Movie Review: Joker (2019)

- December 21, 2019

You knew I was going to review this one, right?

I went into this with excitement and trepidation. Excitement because I've read comics that did deep-dives into character-driven stories before; they're not uncommon. The best ones are often about background/side-characters or just told from a completely different perspective. This is the first comic-based movie that seemed to want to do that.

The dread came from worrying about whether this would be an art house film. I cannot stand art house films and yet, I'm a fan of things that are unique. Art films typically contain character-driven symbolic content as opposed to a goal-driven story. That is, it is generally ambiguous and a lot of them have an ::waves arms in the air spooky-like:: "it's up to you" ending. Existential questions then arise, like, 'Was it all in their head? What if everything is only in our minds?' and 'What if we're not even here at all?'

While I don't mind a good ponder now and again, I typically like my movies to be a story told to me rather than something I have to decipher to find the meaning of life. Call me shallow, I am who I am. Joker very pleasantly surprised me. I feel like it took me through the wringer, emotionally, but it was never boring, there was never a wasted moment, everything made sense and I got a very clear ending (even if the internet is debating that).

So, to wrap up my initial breakdown, while I would not put this film in the category of "art house," I would absolutely describe it as "art." Film-wise, I'd say it was good-old-fashioned noir film that stayed suspenseful throughout. Set in 1981, it had the right music, references and costuming to really pull you into that era. The cinematography was spectacular. I especially enjoyed the running and the riot scenes.

So, the acting. I paused the movie at one point to remark to my husband that I had yet to see any bit of Joaquin Phoenix. I only saw Arthur Fleck. Like, I always thought Phoenix was a great actor, but he made me believe he was this guy and that is worth everything in a movie like this. The casting was well-done all around since at no point did I feel jarred out of a scene. Just really well done.

Finally, it may seem weird to praise this after my initial reservations, but this film made me think in that way that The Devil's Rejects did. Am I seriously rooting for the villain right now? When they take that first step and do that first truly awful thing, am I seriously feeling the satisfaction they are?? Am I a terrible person? I adore movies (and comics) that want me to understand someone else's outlook, especially when it might not mirror my own. I'm there for the psychology.

MEMORABLE SCENE:

There were many, but the one that stood out the most, I think, was the talk show scene. Just, that whole damn thing.

FAVORITE CHARACTER:

Arther Fleck, obviously. Equally easy to root for and terrifying, his evolution was both natural and organic and enthralling to watch.

QUOTE:

Arthur Fleck: "For my whole life, I didn't know if I even really existed. But I do, and people are starting to notice."

RATING:
Twelve-million out of ten. I need to see it again to see if it still makes me feel this way, but I was slyly smiling at the end of the film and I liked how it ended.

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