Fall has finally truly arrived (those 90s temps have at last vacated), so it’s really time to get serious and somber at the multiplex. But, to quote a ’08 classic, “Why so serious?”. After all, there’s often time for a comic book-based cold weather flick. Ah, but this one’s very different from the big action epics from a few months ago. First and second, it’s deadly (accent on the first syllable) dramatic in tone and earns it’s “R” rating. Not the first comic-based flick to do so (hey, LOGAN and DEADPOOL), but this centers on a villain (yes, I know Sony/Marvel gave the “title star” treatment to Spidey’s nemesis VENOM a couple of years ago). Let’s be specific, this is “THE” comic book villain, really the greatest comic baddie of all time, maybe just as popular as his arch-rival. I’d say he ranks right up there with the greatest villains of fiction, earning a place alongside Dr. Fu Manchu, Simon Legree, and Prof. Moriarty. Origin story? Well sorta’. This is definitely a showcase for one of cinema’s most intense, unpredictable actors as he slaps on the white pancake makeup and dons the bright flashy duds of the JOKER.
We first meet Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) as he checks in with a disinterested social worker at a dingy, flickering-fluorescent lit downtown office. He’s recently discharged from Arkham Asylum, and has to talk with her before he gets his “meds”. Once he’s done, Art is off to work at a “talent” agency that provides clowns for events and businesses. After applying the “war paint”, he’s twirling a “sale” sign outside a retail shop on the dirty “mean streets” of downtown Gotham City. He’s jumped by some thugs who leave him bruised and battered (physically and emotionally). Art gets himself together for the long bus ride to the cramped apartment he shares with his aging fragile mother Penny (Frances Conroy) in a nearly condemned apartment building. After he feeds and bathes her, it’s time for the pre-bedtime ritual of watching the late-night talk show hosted by Art’s idol Murray Franklin (Robert DeNiro). Art fantasizes about meeting Murray and getting his big break as a stand-up comic (Art carries around a ratty notebook full of “joke idea” scribblings and pasted photos). All the while he wonders why life is such a struggle, while the Wayne family, headed by possible Mayoral candidate Thomas (Brett Cullen), lives in the lap of luxury. Art is finally pushed over the edge after a horrific subway encounter, which also pushes him into the arms of single mother neighbor Sophie (Zazie Beetz). That incident proves to be the spark that lights the fuse on the GC powderkeg of “class injustice”. Soon after this Murray somehow gets a tape of Arthur’s inept stand-up “set” at the comedy club Pogos. Will this be his chance at stardom, or will it be the humiliation that finally shatters Arthur’s damaged psyche? Could his new invented persona of “Joker” erase Arthur Fleck for good?
You could almost call this “The JP Show” since the talented, compelling Mr. Phoenix is in nearly every scene, and is equally sympathetic and repellant. Particularly in the early sequences, Artie seems to be the world’s (or at least Gotham City’s) doormat, soaking up all the ugliness on the bottom of humanity’s feet. We’re supportive as he refuses to take out his many frustrations on his adored mother, holding in the humiliation of his assault on the job. His only escape seems to be his dream relationship with Murray, a father figure who is able to see his “special-ness”. Phoenix brings us in on Arthur’s embarrassment over his unexplained sudden bursts of inappropriate hysterics (that raspy “cackle-laugh” is convincingly grating). And then he “pushes” us away when Arthur begins strolling (eventually running like a cartoon mouse escaping a hungry cat) down a very dark, twisted path. He goes from put-upon “everyman” to vain, uncaring “monster”, eschewing all boundaries of social norms. Phoenix uses his body language to show this inner metamorphosis (supposedly dropping over 50 pounds to get a tangled marionette visage). His voice changes from a low growling “word-swallower” to an agitated scream, often looking as though he’s spitting bile and venom. This just adds to the character’s unpredictability, giving extra heft to his quick bursts of violence. Finally, Phoenix adjusts his posture and delivery to drive home the sense that the poor lil’ guy from that first act is buried by tons of hatred and loathing. Add this towards the top of Phoenix’s already impressive roster of film roles.
But Mr. P does get good support from the stellar cast. There’s a tender rapport between him and Conroy. As Penny, she shows us a weary woman quickly sliding into senility. And her eyes tell us of her conflicted relationship with her son. Penny’s caring and very dependent while trying to hide her fear of her “boy”. DeNiro’s having a good time as the “puffed up” veteran TV comic-host (he’s much better here than in the dreadful THE COMEDIAN), trampling over his staff and recalling a now adored classic flick from his heyday. In a twist on THE KING OF COMEDY, Rupert Pupkin has become the smooth Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis’s greatest acting gig). Ms. Beetz is a most believable love interest, though her role doesn’t really give her a lot to do (she and Artie share a similar “sick” sense of humor). In a change from previous media incarnations, Cullen gives us a Thomas Wayne who’s a well-dressed, over-privileged thug who throws gasoline on the tiny fires set to turn the city into a cinder. This “politico’ can barely contain his contempt for the underclass, even calling them clowns. And it’s great to see the pairing of two terrific character actors, Shea Whigham and Bill Camp, as a cop duo who seem to be just a step or two behind Arthur. I wished for some more time with them (maybe in some deleted scenes in the home video release).
In a big “switcheroo” from his “raunchy” comedy resume, director Todd (THE HANGOVER trilogy) Phillips, who co-wrote the script with Scott Silver, goes dirty and very downbeat to give us this swift spiral into madness. We can almost smell the stench off the Gotham streets, echoing the “fun city” garbage collector strikes of decades past. Most have mentioned the 70s Martin Scorsese vibe (he was attached for a time as producer), feeling as though the film is the “love child” of TAXI DRIVER and the aforementioned THE KING OF COMEDY, but the film digs deeper into the era with nods to MS. 45, DEATH WISH (though the predators look like they just left the Moves club from the recent HUSTLERS), and THE EXORCIST (some lengthy outdoor concrete stairs are a big backdrop), with a dollop of the more recent FIGHT CLUB and A BEAUTIFUL MIND (you’ll make the connection). It’s gritty and dark thanks to the low lit cinematography from Lawrence Sher. And the art department really gives the talent from ONCE UPON A TIME IN …HOLLYWOOD a “run for their money’ in recreating a decades-old city (LA in 69′ for Tarantino to NYC in the early 80s here). Unfortunately, the film’s pacing could be tighter as Phillips lingers a bit too long on Artie’s mirror-gazing and manic movements (that gallop). But he does have a feel for high drama (though the homages can tend to pile up) and gets good work from all the actors involved. The title character’s chain-smoking becomes tiresome (I was recalling Jerry Lewis in THE FAMILY JEWELS), though many might consider a Marlboro-puffing harlequin “edgy”. This is quite a different “clown prince of crime” than we’ve encountered previously and for fans of 70s cinema and Mr. Phoenix, JOKER is a fatalistic film funhouse. And not a winged rodent in sight.
3 Out of 4 Stars
