Joker

(** out of five)

     I went to the premiere and posted my opinion of it on my personal Facebook.  Many of my friends agreed with me, and many people completely disagreed.  So, before agreeing with my review of this film, I ask you to read this review to its entirety so that you can make your own decision on whether or not to see this film.  Also, I'm currently watching a terrible documentary on Hulu called Jawline.  For some reason, the critics loved Jawline.  However, the critics did NOT like Joker, and I have to say that I agree with them.  Time to break it down.

     First, and foremost, Joaquin Phoenix is an amazing actor and I have zero complaints about him as the Joker.  He did a great job with the direction that he was given.  Phoenix did exactly what the director asked of him, so please don't try to compare him to Heath Ledger's Joker.

     The film is about Joker's descent into madness, an origin story that left out a lot of its origins.  When the movie begins, he is well into adulthood, living with his mother in poverty.  There is definitely a Norman Bates feel to their relationship, and it is explored in several different scenes.  He is constantly bullied by people because of a mental illness that causes him to laugh uncontrollably.  While his childhood is barely referenced, we assume that his inability to socialize with other adults developed at an early stage with his lack of any friendships.  The only socializing he does in the film is with his co-workers at the clown agency.

     If you like movies that are only about character, you will probably enjoy Joker.  The plot barely exists in the movie and don't expect any action scenes.  There is violence in the movie, but Joker being bullied and beat down by a bunch if kids is more violent than most of the scenes in the movie. There is one violent scene that consists of a few gunshots, and was the most shocking part of the film.  Each scene consists of Joker and his emotions, so many five-minute sequences are just him laughing in a chair, or a train, or wherever.  And even though he was bullied, I didn't feel as much sympathy for him as I expected.  Origin stories of villains usually show that they were a good person at some point who fought against the dark to redeem themselves until they finally gave into the evil.  And the director wants the audience to think to themselves, "you know, while I wouldn't go the extra step that bad guy goes to prove a point, I get it."  Scary to think about it in this time and era, but it's a story.  I'll say I felt sort of bad for Joker, but I didn't feel that his actions justified what had happened to him.  He does have a few rough stories in his past that I am not going to spoil, but I never rooted for him.  This film lacked so much emotion that I left without feeling any emotion.

     Does it make a difference if you know the comic-book Joker?  I don't think so.  While I see all of the comic-book films, Marvel and DC, my vision of Joker didn't affect what I wanted from this film.  What I wanted was something original, which it at least did that.  It's a film that stands alone.

    After several discussions with friends who liked and disliked the film, I was able to discover that if you liked Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, then you will probably like Joker.  Don't expect a phenomenal ending.  As the film picks up pace, it ends abruptly.  Let me know what you think.