Joker

A review by Chris Lee

"Heard joke once: Man goes to doctor. Says he's depressed. Says life seems harsh and cruel. Says he feels all alone in a threatening world where what lies ahead is vague and uncertain. Doctor says, 'Treatment is simple. Great clown Pagliacci is in town tonight. Go and see him. That should pick you up.' Man bursts into tears. Says, 'But doctor…I am Pagliacci.' Good joke. Everybody laugh. Roll on snare drum. Curtains." – Rorschach, Watchmen (1986-1987), by Alan Moore

Joker is Warner Bros. latest foray into adapting DC Comics legendary characters for the silver screen. Movie-goers would be forgiven for thinking this was going to be just another edgy take on the Batman’s most notorious villain, as the trailers, and the attached director - Todd Philips, all suggest a moody but fun crime drama following the antics of the titular character.

How wrong were we?

To put it as bluntly as the film presents its own subject matter: Joker is one of the darkest, most intensely disturbing films I have ever seen. It is not a comic book movie. It is not fun. It is not something you should watch expecting to see a grand, mythological beginning for a comic-character or expanded universe in the way of Marvel or DCs other ventures.

Joker is beyond all that and it sits alone in the darkness, just as its central character. But where the pitiful Arthur Fleck asks for any bit of positive attention or affirmation on the sole merit that he exists, the film earns its positive attention on the fact that it does have something to say. 

Todd Philip’s Joker is not about a comic book character. It is about mental illness, and he has daftly used the draw of one of modern mythology’s greatest villains to bring attention to the fact that many of our citizens live in a brutal, scary, uncaring world, starved completely of hope or redemption.

It is hard to talk about this film without giving anything away, so I’m going to stay away from plot points entirely. Simply put, you should just go see this film.

Joaquin Phoenix has likely delivered his career-defining role here, and it equals Heath Ledger’s flawless performance in 2008’s The Dark Knight, while ably remaining completely separate. He will be nominated and I can easily believe he will win, as the Academy is not going to look at Joker as a comic-book film by anything other than its incredibly tenuous ties to DCs characters.

For two hours, I was completely glued to the screen watching Phoenix’s performance. I did not want to look away out of fear of missing some nuance, some bit of character that would help me understand the struggles he was going through. 

The supporting cast here has never been more of a “supporting cast”. Everyone other than Phoenix, even Robert De Niro, is here to serve Phoenix’s performance. They all do wonderful jobs in cementing the foundation of this grounded take on the character, but no one stands out and that’s okay, as the movie really wouldn’t work if someone else was sharing, sometimes literally, Phoenix’s spotlight.

I wouldn’t say I enjoyed the film. It wasn’t something to enjoy. But I am glad I saw it. I am glad it is going to create discussion, and I am glad that someone had the stomach to do something this intense for the sake of its message.

This film requires empathy. If you cannot place yourself in someone else’s shoes, and you delight in schadenfreude, please don’t bother. It’s not a deep film, it’s not attempting to be, but it requires being able to understand the horrors of reality for the disenfranchised and mentally disturbed, and what great failure at a personal and social level can lead to for those kinds of individuals.

If you miss out in the theaters, make sure you watch it soon, maybe more comfortably at home where it’ll be easier to digest way from the barely hidden snarks of ignorant teens.

Speaking purely as a Batman Fan: If you’re going to this film as a fan of the Batman mythos, be forewarned: this movie is not for you. It is using your interest in the character solely to attract you to watch. There is almost nothing to chew on as a fan of Batman, other than creating discussion around how Batman might exist in the world created here. This is not to keep you from seeing the film. You absolutely should. But Todd Philips and Joaquin Phoenix have essentially co-opted the basic DC mythos to color in the lines of their own story. The movie did not need to be named Joker or feature any DC characters. The inclusion is superfluous. If you can get over that, there is a brilliant film to experience.

Joker will be discussed and dissected for a long time to come. Warner Bros./DC have arguably produced one of their finest films and if we’re not going to get an inter-connected universe at the quality Disney/Marvel is producing, I hope we at least get more adaptations that are as experimental and pertinent as this one.

Rating: 4/5