After all the handwringing and controversy surrounding Joker and its potential to incite mass-shootings, we finally have the chance to ACTUALLY see the movie and judge the film’s alleged pernicious take on the character.
When WB announced they were making a stand-alone Joker film (not connected to the DC movies) with Todd Phillips at the director’s chair, I was a little apprehensive. But my apprehensions slowly got alleviated when WB announced that Joaquin Phoenix was going to play the eponymous character. Pheonix, known for playing extremely nuanced and troubled characters, is one of the best actors of our generation and his involvement immediately got a lot of nay-sayers (like myself) on board.
Now before I go in-depth of my review, I just want to mention something. There has been a lot of talk about such a movie glorifying violence and romanticizing its titular character. I can assure you, however, this movie does NOT glorify violence. Yes, there are moments where you absolutely relate to the character and sympathize with him but you’re never (hopefully not, at least) rooting for him. Besides, what did people expect from a Joker movie? The iconic super-villain has always been someone viewers understood because he points out society’s hypocrisies, but his inkling for violence puts him on a pedestal that is beyond redemption.
Lastly, regarding the recent reports of the FBI and intelligence agencies finding credible threats of potential mass shootings at the Joker screenings, I just want to say one thing – this film isn’t going to cause people with mental illnesses to suddenly go on a shooting spree and kill innocent people. If they are going to (and I sincerely hope not), they’ll do it because they wanted to anyways and not because of a movie telling them to (which it doesn’t, by the way).
Positives
No hyperbole, Joker is easily one of the best, if not the best film, I’ve seen in a very long time. Joaquin Phoenix is an absolute shoo-in for ‘Best Actor’ at the Oscars and any other acting accolades, and I frankly just can’t imagine any thespian delivering a better performance this year. His performance genuinely feels authentic and Phoenix completely submerges himself in the role, especially regards to his gaunt physicality. He’s frightening, at times, but displays all the wide range of emotions required for the Clown Prince of Crime. One of Phoenix’s Joker’s characteristic traits is that his uncontrollable laughter is proclaimed as a ‘neurological condition’ which he can’t control. Throughout the film, his laughter is often shown as painful and it’s a condition that makes others be ‘weirded’ out by him, which plays into his transition from Arthur Fleck to the Joker.
Joker (the movie) explores mental illness and how we treat people that are different in our society. There are so many parallels to our world today, especially with the surge in the number of mass shootings in the US. These killers, often having mental health issues, aren’t created in a vacuum but are the products of years of societal abuse and/or negligence. Rather than completely ignoring such people, the movie is illustrating that may be offering better psychological and government-provided health services can prevent further alienating someone who is already in the fringe. In addition, the movie also deals with the growing divide between the rich and the poor and the incel culture. This movie does portray Arthur Fleck a little more sympathetically but never shies away from truly showing the heinous side of the character.
Technically speaking, this film is flawless. The score completely engages you in the film and is chilling to listen to. The cinematography is great, the script is exceptionally well-written, and the supporting actors all deliver solid performances too. It’s just that Phoenix is on a whole other level that the other performances feel ignored.
Despite being completely isolated from the DCEU, there are definitely some connections to the larger Batman mythos. For starters, Thomas Wayne is one of the secondary characters who’s (kinda) portrayed as a Donald Trump-esque figure. A young Bruce Wayne is also in the film and as we see in the trailers, Arthur confronts him in Wayne Manor at one point in the film.
Courtesy of Warner Bros & DC Films
Negatives
Albeit not necessarily a major issue, the film doesn’t really take sides in regards to the inequality war. Is the film condemning the affluent as a bunch of tyrants that take advantage of the poor? Is the poor and/or lower-class just a bunch of anarchists and rioters who will jump at the opportunity to bash the rich?
Look, this isn’t like any comic-book movie ever released and is completely a character-driven film. If you’re looking for a big, action-spectacle, you’ll be massively disappointed as there is very little ‘action’ in the film. Some might feel bored and/or the slow-burn, but I personally didn’t feel that at all. I was completely riveted from start to finish…
Rating – Must-Watch
I’ll simply echo what I said earlier – Joker is a f*cking masterpiece and is easily one of the best films I’ve seen in a long time. The relevant themes to our modern society, the performances, the score, are absolutely top-notch and make this one of the most disturbing films I’ve ever seen. In other words, put on a happy face and go watch this movie!!
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