Ha Ha Ha - Joker (REVIEW)
written by Justin Prince (@prince_justin)
Every hero or villain has an origin, but should they really? One of my most hotly anticipated films, mostly because I had no idea what to expect, was Todd Phillips’ take on the Clown Prince of Crime… Joker. Starring Joaquin Phoenix is the titular role with Robert De Niro, Frances Conroy, and Zazie Beetz; this story is a stark departure from what we expect from a comic book origin film.
Arthur Fleck is an aspiring comedian and working clown who lives in squalor with his mother Penny (Conroy) in a run down Gotham apartment. Set in 1981 during a time of intense economic inequality, the man who would become the Joker acts as an inadvertent powder keg that ignites a sort of revolution.
Despite its title, most of the movie has us acquainted with Arthur more often than Joker. Arthur is a deeply troubled man who can’t seem to catch a break. One such scene, that was shown in trailers, has Arthur beaten down by juvenile delinquents. It felt weird, feeling that pang of sympathy. I tried to hold it back because as a fan of Batman and his rogues gallery, I know how redeemable the Joker is… it’s one of the reasons I was so hesitant on a film like this existing, the Joker is a character that should not have an origin. He’s a force of nature and as a villain he works because you can’t humanize him. But I digress, Joaquin Phoenix portrays Arthur with a deeply uncomfortable performance, not seemingly uncomfortable for him mind you… rather uncomfortable for the audience.
As Arthur begins his dark descent into madness, I grew to find him more reprehensible. Aside from that one early scene where I truly felt sorry for the man, as he leans heavier into being the Joker, I grew to sympathize with him less and less. A deeply uncomfortable film to watch, I felt my anxiety rising through most to it, hitting a fever pitch at the film’s climax.
Much of the story telling felt intentionally ambiguous and highly suspect. Arthur’s budding relationship with single mom Sophie Dumond (Beetz) and his appearance on a popular late night talk show hosted by Murray Franklin (De Niro) felt like figments of his madness at times. Two films that obviously inspired Todd Phillips’ take on Gotham’s most dangerous clown were Fight Club and King of Comedy, the later funnily enough starring De Niro.
The message of a deeply troubled man stuck in a revolution make up the crux of this. Making me wonder if this will be a film that is as deeply misunderstood, much in the same vein as some young men have misunderstood the point of Fight Club. There’s already a subculture of young men who idolize the Joker online, people who don’t get that this character… Arthur Fleck… the Joker is not someone to idolize.
The film does go to great lengths to ensure you know how reprehensible he is. He is not a man who deserves to be felt sorry for. While the circumstances that led Arthur Fleck to become the Joker are sad indeed, it should not excuse how horrible his acts were. He’s a villain, right to the bone, and while he may not be THE Joker to stand toe-to-toe with the convoluted DCEU’s Batman, he is definitely a memorable Joker… a take on the character that will stand the test of time, rivaling greats like Ledger and Nicholson.
Joker is an unhinged film, a lesson in madness featuring a character that lives up to this role. Deeply personal and inspiring in how unsettling it was. I honestly still can’t say whether it was a masterpiece or not, but as a film it does tell a compelling story that I just couldn’t look away from, despite my most concerted efforts.
A
Unsettling in the best possible way
