10/4/19 - Joker (2019) - 4/10

Joker is not a film that can support some lasting debate, cultural impact, or social relevance. That is too much weight hoisted upon its skinny shoulders. To do so would be unfairly providing such a voice to a film that doesn’t say nearly as much as it could or should.  It is not a film without merit, nor is it a haven for the refuse of cinema or society. No, Joker is a twisted, grim and tantalizing hollow laugh - full of breathy impetus but, beyond its shock of the moment, bestowing little.

There is a clear line of distinction between focusing on a disturbed, violent and/or horrible character and promoting, proselytizing, and praising them. An American Psycho, Taxi Driver, or KIDS DON’T fully empathize with their protagonist or their atrocities. We see them and get in their head, but we aren’t asked to feel them; to love them. There is a discussion of empathy here, but it isn’t empathizing for the plight of the downtrodden, it is empathizing with a homicidal unhinged social up-heaving wretch. It makes the hero of the villain, but not in a cool way or a sexy way, but in a disturbingly bleak and cynical way - if only for money.

The blend of sex, violence, prevalent “outsiderism”, celebrity obsession and anti-rich sentiment sickly boil upon Todd Philips’ cook spoon. It doesn’t have a motivating and educational dialogue with mental illness or alternative worldviews. It’s interactions with women are fairly atrocious, being uncaring automatons, mysterious unrequited romantic fantasies to be (possibly violently) taken and not cultivated, or burdens to be dealt with day-to-day and then finally. Its populist revolution bent is a childish and unmotivated base to engender some type of larger meaning for the masses, in the film and those watching, that is paid means-to-and-end & cultural relevance lip service to. This mixture’s injection was both damning and unsatisfactory. It wanted to be a quick diversionary trip, rather than a revelatory experience saying something real and deeply meaningful about the human experience/our social consciousness/cinematic expression. This was an adolescent huff on Joker glue than an ayahuasca transcendent experience about a dark comic tale of us, as a story and a people.

Despite what I don’t care for (most of it), there are redeeming glimpses such as: Phoenix is tremendous. His Joker is not the comic book Joker (which I am perfectly fine with - judge each personification on its own with its own merits), but I appreciate how brilliant he is with what he is given. Disturbingly lithe as he sways his stretched skinny form to the beat of madness pounding in his head. His melancholy is so palpable and saddeningly visceral, with his blend of laughter and pain, twisting together in a maddeningly sad vortex of loneliness. He evokes a true presence and power with one of his strongest performances, no matter how showy. The DP does strong work, with tremendous framing and lighting. It isn’t always the most extraordinary or revolutionary, but it is still striking and elementally proficient. The creation of the world and its aesthetic was also very strong. A dark, dirty, slightly out-of-time, and fantastically gritty downtrodden existence is prevalent and passionate within the set design and construction.

Subtlety is completely non-existent. Disgustingly so. Thematically it is a horror show of poor presentation slapping your face with a dead fish of incredibly on the red nose musical cues, socially pertinent over indulgent verbosity, and cultural touchstones (King of Comedy, Modern Times, Taxi Driver) that I don’t think the audience this is meant for might pick up on. This is a Gallagher watermelon mallet to the head when it needed to be a forlorn whisper in the dark, which is why I was left stickily unsatisfied and filled with mental melon bits staining my viewing attire.

I have an internal debate about the necessity for this film or whether it is “right” to present it. Having grotesque signage or filthy acts is one thing, one that I have seen much of and can be all for, but the exalted status of a murdering anarchic movement leader, in this current climate and without purposeful reckoning, honestly feels vaguely reprehensible and unnecessary. I don’t predict violence, nor does it deserve some type of concerted avoidance. I am not one for silencing voices. This film is a presentation of beliefs and art. That is fine. But that doesn’t mean that I have to like it or that I can’t speak to the questionable/irresponsible essence of it. If it had more driven purpose, a story that pushes a theme, rather than the other way around, especially one so volatile and timely, I might see the value. Also, its presence not as small indie production, spelling deeper human truths, with layered references and a palette for well-rounded and astute viewership instead of a massive wide scale megaplex offering of a children’s character with the storytelling and marketing for a 13 year old male audience cannot be ignored. Deadpool can accomplish this cross-contamination because he is a vacant joke; a naughty taboo badass for that age group because he drops some f-bombs and has dick & fart jokes. Joker revels in mental sickness and twisted violence with a self seriousness and desire to express one’s life long journey towards independence and fulfillment by killing family members, friends, bullies and celebrities. The audience that will read into this film the wrong things or find a voice for the voiceless/path to power strikes me as a group that deserves more thoughtful dialogue and a deeper reckoning with the dangerously fertile elements here. It does not provide that, which I think is not only its greatest failure but a sick joke indeed.

I did not like this film and I did not enjoy the experience of seeing it. I cannot say that it doesn’t have quality elements or that the film-making is bad. Overrated, yes, but not bad. And does it have something to say? Perhaps, but certainly not as much as some (critics and filmmakers included)  would like you to believe. It isn’t nihilistic, but more sadistic and simplistic, which I cannot suffer.