Ask any comic book fan who is the most famous, iconic super villain and chances are they will say it is the Crown Prince of Crime, better known as The Joker. The yin to Batman’s yang. This criminal may not have any special powers, but he has been a thorn in the caped crusader’s side for almost 80 years. While he has been portrayed on both the silver and small screens, he is finally getting a movie all his own.
Wisely, this story is not connected to the current DC Universe where Jared Leto fills the Joker role. Here we are introduced to Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), who works as a professional clown and lives with his ailing mom in Gotham City, circa sometime in the late 1970s. He does not work in a circus; but he can be found entertaining children in a hospital one day or bearing a “Going out of business” sign on the street on the next. It’s a job he loves but he gets zero respect for doing it.
These are tough times in Gotham. The difference between the haves and the have-nots has never been wider. Arthur expresses to his social worker, “Is it just me or is it getting crazier out there?” Slowly we watch his decent into madness, a state from which he will never return.
This may be a ‘comic-book movie’ but it is unlike any that has come before. You will not be witnessing good guy vs. bad guy with a bunch of action sequences sprinkled in, ending in a big climactic fight. You will see a gritty, grim character, piece of a man who recognizes his insanity and embraces it.
Therein lies the biggest moral issue of this picture and it has being grabbing some headlines lately. Joker is no PG-13 affair. The character is known to be a violent, vicious psychopath and writer director Todd Phillips does not shy away from that aspect. Some may say it embraces a love for violence and may influence others in real life. The theater in Aurora, Colorado, where the 2012 mass shooting by a shooter who was dressed as the Joker, will not be screening this movie.
It’s a slippery slope. No one knows what sets a person off. You can’t say Hollywood must stop making Halloween movies because it might make someone pick up a butcher knife and stab someone. If anything, what feels more dangerous is how our villain mirrors today’s political society and division. The Joker inspires the citizens who feel they have been left behind. When you see groups of people rallying behind Fleck, it looks like something you may see on television today.
Todd Phillips is best known for his comedies like Old School and The Hangover trilogy. This was a surprising departure for him. His use of handheld cameras and low-toned music helps create this perfectly disturbing picture. Joaquin Phoenix is masterful in his portrayal and we could see the possibility of his winning an Oscar for the same roll Heath Ledger did ten years ago.
Whatever your expectations may be for Joker, forget them. If you are anticipating Batman dropping Arthur in a bat of acid where his skin becomes bleached and his hair turns green, you might as well skip this one. If you are a fan of dark thrillers with deeply disturbed characters, then this will have you talking about it for hours after the credits finish rolling. There is no need to see it in IMAX; the large format does not add anything. However, even if you are not a comic book fan, make this an exception.
3.5 Tiaras