In Gotham City, a Clown is Done Being a Joke

Joaquin Phoenix in "Joker"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

Todd Phillips is a filmmaker who has found success in writing and directing R-rated comedies for nearly two decades, with such hit films as “Road Trip,” “Old School,” “Due Date,” and, of course, the “Hangover” trilogy.  Because of this, you would have never expected him to make a movie such as his psychological drama, “Joker,” in which he explores the origins of Batman’s archenemy in a film where comedy is placed in a much more malicious setting.  In the end, Phillips brings us a comic-book movie unlike any other with what may be one of the most surprising directorial shifts in genres of the last few years.

Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is a man who works as a clown-for-hire and lives in Gotham City with his mother, Penny (Frances Conroy).  In his spare time, he tries to build a career as a standup comic, but doesn’t get anywhere.  Soon, a series of startling events will provide Arthur with a newer, darker purpose in life.

Phoenix delivers a performance where calling it “unforgettable” would be the severest of understatements.  His work in this film is shattering, putting you in a state of anxiousness right from his first appearance.  Phoenix builds upon his character’s unsettling persona, first making you uncomfortable, and then bringing forth an intensity that hammers you, eventually leaving you wide-eyed on several scenes as he calls forth the Joker’s destructive actions.  He presents a character who has suffered a difficult life, someone who carries the pain of not being noticed or loved and is now becoming someone who he believes that he’s meant to be.  Phoenix displays Arthur’s fractured mental state to a startling effect, bringing us down a brutal and twisted path as he turns into the villain who will make Gotham the victim of his turmoil.

The moments where Phoenix doesn’t have dialogue, but has to rely on his facial expressions and body movements are just as powerful as those with dialogue.  One such instance occurs after a pivotal moment near the end of the film’s first act, where we have Arthur running to a bathroom to recuperate from what has transpired, but then slowly composing himself as the most troubled parts of his mind begin to envelope him and morph him into his new persona.  It’s a scene that’s made even stronger with an evocative score from Hildur Guðnadóttir, which captures the shattering of Arthur’s mind that sends him beyond the point of no return.

Given how many times we’ve seen the Joker portrayed in film, it’s remarkable how Phoenix is able to find another angle from which to translate the character from the comic books to the movies.  For many years, he has proven to be an actor of supreme talent, but with this performance, Phoenix shows that he still has much with which to surprise us.

The film has a talented supporting cast, such as Conroy; Zazie Beetz as Arthur’s neighbor and love interest, Sophie Dumond; and Robert De Niro as Murray Franklin, a talk-show host whom Arthur idolizes.  Given how pretty much all of this movie’s focus is on the Joker, it’s understandable that each of these characters has about 10 minutes of screen time.  However, their talents help them make the most out of the material that they’re given.

The screenplay by Phillips and Scott Silver constructs a character study of a tortured individual, dragging us into the murk of his life as he gets hit with one misfortune after another.  What sets this apart from other comic-book movies is that this isn’t one that thrives on big visual-effects set pieces, but is instead a grounded, psychological evaluation of an iconic villain.  Each scene brings us deeper and deeper into Arthur’s mind and soul, slowly pacing out his transformation so that we feel the impact of each important event in the film.

The narrative also focuses on a turbulent socioeconomic backdrop (the movie takes place in 1981, where the abundance of crime in Gotham reflects what New York City experienced in that same year) that doesn’t feel heavy-handed, but instead serves as an intriguing force that leads to the Joker’s uprising.  These themes provide us with details about the state in which Gotham finds itself and give a dimension to the setting that shows the tension that threatens to bubble over and crumble the foundations of the city.

Without getting into spoilers, the story has some connections to the larger mythology of Batman, but what’s great about this aspect of the story is that these aren’t shoehorned in, but instead fit in with the rest of the movie.  These scenes add to Arthur’s quest as he tries to discover who he is and are some of the best in the movie.

With Lawrence Sher’s cinematography, Mark Friedberg’s production design, and Guðnadóttir’s score, Phillips brings us a comic-book movie that feels like it’s much more than that.  There’s a sense of realism that Phillips places within Gotham, and between the garbage-littered streets and graffiti-laden subways, the bleakness of the environment is in harmony with the bleakness of the story.  This is a movie where, as you’re watching it, you feel unsettled from doing so, but once it’s over, you’ll want to watch it again.

Although there are some similarities to Scorsese films in the narrative that would have you comparing it to the “The King of Comedy” and “Taxi Driver,” Phillips doesn’t try to copy his style or go overboard with said similarities.  Instead, he creates his own startling vision that will leave a lasting impression of how stories from the Batman comics are brought to film.

This movie offers a staggering view of this villain’s story, keeping you gripped as your heart rate increases throughout the film, right up to the gasp-inducing finale.  When Jack Nicholson played the Joker in Tim Burton’s “Batman,” one of his most memorable lines was, “Wait till they get a load of me.”  Well, wait until you see what’s in store for you with “Joker.”

Grade: A