Year of Release: 2019
Director: Todd Phillips
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Frances Conroy, Zazie Beetz, Brett Cullen, Shea Whigham, Bill Camp, Leigh Gill, Glenn Fleshler, Josh Pais, Marc Maron, Sondra James, Sharon Washington, April Grace, Douglas Hodge
Genre: Drama, Crime, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
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Synopsis and Review:
The much celebrated and discussed "Joker" is finally in the movie theaters, after a rapturous response at the Venice Film Festival of 2019, where it walked away with the award for best film. This film follows Todd Phillips's latest directorial effort "War Dogs" which was met with a tepid response. The film takes place in the early 80s, in Gotham City, and it follows the story of Arthur Fleck, a man who works as a clown, someone who has had a past filled with harshness and some dramatic situations. He has a medical condition which prompts him to start uncontrollably laughing when under duress or stressful situations. Arthur lives with his mom, caring for her, all the while she's constantly writing to Thomas Wayne, her previous employer, whom she compliments while also mentioning he's bound to help them both once he finds out the conditions they're living in. The city is under strain and duress, with constant strikes, a wave of homelessness and unemployment. Arthur sees himself as a standup comedian, but he is ultimately a prisoner of his dreams, and a lonely figure. His progressive disenchantment with reality sends him on a path that is ultimately punctuated by violence.
"Joker" is an interesting film, in the sense that while being a comic book adaptation, it has deliberately shied away from abiding to the formulas typically associated with the genre. Instead, it's a film that wears its homage to auteurs and filmmakers on its lapel, showcasing films by Charlie Chaplin, Brian De Palma specifically on the film, while thematically it drinks in style and ambience from the work Martin Scorsese did in the 70s, specifically with the superb "Taxi Driver" (but also "The King of Comedy"), and even a dash of what William Friedkin did with "Cruising" in 1980. The film takes us on a bumpy ride, keeping track of the trials and tribulations of Arthur Fleck, a smallish figure of a man, who progressively descends into a spiral of violence, after a lifetime of abuse, ridicule and being ignored. It's a film that portrays itself as a character study, but one that hits all the same notes, without much nuance to how the character actually evolves. The director is successful in capturing and portraying a decaying city, filled with drama, violence, where the economic strains and class struggles threaten to destroy its fine balance (or whatever is left of it). All of this of course would not make this narrative as impactful save for the wonderful Joaquin Phoenix who dominates and touches every single frame of this feature with a sense of despair, sadness, rage and longing. Phoenix has long been one of the best working actors, with Paul Thomas Anderson's "The Master" being one of his most rapturous performances. While not achieving those heights, "Joker" allows him to probe and shine light on the life of someone with a lot of problems, and ultimately someone who just stops controlling his actions and surrender to instinct. The supporting cast, particularly Robert De Niro and Frances Conroy are equally fantastic, while the cinematography from Lawrence Sher and score from Hildur Gudnadottir are superb. A film worth watching.
"Joker" is an interesting film, in the sense that while being a comic book adaptation, it has deliberately shied away from abiding to the formulas typically associated with the genre. Instead, it's a film that wears its homage to auteurs and filmmakers on its lapel, showcasing films by Charlie Chaplin, Brian De Palma specifically on the film, while thematically it drinks in style and ambience from the work Martin Scorsese did in the 70s, specifically with the superb "Taxi Driver" (but also "The King of Comedy"), and even a dash of what William Friedkin did with "Cruising" in 1980. The film takes us on a bumpy ride, keeping track of the trials and tribulations of Arthur Fleck, a smallish figure of a man, who progressively descends into a spiral of violence, after a lifetime of abuse, ridicule and being ignored. It's a film that portrays itself as a character study, but one that hits all the same notes, without much nuance to how the character actually evolves. The director is successful in capturing and portraying a decaying city, filled with drama, violence, where the economic strains and class struggles threaten to destroy its fine balance (or whatever is left of it). All of this of course would not make this narrative as impactful save for the wonderful Joaquin Phoenix who dominates and touches every single frame of this feature with a sense of despair, sadness, rage and longing. Phoenix has long been one of the best working actors, with Paul Thomas Anderson's "The Master" being one of his most rapturous performances. While not achieving those heights, "Joker" allows him to probe and shine light on the life of someone with a lot of problems, and ultimately someone who just stops controlling his actions and surrender to instinct. The supporting cast, particularly Robert De Niro and Frances Conroy are equally fantastic, while the cinematography from Lawrence Sher and score from Hildur Gudnadottir are superb. A film worth watching.
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