Joaquin Phoenix stars as Arthur Fleck. Fleck is a fledgling stand-up comedian with a history of mental illness. The lines between reality and delusion meld as Phoenix's character is beaten, mocked, and lied to as the city he loves turns it's back on him, cutting the funding for the out-patient care he needs to stay lucid.
Though Joker takes place in early 1980s Gotham City, this movie has ties that are eerily similar to today. While riding the subway home dressed as a party clown, Arthur Fleck is beaten by 3 drunken white-collar workers. Having previously been mugged, Fleck pulls out a gun and kills the men who it turns out work for Wayne Enterprises.
Gotham is a city on edge, with a garbage strike entering it's third week. With reports of a masked clown having killed these symbolism of elitism, the lower class see Fleck's act as inspiration for a movement for change and riots beleaguer the boroughs. Too bad Gotham city doesn't have a Dark Knight to defend it...
Joker is not an action film. It's more of a psychological thriller that has the viewer seriously doubting the validity of any and all of Fleck's interactions throughout Gotham. That doesn't mean that this isn't a comic book movie. There's definitely echoes of Alan Moore's The Killing Joke and Frank Miller's Batman: Year One. But like FOX's Gotham, Joker proves that you can do Batman stories without the Caped Crusader.
A very disturbing film that will keep you guessing, this is an entertaining film about the Batman's chief foe. The only question is: is this the real Joker? Or like with Jerome Valeska, is Arthur Fleck the inspiration for the genuine article?
Oh, and parents- don't take your Caped Crusader loving children to see this film. Tons of F-bombs and a lot of violence, and unsettling death and gore!
Worth Consuming!
Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.
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