Joker

When the news came that there would be an origin story of Batman's arch nemesis The Joker, the idea seemed intriguing but given DC's track record I wasn't too fussed and thought it might be one I'd watch when it became available on VOD. It took Marvel three attempts to make a good Wolverine film and the Han Solo spin-off, Solo, was a decent attempt but ultimately a paint-by-numbers origin story. The risk with exploring the iconic villain is that sometimes these characters work better in a supporting role rather than when entirely under the spotlight but the announcement that comedic director Todd Philips would be involved alongside Joaquin Phoenix in the title role showed some promise that Joker would be different.

Set around Gotham in the late 1970s/early 1980s, Joker follows mentally-troubled comedian Arthur Fleck (Phoenix) struggling to get by as the gap between the rich and poor gets ever larger before embarking on a downward spiral into chaos. The setting might sound familiar and the film wears its influences from the likes of Taxi Driver proudly, with Philips even casting Robert De Niro as a late night television host who Arthur Fleck idolises.

Gotham has never looked so real and gritty before but the film is nonetheless stunning to watch. Much has already been said about the performances, particularly Phoenix, who is fantastic but a lot has also been said about the controversial themes and discussions which stem from Philips' depiction of this character. I found the film to be thrilling to watch thanks the aforementioned performances and strong visuals but there was something missing as the credits rolled to make the film satisfying. Some say the film lacks depth and subtlety or a message which made Taxi Driver the iconic film it is today. For me, I can see Philips wants to make a chilling character study and he succeeds for the majority of the film but it is somewhere in the third act which lacks a defining resolution of sorts.

There is also the problem I found that this depiction of the Joker would not work in the same universe as Batman. Arthur Fleck is portrayed with a degree of sympathy and never truly becomes the 'agent of chaos' which defined Heath Ledger's performance. It seems Philips was more interested in creating a dark character study while using DC's IP as a means of giving him a platform to do so. This might be one of the areas that has divided fans and I for one found this conflicting. Why tell an origin story if it won't gel with the source material which would inevitably follow?

Regardless of the complicated third act and how this depiction would fit into the rest of universe, Joker is great for cinema when we find ourselves in a plethora of safe superhero films. Todd Philips has shown that this genre can still spark meaningful discussions, intentionally or not, and it is good to also see DC taking risks instead of trying to be like Marvel. I wouldn't say Joker is the best film of the year with its high ranking on iMDB but it is still a very engaging piece of cinema and worth a watch.