I ran out of true Horror movies to review for this October but given how the last couple years have been a shit show under Orange Foolius, I think this interpretation fits the bill.
In short, I liked it immensely regardless of all the pointless, faux handwringing BS Joker has caused, aka, wasting electrons as America’s pathetic media often does instead of covering actual news.
Although I haven’t been impressed with DC going the dark route with their properties, it was a good direction on this somewhat predictable yet fitting take on Batman’s oldest and most famous nemesis. I may not be a film historian neither but Joker really has more in common with The King of Comedy and NOT Taxi Driver. Don’t let others fool you.
Anyway, Joker focuses on the man or maybe one of many who would become the Clown Prince of Crime. Arthur is just another poor schlub struggling through the late Seventies in Gotham (a surrogate for NYC and America). He’s the child of a single mother. He’s been hospitalized at least once for mental illness. He has trouble with getting gainful employment. He supports his retired mother in a crappy little apartment. He’s awkward. He never knew his father. The list goes on with how many obstacles Arthur must get through on daily basis. Now throw in his residency in Gotham City as it’s in the middle of a garbage collection strike, cutbacks to social services (especially to his therapy and medication), rampant crime and an environment in which everybody is just giving up. Being a Gen Xer, I remember the decline of NYC, Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago and some other major cities quite well. And much like the real-world response, the city’s elite (aka the rich assholes) had an equally useless response. Put us rich people in charge (aka Gilded Age Republicans who are self-made), we’ll fix it but never mind we’re the same assholes who made it a mess originally.
Arthur’s only escape is his attempts at being a stand-up comedian and his universe’s version of The Tonight Show (with DeNiro in the role Jerry Lewis played 30 some years earlier to his psycho). Through all the circumstances which play out in the movie, Arthur does get to realize his dream to be on the nightly talk show but instead of being funny, he speaks truth to power and all hell breaks loose. It’s a better explanation on how Batman arose from the chaos than the now concluded Gotham.
In addition to the story, Phoenix’s performance is fine. What I enjoyed more was seeing Marc Maron getting a nice little role as “Johnny’s” producer! Gotham City was a great character in how you’re watching the resentment, the seething of its residents (like now), against the asshole caste. It was also refreshing to see Thomas Wayne (Bruce’s father) as another rich douchebag (Michael Bloomberg anyone?) claiming he can solve things because he’s loaded and he loves to call the lesser citizens insulting names, making him a less likable person when he gets his just desserts as per Batman’s origin.
I personally think Joker upset the right people. The people who need to get it through their egos that eventually the masses will revolt and it won’t be pretty. So instead of attending their annual circle jerk in Davos with Bono, they need to start paying their taxes or move to Russia.
Alamo Extras: A boring Rooster Teeth production; black & white movie of a clown doing the Charleston circa the Thirties; Trailers for The King of Comedy, Taxi Driver and The Clown & the Kids starring Emmett Kelly!; department store commercial in Spanish starring a clown; a video essay on the Joker in comic book history; What is he? a Cult Leader?; a quick list of the famous actor portrayals: the overrated Jack Nicholson version from 1989, Mark Hamill as the voice, Heath Ledger and Jared Leto.