Joker Review

Joker
Director: Todd Phillips
Cast Headliners: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen
Original Release Date: October 4th, 2019

     The thing this Joker film wants us to know is that, as the great George Costanza once said we're living in a society.  DC Comics have had a history that's longer and more tumultuous than many. They have attempted at a longer plan but have also started to focus more on sub-worlds of characters ignoring that plan yet sometimes not ignoring that plan. Batman and Joker have shown up in this world but that's not this Joker. This is something wholly removed from the DCEU entirely and that's for its best. It's an attempt to take a gritty, grounded look at how someone could become the Joker, a Joker, his own Joker in a dark dramatic tale not concerned that much with the future ahead or whatever other multiversal copies may exist of him. It's viscerally its own thing.
The film is set in an indeterminate retro past that is said to be the 1980s but this is of course in Gotham City where everything seems to be eternally stuck in a grey gothic take on the roaring 20s(this time with some meets 60s or 70s). Arthur Fleck(Joaquin Phoenix) is our future Joker who at first doesn't really remind one of the future menace at all. He's a loser who works as a roadside clown(ah) who is frequently beaten up and mocked by strangers and his co-workers including Randall(Glenn Fleshler) and Gary(Leigh Gill).   He lives with his bed-ridden elderly mother Penny(Frances Conroy) as he depressingly comes home to empty mailboxes and attempts at joke writing.  He attempts to be a stand-up comedian writing and telling jokes but unfortunately his mental conditions cause him to both not understand societal norms nor curb his frequent bursts of inappropriate laughter. Lurking below poor Arthur's exterior is a ticking time bomb of powerful, yet at times even justified, villainy.
It was with great excitement that Joaquin Phoenix's casting as the eventual Clown Prince Of Crime Joker was received and luckily he delivers incredibly. He's the soaring standout of the film from an acting perspective. Absolutely, incredibly amazing in his transformation for the role. It's not a surprise for those who know of his larger repertoire that he immerses himself to an intense degree. With his unkempt hair and sickly so-skinny-he-might-break physical state its something that reminds of someone who may very well the Joker even if his skin isn't whitened yet. Every movement, often every look, every facial movement carries an unstable insanity with it that manages to terrorize when it needs to yet even cause sympathies when it needs to too. One will be impressed by the accuracy, they'll feel on the edge of their seat in the face of darkness, and yes they'll even at rare times laugh and cheer. It's a bit of a letdown that his true colorful costumed, mentally snapped beyond the point of no return green-haired and face pointed form isn't in much of the film at all. However once it is there Phoenix is so effective at that side as well for what this take on the Joker from his pathetic abused context. The sulking of sorrow becomes the dance of dark victory. It's a transformation to be remembered.
The rest of the cast is pretty good as well with no one ever reaching the heights of the titular star although a strong script is present in most things. Conroy's role as Arthur's mother has some exposition and emotion in her similar frail poor state. The co-workers tend to be bit token punching bags for exposition much like police officers(Shea Wigham and Bill Camp) who get involved in violence Arthur finds himself apart of that starts the villainous downfall. Other parts of the relatively small  cast include a love interest of a neighbor Sophie(Zazzie Beetz), a clerk Carl(Brian Tyree Henry), and an assistant Gene(Marc Maron ever likeable and witty with sadly just two or three lines) to someone important all have their important moments in the pre-Joker's life but are just momentary exposition chess pieces in the coming evil checkmate.
That important player who has that assistant is talk show host Murray(Robert De Niro). He gives one of the film's other great performances in his kind-hearted show business self right out of something like Ed Sullivan. He's a bit cheesy but it's in an archetypical way that leads to some powerful lines both inspirational and accusatory to Arthur who's dream it is to be on this inspiration's show. The film actually has frequent Martin Scorese co-producer Emma Tillinger Koskoff involved so De Niro's presence and delivery make it feel even more like a gritty crime drama than a larger than life comic book movie. The influence of the equation's antihero progenitor's Taxi Driver and The King Of Comedy is definitely felt.
However while the movie may have its differences for its Joker and relatively smaller stakes plot there's definite Batman vibes going on. The setting of Gotham is as sinister and moody as ever with more daytime than usual which may reflect the metaphor of what's occurring. A very young child Bruce Wayne, the future Batman, shows up although Dante Pereira-Olson understandably doesn't say a word at all (he'll get his chance someday). It's his father Thomas Wayne(Brett Cullen) who does the most talking whether it be class rhetoric as he runs for mayor or threats as he makes an enemy out of Arthur. He's an effectively threatening white collar take if  a bit hammingly stereotypical in his own way. One might get tired seeing the inevitable outcome of his family's outing to theaters and alley's but it shows the ties to the classic world this film has even if the setup will not result in a movie sequel.
The visual splendor is handled quite well by director Todd Phillips. Almost as its main actor star he's completely unrecognizable from his silly comedy or war satire film past. Fantastic direction and cinematography exists in locations big and small.  Everything has a depressing, surreal dark tone to it. Blood and gore is seldom appearing but shockingly R-rated when it does which may remind of the director's dark comedic leanings. An incredible music score by Hildur Gubnadottir aids much to proceedings that helps to create this atmosphere whether somber or psychotic along with some period fitting jazz / rock pieces the rare times they do show up. The stakes never really give a chance for these artists to draw their brushes in elaborate strokes but for the scale it is it's nigh-beautifully done.
Much of the film is this slow, depressing burn but there's even times, rare times, where the excitement meeting insanity with what music and shots used reminded of the masterpiece Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy. It definitely doesn't surpass those leagues but it's the closest thing to remind of them since then which is good. The film however is best at being its own first to the world thing among the homages. It's the sad, chilling tale if at times straightforward portrayal of what was found in the classic piece of media this takes the most from in Batman: The Killing Joke “one bad day”. It's a bad day to be remembered an commended. The fall down and the rise up of an evil legend. 8.73 out of 10