One thing to make clear before I begin this review; I will not be discussing my opinion on the "controversy" surrounding this film. I may do so at a later date, but just like my review on Captain Marvel, the purpose of this blog is not to discuss any real political repercussions this film may or may not have on our society; I am here to review a movie, pointing out my own pros and cons as well as any other details I will need to bring up in relation to my opinion. If you have any thoughts on the "controversy", please discuss them somewhere else or until I do bring my own thoughts on it to the table. For now, I will only say this; Todd Phillips, people didn't like your comedies because they, objectively, were not funny; it wasn't because "woke culture ruined comedy" or any such bullshit. Learn to take some constructive criticism and grow the fuck up.
With all that said, plot synopsis:
In 1981 Gotham City, failed stand-up Arthur Fleck is simply having the worst time possible; he's emotionally and mentally unwell, has to act as a carer for his ill mother, is regularly beaten by random thugs, and has a condition where he laughs uncontrollably without meaning to do so (based on a real thing, incidentally; the Pseudo-Bulbar Affect. Check here for specifics). As the days go by and the world around him continues to beat him into the ground in both a figurative and literal sense, he slowly loses his grip on reality and begins to find humour in the darkest places possible, eventually culminating in his transformation into the most notorious criminal that Gotham will come to know; the Joker.
Right off the bat (pun not intended), the goal of the film is to make the viewer as uncomfortable as possible. This is not a film that's trying to get a giggle out of the audience or draw them in with big, loud action scenes; it's a film that's ugly, cynical, harsh, gritty and lacking any form of subtlety with it's themes. And frankly, I find that kind of refreshing. While films like Avengers: Endgame or Shazam can give me a good, fun time with entertaining characters, I think it's great that this film is going to break the mould with comic book films and draw attention to the emotions of the characters rather than their roles in the story.
That said, there are times where the lack of a focused narrative can be a detriment; namely, there is not much in terms of character development or interaction beyond what we get with the title character and his struggles. This can be somewhat justified, as 95% percent of the film is shown from his own perspective; very rarely does it divert away from him and his interactions with the other characters. However, because of that, it makes it hard to really get a grasp on the personalities of most of the cast, leaving them as little more than mouth pieces who exist to get Arthur from scene to scene. Was it intentional as part of making the audience uncertain, or was it an accident from a lack of attention on the story? Who can tell with this film, really?
As expected, Joaquin Phoenix does a great job in this film, but he goes the extra mile to give a version of the Joker with arguably the most layers to him. On top of losing a substantial amount of weight and researching the Pseudo-Bulbar Affect for the role, there are things that he does with the physicality of the character of both Arthur Fleck and the Joker. The more he goes through the film and starts to lose his grips on reality, he starts to gain more confidence and straightens his posture more as he embraces the "funny side" of the real world. He embodies everything funny about the Joker, but also everything tragic about Arthur. I wouldn't say that I fully sympathise with the character due to the actions he takes later on in the film, but I can say that I understand his motivations.
If I were to nitpick anything, it would have to do with the involvement of the Wayne family in the narrative. Initially, the film had us believe that Arthur had a closer and more personal connection to the Wayne's because of revelations found in a letter to Thomas Wayne from Arthur's mother. This lead to an interesting interaction that Arthur has a young Bruce Wayne and Alfred, as well as the inevitable confrontation with the Wayne patriarch. What relevance does this have on the plot?
This is not hyperbolic. Beyond yet ANOTHER recreation of the Wayne's getting shot in the alleyway, there is little reason for them to be in this film. It's not even a major revelation when we, as the audience, learn the truth; it's a by product of the actual reveal regarding Arthur's upbringing. The Wayne's could've been replaced by a different rich family and nothing would've changed in regards to the narrative.
It really hard to pin down a solid opinion on this film, hence why this review is short. From a technical standpoint, it is really good; with solid acting, directing and production values. However, I can definitely see the storytelling and characterisation turning people off. I recognise that the film's main goal is to make the audience as uncomfortable as possible, and it does touch upon mental health issues in a unique way. But some of the twists and turns aren't likely going to sit well with people after their viewing of the film. Even as I write this review, I'm unsure of what I really think of this film. I suppose the best I can say about is that it does succeed with what it wants to do; it made me uncomfortable watching it.
Overall rating: Unsure.
If you liked what you've read, please leave a comment letting me know what you think of this bizarre movie. You wanna support the reviews or know more of my thoughts, please follow me on Twitter @Media_Man18. And if you want more content on a weekly basis, you can check out my YouTube channel here. Leave a like, subscribe and comment if you so desire.
But until next time; this is Callum Lewis, the Media Hood, signing off!
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