Oscar-nominated actor Joaquin Phoenix (The Sisters Brothers, 2018) gives his naturally idiosyncratic edge to the title role in this film offering a psychologically twisted and disarming origin story of Batman's greatest arch enemy. Phoenix plays an ordinary man working as a party clown with an unusual sense of humor and zero friends in a dirty, graffiti-covered, 1970s Gotham city. The continuous violence, loneliness, and aloof neglect surrounding him gradually push him into an eternal carnival ride of madness that is shaky, dangerous, revolutionary, and bloody.
What makes Joker entertaining is its consistent devotion to reality. This film is set in the real world with relatable emotions, anxieties, and situations. You're not in a sexy, visually aggressive, comic book style setting. And the nucleus of Joker being so hypnotic is Joaquin Phoenix's fully realized performance. He takes you on an emotional journey evoking moments of empathy to mercy to shock to even approval. A man struggling with mental illness, dreams of success in stand-up comedy, and jolting urges of brutality make this Joker surprisingly human.
Many other actors have played this same character in films and TV shows in the past, most notably Jack Nicholson's portrayal as a wise-cracking mobster in the 1989 Batman and Heath Ledger's charming but deadly mastermind in The Dark Knight of 2008. With deep musical chords from an accompanying cello, Phoenix's performance of such a famous and beloved villain is another one people will be talking about. Director Todd Phillips (War Dogs, 2016) loves layering on the awkward in increasingly uncomfortable scenes and loves building the tension with a growing sense of rebellion (cleverly making the film more politically topical). Phillips is clearly skilled at making you squirm in your seat while keeping your eyes glued to the screen.
You might leave the theater feeling a bit psychotic yourself.
