This is a spoiler-free review of Warner Brother’s new film, Joker (2019). Joker is now in theaters.
The Setup
Joker (2019) is the newest film from Warner Brothers and DC Comics. It stars Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck (aka Joker), and was Directed by Todd Phillips. While this is a film about the Joker we know and love from Batman movies and comic books, this film is apparently unrelated to the DCEU (DC Extended Universe), so we shouldn’t expect Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker to show up in next year’s The Batman film.
The film itself is about Arthur Fleck. A former mental patient who lives with his mother and works part-time as a clown. Arthur lives in the increasingly violent Gotham City, and is often the victim of mockery, beatings, or other crimes. All of this slowly simmers under the surface of a man waiting to snap.
The Punchline
This film is a great character study of a man pushed past his limits by a society that doesn’t care for him. Joaquin Phoenix gives the performance of a lifetime as Arthur Fleck, and should win an Oscar for such a performance. More than that, Joker is a film about mental illness and the importance of mental health counselling for those that suffer from serious disorders represented in the film.
The Disclaimer
There’s a lot of controversy and misinformation out there about this film. News articles say that people are “leaving the theater due to the films extreme violence.” For a film about a killer clown, this movie is surprisingly tame. There are only about three scenes in the film that have extreme violence. Yet, only one of which I would describe as “extreme.” The violence is not as bad as people are saying. Now keep in mind, this film is rated R. So it’s obviously not something to bring your child to see this weekend.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sean Smith
Student Author - Fall 2019
Sean Smith is a student at Gulf Coast State College. He’s obsessed with film to the point of blurring the realities between it and real life. When he’s not rewatching The Office to see if Pam is the TRUE villain of the series, he’s working full-time and doing homework (like this). FADE OUT TO BLACK
