There has been plenty of comic-book/superhero films released this year that range in quality. There is borderline trash like "Captain Marvel" and "Hellboy" to great pieces of entertainment such as "Shazam!" and "Spider-Man: Far From Home". "Joker" happens to be the last superhero film released this year and it ends the year off early with a bang! Set in the early 1980's, Arthur Fleck is a mentally ill man who dreams of doing stand-up comedy. However, life hasn't been kind to Arthur, who lives with his deteriorating mother, is socially awkward, and gets picked on by a lot of people. As Arthur tries grasping for any sort of happiness or salvation in his life that he seems that can give him a purpose, his mind snaps, which causes Arthur to become more chaotic and violent in his goal to find his place in the world. Although it is based off one of the most famous villains in comics, the film decides to tell a somewhat original story of the character and tries to hide it's comic-book nature, to the point of not showing its relation to DC Comics during the opening credits. The tone of the film is a tragedy/thriller, which showcases the dark and somber tone. With that said, it's not a film that is downright depressing, as we do have scenes where Arthur tries fitting in or enjoying something he does. The third act is not even close to being depressing, as it is both haunting and beautiful at the same time. While there are violent moments in the film, they are very brief and shouldn't even be considered to be a factor in causing gun violence, since there are many films this year that are more violent and have more bullets fired than this film. The film also incorporates a nature of ambiguity, which allows viewers to come up with their interpretation of the story. There is one sub-plot involving Zazie Beetz's character that I won't spoil that is related to ambiguity, which while I liked fine, I felt that the film could have made this sub-plot much more ambiguous overall.
I think it is crystal clear that Joaquin Phoenix help made this film the best it can be with his performance alone. Phoenix becomes Arthur Fleck seamlessly and makes the audience get so much emotion and reaction from his charisma. He makes people feel sympathetic and heartbroken, but also uncomfortable and terrified from Arthur. Not only is his line deliveries on point, but there is a lot of physical acting with the role. From his creepy stares, his laughter that almost sound torturous, his skinny figure, and his scenes of him just dancing conveys so much of the character without dialogue. I won't go into depth towards the rest of the cast as they are limited in their screen-time, but the actors still do a great job. Notable side characters include Robert De Niro as a talk show host , Zazie Beetz as a hopeful figure in Arthur's life, Frances Conroy as Arthur's sick mother, and Brett Cullen as a less sympathetic Thomas Wayne. The cast is great and help move the narrative, but Phoenix steals the spotlight, which he deserves. One question that people bring up is if the film makes you not only sympathetic to the Joker, but also side with him no matter what he does. I say that's not really the case. Yes, the film makes Arthur sympathetic, but the audience isn't rooting for him to kill people or become the way he does. They want him to find his salvation or his big break from his cruel life, but we are aware that things just can't magically get better, despite Arthur's dreams and beliefs. We understand why he turns into the character he becomes and might even celebrate the ending where Arthur finally achieves his goal in his own way, but it's quite clear that audiences just wanted the character to be saved from madness rather than pursuit it. The film is essentially a character study of Arthur, which will cause tons of debates over the character, which is something really special for any character from the film medium.
Todd Phillips does a masterful job directing the film. Regardless of his previous work and viewpoints on woke culture, you can't deny that his effort in making this film pays off with such effect. From the opening scene, you know that you are watching something different from your typical comic-book
film. Lawrence Sher's cinematography is visually beautiful, telling the story visually, which is a very strong detail. The score by Hildur Guonadottir perfectly reflects the tone of the film, haunting and beautiful at the same time. The songs used in the film are used really well, some are mellow and are used for the softer moments, while others are pop songs that are used as when Arthur feel great about himself, despite the things he has done or is about to do. These pop songs have an almost black comedy technique for their implementation. The set design captures the city of Gotham City as an ugly, dirty city that feels rundown and broken. Most locations capture this with Arthur's apartment being shrouded in darkness or Arkham State Hospital being lit up, but has an uncomfortable atmosphere. However, locations such as the vintage theatre and the talk show stage are clean and glossy, which symbolizes the wealthy and poor in a clever way. There are so many memorable and powerful scenes in the film that are constructed for specific reactions, which I refuse to spoil or mention, since I want these scenes to be watched without much detail or context going in. This film will change how Phillips is seen as a director, going from R-rated raunchy comedies to R-rated powerful thrillers.
What else can I say about this film? It has masterfully direction from Phillips, cinematography from Sher, beautiful score from Guonadottir, tight script filled with themes and ambiguity, and of course, Phoenix's breathtaking performance. I did feel that there could have been more ambiguity on one sub-plot and perhaps the character of Arthur could be seen as too sympathetic, but I can't help but adore this film. It's almost flawless in my opinion, but that's something to say as many films of the genre this year have tons of issues. Like The Dark Knight in 2008, as well as Logan in 2017, it will have an impact on the comic-book genre in the future.
Verdict: 9.5/10. My favourite comic-book film of the year and my second favourite film of the year behind "Once Upon A Time In Hollywood". Watch it as soon as you can!
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