Joker review: The film generating the most buzz at the Venice Film Festival this year was an uncommon festival entry: a comic-book film. As the morning of the 31st arrived, there was a unanimous excitement across the Lido for Todd Phillips-helmed Joker.
Warner Bros.
Starring Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, or our eponymous bad-guy, the film takes a very uncanny approach for a film of this nature: intimacy. Despite a troubled past, Fleck tries to remain happy, pursuing a career in stand-up; his mother always told him he was put on Earth to spread joy and happiness, you see. The trouble is, it becomes increasingly difficult for him to keep smiling. The harder he tries, the more life derails his attempts; ever so slowly, he is pushed further and further and descends deeper into madness with every passing day.
When Joker was first announced, Phillips teased a gritty character study following a man collapsing into anarchy; thankfully, the film lives up to that. For those expecting something akin to most modern superhero films, this is not it. What Phillips, and co-writer Scott Silver, offer is an intense, personal examination of a troubled man cast out by society and put onto a path of insanity and brutal violence. It’s a slow-burner, taking its time to really establish Fleck and create him as an empathetic character who goes on a journey that is understandable. Despite the psychopathic tendencies he veers into as the story unfolds, the screenplay finds a way to make his motivations understandable – and, even, cathartic as he goes about getting back at the world. It’s a subliminally crafted piece of work, with writing that is both bitterly bleak and darkly comic and tantalising. It also offers a great thematic presence that beautifully dissects mental illness, a downtrodden society not too dissimilar to our own and the role we all play in the world’s slow dive into craziness.
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Phoenix is expectedly incredible in the role. He portrays the damage and torment Fleck has undergone with such conviction; this is an actor that truly disappears into the role – mentally and physically, having lost a lot of weight for the film. It’s easily career-best work; the supporting cast are also all great but this is 100% Phoenix’s show and he’s astounding to watch undergo the transformation into The Joker. Phillips has crafted an impeccable film, it tells a narrative that is not afraid to get its hands dirty. This film is unabashedly dark and disturbing; it’s almost uncomfortable to watch at times, but you can’t look away. The writing, the arc, the performances, it’s all utterly remarkable. For a genre that is so often family-friendly these days – arguably playing it safe and refusing to veer into any sharp edges – Joker arrives as the refreshing antidote to this year’s Endgame, Shazam and other comic-book endeavours. It truly will get under your skin and chill you to the bone. It’s a serving of deliciously dark anarchy that, like its lead character, descends further into chaos and the mainstream with each passing second. And like Fleck being engulfed by his rage and sadness, you can’t help but just succumb to the darkness and let it consume you.
Joker was reviewed at the 2019 Venice Film festival. It will be released in cinemas on 4th October.
