Reviewed by Victor Rebikoff.
Director: Todd Phillips, Roadshow Films, MA 122 Minutes.
This dystopic origin story of Batman’s foremost enemy from director Todd Phillips (‘The Hangover’ franchise) is a depressing and extremely disturbing depiction of a psychotic personality disguised as a clown before turning into a merciless monster.
From the commencement of the film, Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix –‘Irrational Man’) appears as the Joker character putting on his makeup as he prepares to play a clown promoting a local company on the streets of Gotham.
Arthur soon discovers the difficulties of living in a city rampant with crime while regularly visiting his social worker from whom he receives medication to deal with his ongoing mental disorder, especially his incessant laughing condition.
Besides performing as an occasional comedian and a party clown for children, Arthur’s life primarily revolves around his bed-ridden mother Penny (Frances Conroy –‘Catwoman’) spending time with her in watching their favourite talk show host Murray Franklin (Robert DeNiro –‘The Intern’).
But Arthur soon faces some serious life-challenges beginning with his being fired after performing at a children’s’ hospital where he drops a gun given to him by his co-worker Randall (Glenn Fleshler –‘The Seagull’) who denies giving him the gun.
This is followed by Arthur shooting three young men after being provoked on a subway train, then learning later of his mother’s past involvement in his upbringing and her link to Wayne Enterprises magnate Thomas Wayne (Brett Cullen –‘Marriage-Impossible’).
With his life spinning out of control, Arthur proceeds to get rid of those responsible for causing him most pain and starts to transform himself into a fully-fledged clown to support the anarchical actions of the city’s clowns.
Finally during his appearance on Franklin’s talk show Arthur announces that he is now to be known as Joker, prior to disposing of Franklin in a deadly manner and joining the contingent of clowns in a reign of terror.
Phillips’ slow-paced storyline of the infamous comic book criminal is a considered character study of Arthur Fleck, a rejected figure who eventually became the excessively-violent Joker at a time when Bruce Wayne was just a child.
In acknowledging Phoenix’s extraordinary and intense portrayal of the Joker one also cannot overlook those comparisons with Jack Nicholson in ‘Batman’ and Heath Ledger’s Oscar winning performance in ‘The Dark Knight.’
In many respects both Ledger and Nicholson delivered performances that were far more enjoyable and entertaining than that performed by Phoenix.
Vic’s Verdict: 3 ½ Stars
