Joker (2019)

Director: Todd Phillips

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy

Primary genre: Psychological thriller

Secondary genre: Character study

Nominated for: Best picture, director, actor, adapted screenplay, costume design, film editing, makeup and hairstyling, original score, sound editing, sound mixing

Won: Best actor, original score

The film is a detailed and complex character study for Arthur Fleck, an aspiring comedian with an unstated mental illness and a neurological condition that makes him laugh at stressing (or inappropriate) times.

For two hours, the audience follows Arthur and his descent(?) into madness through a desolate, grim and filthy Gotham city. It is interesting to see here what (director and co-writer) Todd Phillips attempted to do. Arthur is a genuinely nice (and misunderstood) person who seeks to make people laugh but is embroiled in a devastating reality with pharmaceutical cuts, lack of social support and discrimination, Phillips suggests that perhaps society creates its own monsters. Yet, no matter how hard he is trying to paint his film with a socioeconomic brush that flirts with a realistic drama at times, there is not enough momentum to propel the (if any) story forward. Phillips surrounds Fleck with a myriad of social and mental health issues and seems occasionally to justify his evolution into a full blown lunatic by circumstances beyond his control.

The socioeconomic meltdown that Gotham is suffering is kept mostly in the shadows and Arthur's contributions to its revolutionary eruption feel heavy handed and unearned, particularly towards the climax where the “Joker“ is being established (wrongly) as a symbol of change without letting the viewer to decide the film’s moral compass. The final confrontation does not offer much needed catharsis with banal expressive arguments of the poor versus the rich where the debate should have focus more on morality and core values. Nevertheless, the script populates the proceedings with an existing ambiguity although towards the end that will have the occasional viewers guessing whether what they experience is real and accurate.

Absorbing inspiration from Martin Scorsese's "King of Comedy" (1990) and "Taxi Driver" (1976), Gotham is portrayed as an absolute mess - garbage and trash everywhere, graffiti, crime, harassment, protests and more are parts of every day life and Phillips' meticulous frames capture this tone perfectly. It is a rather immersive (and for the right reasons miserable) experience in a world without hope, an apocalyptic city where the ongoing disaster is the lack of money. Like Darren Aronofsky in "Black Swan" (2010), he films his star with extreme close ups, lingering on Joaquin Phoenix's intensity and body mannerisms, maybe too much at times: how many times do we need to see Arthur having a laughing (literally) breakdown, dancing erratically or running away? Combined with an almost late 70's/early 80's aesthetic (and respective soundtrack), "Joker" does come pleasantly victorious in that department as one of the best directed films of 2019.

95% of the screentime is devoted to Joaquin Phoenix's mesmerizing performance as Arthur Fleck. His dancing mannerisms, blunt eyes, hidden rage and oozed vulnerability create an almost fully formed character that does attract your sympathy. It is a raw performance that does not pull any punches. As the Joker though, Phoenix does not have any sequences where he can be creepy, funny or intimidating and thus becoming Arthur with a paint job. The rest do what they can with their limited roles: Zazie Beetz as the potential love interest has barely any lines of significance, Frances Conroy is completely wasted and even the great Robert DeNiro spends more time on being on a TV screen rather than in person.

A fresh change from the superhero spectacles of the last decade, "Joker" makes a compelling (yet deeply flawed) case for the birth of the famous supervillain. There is a lot to admire here but the lack of plot and the over-explanatory climax hurt ultimately the movie’s chances to genuinely shock. Phoenix does a fantastic job as the mentally broken Arthur winning the audience on his side but as the Joker, he is miles away from Ledger's chaotic and actually fun take. If this could have been trimmed a bit and gone hand in hand with Joker's insanity in a world where every man is for himself, perhaps this could turned out to be a nihilistic masterpiece.

Intriguing but flawed character study

+Excellent, gritty cinematography

+Phoenix is mesmerizing as Arthur

+Tight direction

+Compelling study of a broken man driven to the edge

+Complex themes

-…that are not given their due

-Phoenix as the Joker is just Arthur with a paint job

-Rushed climax

-Limited characters

-Glorification of an icon of chaos