Finn's Joker Review (2019)

I'd like to preface this by saying that my review of Joker may share parallels between Gus' and that's both the beauty and shortcoming of reviews. Because we are individuals, with our own individual views of the world, it is impossible for us to objectively review movies. Some movies resonate differently with me than they would with him, and this differing in perspective is important to realize when reading any review of art. Because my views on Joker in particular are different from Gus', I think it would be valuable to give my perspective on this polarizing movie.

I went into Joker not knowing what to expect. The character itself is so compelling, that the trailers could get away showing shots of Joaquin Phoenix doing his thing with thematic music to fit, without actually showing anything about the movie. Because of this, I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

A lot of people expected an action movie, and while it definitely does not lack the violence that is so key to the Joker character, it is instead a visceral character study. We follow Arthur Fleck on his downward spiral, as everything he holds onto in his life gets peeled away, piece by piece. We watch the systematic destruction of a man, and in turn, the birth of a monster.

People who call The Joker a "political commentary" are not entirely misguided, there are elements that would point in this direction. The stripping of wellfare in Gotham, for example, leads to Arthur not having access to his psychiatrist and thus not being able to access medication. Joker also portrays the upper class as snobs, blind to the struggles of the lower classes, instead thinking of themselves as saviors to the uncaring masses. While this is a commentary on the inhumanity of politics, it is a commentary on the inhumanity of politics in Gotham. Gotham is the embodiment of all cities' worst characteristics, it is grim, dirty, oppressive, and violent. It is unfair to compare the commentary on Gotham to the commentary on real-world cities.

In actuality, these shortcomings of Gotham are less of a comment on the inhumanity of the city, and more of a plot device to bring about the birth of the Joker. The Joker itself is a product of Gotham, he embodies its worst characteristics, so it is only right that Gotham's worst characteristics aid in his creation.

The cinematography is powerful. The use of extreme close-ups is both enthralling and uncomfortable. It feels intimate, but in all the wrong ways (or the right ways, depending on how you think of it). It's intimate like your sleep paralysis demon standing over you. The shots of Gotham paint a bleak picture of a crime-ridden city on the brink of erupting. The use of dynamic angles helps add to the tone of the scenes.

The score is beautiful. When I was researching this movie, I found out that they had the score before they started shooting, and this adds a very unique effect to the movie. It often feels like the score is directing the movie, not the other way round. Arthur's movements and dances, in sync with the score, create a kind of grotesque beauty. It feels like you have stepped into Arthur's world.

The reoccurring motif of haunting cellos is stark and beautiful and is a driving force in the movie. The score lives and breathes alongside Arthur, and it creates a very unique and thrilling experience.

Joaquin Phoenix is breathtaking. There was a significant amount of Oscar buzz around his performance before it even hit theaters, and this buzz was not misguided in the slightest. His visceral, nuanced performance is one that will inspire actors for decades to come.

His laugh is perfect, at first glance, it appears to be just a typical Joker laugh, a part of the character. If you dig deeper, however, you will find that the disease that he suffers from in the movie is very real, and his imitation of the laugh caused by the disease is uncanny. It's a very unique take on the well-established character and one that plays into the movie as a whole very well.

The dancing is strange. It gave me goosebumps the first time I saw it. It's one of those things that when combined with the score, arouses a whole host of emotions that are hard to explain. While the dance itself is bestial and weird, it is very important to note the symbolism associated with it. The dance is Arthur at his most pure, and it reflects his state of being. Early on in the movie, his dancing is restrained, slow and unsure. As he evolves, as he becomes the joker, his dancing evolves with him. The scene with him dancing on the steps throws a stark contrast to the one in the bathroom earlier. On the steps, he is free, wild, uncaged. He has completed his metamorphosis.

Often underrepresented in reviews, but worth noting as well, is the makeup and costume in Joker. With it taking such an important role in the portrayal of the comic book character, it was important for them to nail the look. They did not disappoint. The makeup was perfect, creating a clown that looked both badass and scary as. You could watch him rely more and more on the makeup as he became the Joker, and I was jumping in my seat like a little kid when he finally adorned the full look, green hair and all. The costume was perfect as well, just enough color to compliment the face.

There are a few things holding the movie back though.

Chiefly among the movies detracting factors is its long-winded exposition. It feels like there are numerous scenes that accomplish similar things, not aiding much in moving along the plot. If some of the scenes were shaved, it would make it less of an unnecessary slow-burner and give the movie a more driving narrative force.

First among those cuts to the script should be Zazie Beetz's character, Sophie Dumond. Not because of any fault to her character, she portrays Sophie well, but more because it feels like a detour from the main plot of the story. If Sophie Dumond wasn't in the movie, nothing would have been lost from the plot, Arthur would still have become the Joker. While it did illustrate how his deteriorating mental state caused him to hallucinate things that didn't ever actually happen, that could have been done without her, and it felt like that was the only thing her addition accomplished.

Second among them, and less of a fault of the movie, but more what it represents, is how it portrays people with mental illnesses. It is fair to worry that a movie this big, with the main character portrayed as someone who has mental illnesses and kills without remorse, could cause people to have more fear of people with mental illnesses than necessary. In reality, there is no correlation between mental illnesses and higher murder rates, but the magnitude of this movie could create a false correlation in people's minds.

All in all, whether you like it or not, Joker is one of the must see movies of 2019. Regardless of your stance on it, you will feel its affect on the superhero genre through the next few years. It is wholly unique in a way that DC needed badly, and a breath of fresh air in a saturated genre.

-FM

9 / 10

(Above) My favorite shot:

(Below) Runner up: