weight of the city also adds quite a bit when showing how small Arthur feels in it. The cinematography is also quite effective in showing emotion with good places close-ups and angles. The makeup is also extremely effective in this film, sure it is just basic clown makeup but they are able to still do so much with it to tell this movie in visually compelling ways. This is not a movie that I would call subtle as it is very clear most of the time with what it is trying to say but visually it does really impress with captivation elements that add a really solid and well thought out backbone to what the movie is openly trying to say. The score from Hildur Guðnadóttir is also really wonderful with big swells that keep the movie grounded and add a layer of depth.
If there was one complaint I had in the movie is that I think it could be a bit cleaner. There are quite a few dialogue scenes that come off as clunky and too obvious with the message it is trying to give and I was not a huge fan of how they decided to work the Wayne family into the plot. I understand that these are major players in this world so I am fine with them being mentioned and involved, but especially towards the end they very directly have scenes with them that felt out of place considering this movie is not about them. This is not setting up Batman so I don’t see why this film felt the need to start to specifically have scenes that would lead to that character getting set up. I also think the film really struggles to find the right direction when it comes to Arthur being an unreliable narrator. Without getting into spoilers this is a character with a very active imagination, as he struggles to find a place in life he often daydreams of finding happiness and success which could create some really interesting questions. Leaving big parts of this movie up to interpretation could have made it extremely interesting, instead, they feel the need to directly tell us multiple times when we are in a dream which takes away the question of it. Overall I would say though that this movie is so on the nose at multiple points felt a bit weak. Sure it doesn’t get rid of some of the more interesting messages of the film but there are so many times where the film is compelled to just directly say what it's trying to get across which really wasn’t necessary especially when the film had so many other subtle and effective storytelling devices already such as the visuals.
Joker has and will continue to be a divisive film. There are tons of interesting conversations and think pieces being developed surrounding the film but speaking on just the film itself from my perspective after seeing it twice in theaters I have come to the conclusion that Joker is overall a pretty effective and interesting film. Technically it is one of the best of the year with some of the best visuals I have seen and overall how this movie decides to look at and explore the character of Arthur Fleck is captivating. Sure I wish the script was a bit cleaner and I think they could have been a bit more nuanced with how they get their morals and messages across but overall it still does hit and is effective. Yet my opinion can only go so far, like comedy your experience watching this film is subjective so I fully recommend you go give this one a try for yourself, it's dark, funny, sad, and painful that will have you laughing and crying as you fall down its rabbit hole.
If there was one complaint I had in the movie is that I think it could be a bit cleaner. There are quite a few dialogue scenes that come off as clunky and too obvious with the message it is trying to give and I was not a huge fan of how they decided to work the Wayne family into the plot. I understand that these are major players in this world so I am fine with them being mentioned and involved, but especially towards the end they very directly have scenes with them that felt out of place considering this movie is not about them. This is not setting up Batman so I don’t see why this film felt the need to start to specifically have scenes that would lead to that character getting set up. I also think the film really struggles to find the right direction when it comes to Arthur being an unreliable narrator. Without getting into spoilers this is a character with a very active imagination, as he struggles to find a place in life he often daydreams of finding happiness and success which could create some really interesting questions. Leaving big parts of this movie up to interpretation could have made it extremely interesting, instead, they feel the need to directly tell us multiple times when we are in a dream which takes away the question of it. Overall I would say though that this movie is so on the nose at multiple points felt a bit weak. Sure it doesn’t get rid of some of the more interesting messages of the film but there are so many times where the film is compelled to just directly say what it's trying to get across which really wasn’t necessary especially when the film had so many other subtle and effective storytelling devices already such as the visuals.
Joker has and will continue to be a divisive film. There are tons of interesting conversations and think pieces being developed surrounding the film but speaking on just the film itself from my perspective after seeing it twice in theaters I have come to the conclusion that Joker is overall a pretty effective and interesting film. Technically it is one of the best of the year with some of the best visuals I have seen and overall how this movie decides to look at and explore the character of Arthur Fleck is captivating. Sure I wish the script was a bit cleaner and I think they could have been a bit more nuanced with how they get their morals and messages across but overall it still does hit and is effective. Yet my opinion can only go so far, like comedy your experience watching this film is subjective so I fully recommend you go give this one a try for yourself, it's dark, funny, sad, and painful that will have you laughing and crying as you fall down its rabbit hole.