Joker (2019)

Director: Todd Phillips

Story: Todd Phillips, Scott Silver

Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert de Niro

Music: Hildur Guðnadóttir

Time: 122 minutes

Bottom-line: One of the darkest films of the year

Although numerous directors and actors have taken efforts to portray Batman’s life in their own styles, Todd Phillips does something different: he makes an origin story of one of the most famous villains of the Batman universe. Starring Joaquin Phoenix as the titular character, alongside Robert de Niro and Frances Conroy, Joker is arguably the darkest Batman film yet.

Is it just me, or is it getting crazier out there?

1981, Gotham City: Arthur Fleck (Phoenix) is a party-clown and an aspiring stand-up comedian, living with his mother, Penny (Conroy). He has a mental condition that causes him to laugh uncontrollably at random times. At a time when Gotham is swarming with unemployment and crime, Arthur also loses his job. Things worsen when he is mocked publicly on a TV show by host Murray Franklin (de Niro), and he also finds out that he was adopted. Deciding that it’s time he reaches out to the public, he accepts an offer to be on Murray’s show. But by then, Arthur has already descended into a dangerous state of insanity and violence.

 

Phoenix as Arthur/Joker

Joker was an instant commercial hit, becoming the first R-rated film to gross over a billion in box-office revenues. The “R” rating is mainly due to the violent and disturbing content of the film, and that’s what makes Joker so hard-hitting. The depiction of mental illness in Arthur – from physical symptoms to seemingly comic acts to some of the most brutal acts you can imagine – has a chilling effect on the viewer. It’s also difficult to imagine that Todd Phillips – the director of the Hangover trilogy – made a film as dark as this.  

 

de Niro as Murray 

Joaquin Phoenix has done a bunch of commendable roles as villains in the past – Gladiator and The Yards – but his portrayal of the psychotic character in this film takes the cake. Heath Ledger underwent a lot of physically taxing exercises to prepare for his role as the Joker in The Dark Knight, and we saw the outcome of that; it makes you wonder how much more Phoenix went through to transform himself into the character you see on screen. You’d think he has one hand on the Oscar already.

You can see a lot of similar themes between Joker and a couple of Martin Scorsese films – Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy (both of which feature de Niro). The first film also depicts the slow mental decay of one man fighting to change a city rife with crime, and the second film is about an aspiring comedian going to extreme lengths to get his fame. The cinematography techniques are also similar to some extent, especially the portrayal of a dark and depressing atmosphere.

With a climax that reminds me of Psycho, Todd Phillips’ film is a thrilling ride but only if you can stomach a lot of violence and depressing sights. But Joaquin Phoenix’s performance is something that you must not miss!  

My Rating: 3.5/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 69%