Review by RCR entertainment reporter, Eric Szymanski, follow him on Twitter at @ecmanski
Joker is one of the best films of the year and Joaquin Phoenix gives an Oscar-worthy performance. Simply put, I loved this movie. Sure I identify as a super fan of Batman and his arch advisory, the Joker, is my all-time favorite comic book villain. This movie isn’t your average cookie-cutter comic book movie though. Much like 2008’s The Dark Knight, this feels like a realistic portrayal of events that could actually happen with the fictional town of Gotham City only serving as the backdrop.
The story takes place in 1981 but the themes are entirely relevant today. Arthur Fleck is a down on his luck man just scrapping by living with his ill mother. Dawning clown makeup while swirling a going out of business sign or entertaining kids at the local hospital isn’t enough to make ends meet. He longs for a career in stand up comedy and envisions a guest spot on the local Gotham late-night Murray Franklin show with the host portrayed by Robert De Niro. With limited screen time in the film, this a part that De Niro simply does not just phone in. It’s appropriate that he takes over the role of late-night host mirroring Jerry Lewis from the 1983 classic The King of Comedy in which he was the Fleck character struggling to get his comedy career off the ground.
Not only does Joker pay homage to King of Comedy, but it also heavily follows the beats of Scorsese‘s 1976 classic Taxi Driver. A man in desperate need of help feeling like the system has let him down. “They” don’t care about people like him as Arthur’s therapist explains to him. It is a series of events that peels back the layers of his character and leads him down the path of becoming Gotham’s Clown Prince of Crime. Only in the film, there’s no Batman to put a stop to him. We get hints and Easter eggs of what’s to come but this is all Joker with Phoenix being in every frame of the movie. And believe me, that’s a good thing. I could not take my eyes off the screen and felt immersed into this gritty world director Todd Phillips brings to life from the dirty overcrowded streets of Gotham to the dank hallways of Arkham asylum. Who would have thought the director of Old School and The Hangover could make a compelling origin story of one of DC comics’ most recognizable and iconic villains?
Besides already winning some of the top honors at film festivals, there’s been a lot of chatter over the violence in this movie. Yes, there are moments where you’ll gasp and think “did I just see that” but nothing that other franchises don’t get away with. I’m looking at you, Rambo. Make no mistake, this Joker earns its R rating. Don’t let your pre-teen talk you into taking them to see this. The content and material is way too heavy. Pop in LEGO Batman on the Blu Ray player. I personally didn’t feel the film went too far but understand the controversy surrounding it. That’s the character of the Joker though. He’s a homicidal maniac dressed up as a clown. After watching this, I’d love to see a live-action movie based on the graphic novel The Killing Joke. DC makes it happen!
I can’t stress how much I loved this movie. Do I want to put on a clown mask and cause a riot? No, not at all. Do I want to see it again and have long discussions with others over the themes and how relevant they are in today’s society? Yes and yes. Well written, well-directed and extremely well-acted, Joker is one hell of a ride and will surely be a contender in the upcoming award season. That’s no joke.
?????/5 clowns
About Joker
Director Todd Phillips “Joker” centers around the iconic arch nemesis and is an original, standalone fictional story not seen before on the big screen. Phillips’ exploration of Arthur Fleck, who is indelibly portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, is of a man struggling to find his way in Gotham’s fractured society. A clown-for-hire by day, he aspires to be a stand-up comic at night…but finds the joke always seems to be on him. Caught in a cyclical existence between apathy and cruelty, Arthur makes one bad decision that brings about a chain reaction of escalating events in this gritty character study.
Three-time Oscar nominee Phoenix (“The Master,” “Walk the Line,” “Gladiator”) stars in the titular role alongside Oscar winner Robert De Niro (“Raging Bull,” “The Godfather: Part II”) as Franklin. The film also stars Zazie Beetz (“Deadpool 2”), Frances Conroy (TV’s “American Horror Story,” Hulu’s “Castle Rock”), Marc Maron (TV’s “Maron,” “GLOW”), Bill Camp (“Red Sparrow,” “Molly’s Game”), Glenn Fleshler (TV’s “Billions,” “Barry”), Shea Whigham (“First Man,” “Kong: Skull Island”), Brett Cullen (“42,” Netflix’s “Narcos”), Douglas Hodge (“Red Sparrow,” TV’s “Penny Dreadful”) and Josh Pais (upcoming “Motherless Brooklyn,” “Going in Style”).
Oscar nominee Phillips (“Borat,” “The Hangover” trilogy) directs from a screenplay he co-wrote with Oscar-nominated writer Scott Silver (“The Fighter”), based on characters from DC. The film is produced by Phillips and Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper (“A Star Is Born,” “American Sniper”) under their Joint Effort banner, and Oscar nominee Emma Tillinger Koskoff (“The Wolf of Wall Street”). It is executive produced by Michael E. Uslan, Walter Hamada, Aaron L. Gilbert, Joseph Garner, Richard Baratta, and Bruce Berman.
Behind the scenes, Phillips is joined by director of photography Lawrence Sher (“Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” “The Hangover” trilogy), production designer Mark Friedberg (“Selma,” “The Amazing Spider-Man 2”), editor Jeff Groth (“War Dogs,” “The Hangover Part III”), and Oscar-winning costume designer Mark Bridges (“Phantom Thread,” “The Artist”). The music is by Hildur Guðnadóttir (“Sicario: Day of the Soldado”).
Warner Bros. Pictures Presents, in Association with Village Roadshow Pictures, in Association with BRON Creative, a Joint Effort Production, a Film by Todd Phillips, “Joker.”
