About the film (courtesy of Warner Bros.):
Director Todd Phillips Joker centers around the iconic arch nemesis and is an original, standalone fictional story not seen before on the big screen. Phillips’ exploration of Arthur Fleck, who is indelibly portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, is of a man struggling to find his way in Gotham’s fractured society. A clown-for-hire by day, he aspires to be a stand-up comic at night…but finds the joke always seems to be on him. Caught in a cyclical existence between apathy and cruelty, Arthur makes one bad decision that brings about a chain reaction of escalating events in this gritty character study.

Let’s start with acknowledging the fact that there’s a great deal of positive buzz regarding the new Warner Bros. Joker movie. And with that, there’s an almost equal amount of backlash and trepidation due to the film’s sensationalized depictions of violence and thuggery throughout the Todd Phillips-directed origin story. What this obviously means is that there will be a sizable amount of agenda-driven opinions from all interested parties. Before we even begin to delve into my thoughts on this piece of work, just know that I choose to only focus on its entertainment value. Anything else is not my place to say.

Many have often said that DC Comics needs to lighten up their movies a bit to better connect with today’s audience, especially given what their main competition has been able to do. With that in mind, both Wonder Woman (2017) and Aquaman (2018) seemed to have taken measurable strides to that end. Neither director (Patty Jenkins and James Wan, respectively) had strong track records in the comedy field, yet each were able to display a lighter side of their works. So when Todd Phillips was earmarked to helm the story of Joker, many were intrigued, and very guarded as to how his vision my play out. After all, we’re talking about the man behind Road Trip (2000), Old School (2003) and the Hangover trilogy.

Even though Joker starts off as a story about a clown, it quickly becomes no laughing matter. Todd Phillips quickly establishes a very dark nature that would not be possible without the inspired performance of the lead star, Joaquin Phoenix. Whatever it is about this character that brings out some of the most memorable performances (previously Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger), Phoenix deserves the same celebratory cinematic praise as his brethren. It is he, and he alone, that makes this slower-paced dramatic thriller a treat to watch for the most part.

It’s no secret that this particular story of Arthur Fleck is different than what most die-hard fans are expecting. This is not a bad thing in the least. While purists make take issue with the creative liberties taken in Joker, I wholeheartedly believe that it was all done in good taste and with the utmost respect to this iconic character. As the plot plays out, you will find yourself understanding and empathizing with what made this misunderstood individual become what he is to become.

Now Joker is not without its flaws. Parts of the middle act felt uninteresting and boring at times. It should be understood that this isn’t meant to be an action movie so drama comes into play quite often and it doesn’t always translate into entertaining, edge-of-your-seat excitement. Some of the plot gets a tad bit muddied and confusing, but if you stick with it, mostly everything gets cleared up. Still though, the slower parts may suck part of the life out of you.

Just as its singular title indicates, Joker is driven by one person, Joaquin Phoenix. It’s a good thing he has both hands on the steering wheel and knows exactly how to navigate the crazy streets of this story. It’s nowhere near traditional, but there are enough small threads in place that will make things fall into place with the previous lore that you already know. Opting to go with a more mature version, hence its restricted rating, Todd Phillips is able to dive deeply into this wounded soul as well as explore his own creative darker side. The bigger question upon watching this feature is where are they planning to take this next? Once you see the movie, which I do recommend, you’ll better understand where I’m coming from. See it in theaters today.