Film Review: Joker (2019)

Review

After quite a bit of waiting and hesitant excitement due to not knowing what the final product would look like, I finally watched the new Joker film, and I’m proud to say that it marks the first main stream film that I’ll be reviewing on Steem. The highly anticipated film is, what I would call, a dark drama starring veteran actor, Joaquin Phoenix, and is directed, written and produced by Todd Phillips. Phoenix plays the role of Arthur Fleck, a man working as a clown who provides entertainment and marketing services in the famous city of Gotham.

The film starts with Arthur sitting in front of a mirror, applying his face paint and using his fingers to stretch his lips into a forced smile, the drops of blue make-up beneath his eyes shimmering like tear drops, betraying his attempts at portraying mild happiness, or at best, simple contentment. When he isn’t working, Arthur visits a counselor to share his thoughts and feelings, and collect prescriptions for much needed medication, suggesting serious mental afflictions, including uncontrolled bouts of laughter that occur even when Arthur is not feeling happy. Arthur lives with his mother, a former employee of Thomas Wayne, who’s only sources of joy seems to be the deluded hope of a response letter from her former employer about her current living conditions, and a television talk show that comes on at night. The show is hosted by Murray Franklin, played by Robert De Niro, a man that provides comedic relief for the Flecks, and a man that almost acts as a symbolic father figure for Arthur, who would like nothing more than validation and appreciation for his dreams to make the world smile, the show is a small sliver of hope and joy that cracks through a tarnished wall of depression and pain.

But despite it all, Arthur soldiers on, dong his job while dreaming and working on a career in comedy. But the streets of Gotham are unkind and dangerous, as many intimate with the Batman universe will know all too well, and Arthur is pounded by abuses that roll over him like ocean waves crashing down on a swimmer that has gone too deep, wave after wave, denying even a single breath. It’s unsurprising that a man can only take so much damage before finally succumbing to a break. And Arthur eventually accepts the madness out in the world and the madness within himself.

Casting someone in the role of Joker in the past has always been a challenging affair, especially in a supporting, antagonistic capacity. Many who have come before have tried hard to capture the menacing psychopathy of the character as best they could, Heath Ledger perhaps coming the closest to an authentic portrayal, while individuals like Jack Nicholson gave a more cartoony interpretation based on the times, while the less said about Jarred Leto’s excessive attempt at the role, the better. But even then the role was within a universe that felt made believe and separate from real life, whereas what Phillips has done so well is bring the character down to earth as a man, believable and relatable in every sense, which in turn gives true horror to the atrocities committed. The last film I watched with Phoenix was his mokumentary, I’m Still Here, a tremendously realistic and believable journey through his supposed retirement from acting and his attempt to start a career in hip hop. This career move resulted in great anxiety and fear in the character, fearing that his decisions had been a mistake, and that he was now nothing more than a joke to world. Based on this, I couldn’t help but sense and see subtle parallels with this latest film, making it clear to me that Phoenix wasn’t only the best choice for this role, but indeed the only choice for it.

The film changes the narrative and the perspective entirely of the universe that so many have become familiar with. The Waynes no longer portrayed as compassionate lovers of Gotham, but rather as arrogant upper class snobs that only care about their own affairs. The acts of Arthur, on the other hand, produced an understanding and, dare I say, sympathy born of knowledge of just how ruthless the world is. Phillips has violently smeared off the make-up of the child friendly Batman universe that showcased villains as mere silly characters that would eventually be overcome by the Bat, and instead shows life as we know and experience it now. One can hardly imagine the pain and torment that come from not being able to control bouts of laughter, that almost amplify the pain that Arthur feels inside, and Joaquin brings this to life with an agony that is amazingly juxtaposed with a childish hope and sense of wonder. `The world is beautifully crafted in Joker, boasting gorgeous cinematography and incredibly intelligent composition within each set that almost acts as a peek into Arthur’s damaged mind.

I enjoyed Joker in just about every way, feeling that at every moment it produced a satisfying and believable origin story that still managed to keep intact all of the mystery of this character. Phillips has certainly flexed his film making muscle, showing a versatility that makes it hard to believe that this was the same man responsible for light hearted comedy films like Road Trip and the Hangover films. But I suppose this grasp on comedic writing allowed for a skilled touch to creating the most iconic clown criminal in the history of comics. Joaquin Phoenix slipped into this role like a glove, and impressed me by his ability to not force the character, but give it a naturalness that others have failed to do in the past. What more can be said about the film other than it is a hauntingly graceful piece of cinema that shouldn't be missed, fan or not, this one is a must watch. On that note, don't forget to put on a happy face :). I wish you all happy viewing.

More Info

Watch the Film Here: Joker

Score: AAA

Out of 10: 9