To answer everyone's question - yes, The Joker features the all the Batman Comic References that you would expect. It is a Comic Book Movie - but a different type. It’s a Movie Style that we should prepare ourselves for in the next few years.
WARNING: SPOILER ALERTS BELOW:
The Joker Trailer came out of nowhere, debuting in Spring of 2019, it quickly became one of the most talked about trailers and one of the most anticipated movies of 2019. Its a biography about one of Comic's most notorious super villains, The Joker. Directed by Todd Phillip's (Director of the Hangover Trilogy....yeah, I'm serious) the movie represents the new age of the Superhero and IP Franchise - one where Studios are twisting comic book stories, draining every last piece of substance out of them and taking their own liberties with the material.
With its explosive success at the Box Office (grossing $234M its opening weekend), you can bet that there will be similar origin story movies to follow - spin-offs such as "LOKI" on Disney +, "Birds of Prey: The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn" just to name a few and there are more re-makes including the newly announced "Batman" starring Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne (still TBD on whether or not Phoenix's Joker will be featured in the upcoming re-make) and many more.
To put into perspective, there have been 3 Batman's in the past 15 years.
- Christian Bale (2005 - 2012)
- Ben Affleck (2015 - 2017)
- Robert Pattinson (2019 - ?)......
During this time, there have also been 3 interpretations of The Joker:
- Heath Ledger (2008)
- Jared Leto (2016)
- Joaquin Phoenix (2019)
But The Joker isn't necessarily a plot based superhero storyline - this character spotlight movie providing audiences with in-depth looks into famous Comic Book character's back-story and it won't be stopping anytime soon. I would equate Todd Phillip's "The Joker" most similar to Logan (2017) - a solo character spotlight on X-Men's famous hero, The Wolverine. Written as a Character-Driven Story v. Plot-Driven Story - both these movies provide intimate looks at characters that just happen to be featured in the Comics.
But getting back to the movie, "The Joker" takes place in 1970's Gotham (in Phillip's take, Gotham takes place in New York City, unlike Nolan's Chicago). You can feel the grittiness of the landscape that is mirrored in Joaquin's performance. The Joker - Arthur Fleck - is a mentally ill man working as a clown in New York City. From the first moment you see Phoenix on the screen, you are already cringing - suffering from a neurological condition that causes him to laugh uncontrollably - you hear The Joker's first rendition of "the laugh" - you can see the people around him physically distance themselves from his presence. From the first moment on the screen, Phillip's is creating a narrative regarding mental health all while re-purposing the story around the notorious villain.
Forced into isolation by his mental state and shunned by the people around him - Fleck seeks notoriety, a purpose that he is unable to find. There are multiple instances where Fleck is shown in counseling - until it is announced that funding is cut in order to put the money towards larger projects. At the forefront of this initiative, is Thomas Wayne (don't forget, it IS a Comic Book movie).
Thomas Wayne (Bruce Wayne's Father, AKA Batman's Dad) plays a large role in the movie, as he is introduced announcing that he is running for Mayor and featured in multiple scenes throughout the movie. The largest influence comes from his familial status - towards the middle of the movie, Arthur Fleck's mother reveals to him that is father is Thomas Wayne, and that he is a bi-product of an affair. Desperate for answers, Fleck makes his way to the Wayne Mansion where he runs into young Bruce - you can see the fascination upon their first encounter, leading us to believe that this is really what the Joker v. Batman dynamic boils down to. Although told by Fleck's mother, an un-reliable narrator, you can't help but wonder if they are setting the stage for the longer cat and mouse relationship between The Joker and Batman that has been displayed in comics and on screens for the past 50+ years.
A combination of discovering his identity, being off his medication, and searching for a purpose - The Joker begins to take form. Don't get me wrong, you can feel the mental instability from the first take of the movie, there is not one instance that you believe that he can be saved, of course its because we know that he becomes The Joker.
So, is "The Joker" a good movie? Yes. As with the media, it has been met with heavy scrutiny - coming off its remarkable Win in at the Venice Film Festival, taking home the most sought after prize, The Golden Lion, the film was panned and rejected by US critics at TIFF (Toronto Film Festival).
If you didn't know who The Wayne Family was, if you were unfamiliar with Gotham and all the back-story that goes with Batman - can the movie stand alone? Yes. And this is where The Joker shines - spotlighting the social stigma behind mental health is ultimately what I was left with. The scenes where you cringe as he interacts with crowds, the sympathy when funding is taken away from people who need it - for all intents and purposes, without Comic Book influences, "The Joker" can and does operate independently as a viewpoint of mental health in our world today.
And I know everyone is thinking it - is Joaquin Phoenix's performance better than Heath Ledger. Simply, no. In my opinion, there is no other Joker. We will see if everyone else agrees when Academy Nominations are announced - will Joaquin be nominated for the same role just 12 years after Heath? We will have to wait and see.
El DE Movie Rating: 6.5/10.
And that's the sitch.
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