Joker (2019)

Before Joker became the infamous criminal, he was Arthur Fleck, a mentally disturbed aspiring comedian who cracked under the pressure of an even more disturbing city called Gotham.

It feels like psychological studies could be written on Joker. I’ll keep it to the point as I only do short film reviews. Todd Philips has delivered a purely cinematic experience. Everything works like a Swiss watch, with all the cogs serving their purpose. Joaquin Phoenix’s performance is on an Oscar level and, possibly, in the audition, eliminated the competition without a sweat.

But this is the obvious information, and I will skip the technical and trivia production details to write from the heart. Joker wouldn’t be that successful if it weren’t for its astonishing character development and unexpected accomplishment. Joker, DC’s most disturbing criminal personality with deranged followers, was turned into a symbol for the oppressed antihero. Todd Philips and Joaquin Phoenix take all the time they need to unfold the antihero’s journey and idolise him in a similar way that “V” was [V for Vendetta (2005)]. And how is that achieved? By creating a relatable, everyday man who wakes up in the morning with a sole purpose: To make this world a little bit better, to make people laugh. And somewhere down the line, to make the people they love, and they love them back, proud of them for doing so. Take that from someone, and what are they left with? Arthur Fleck is the product of that part of society that constantly sinks you under the surface: the haves that don’t give and the have-nots that don’t want you to have either. But Joker springs from that product and becomes the one who will readjust the scale and, for the first time, will allow the underdogs who “…haven’t been happy one minute of their entire fucking life” a chance to do that. And that feeling that, even for a couple of hours, you root for someone like Joker… causes heart palpitations.

This is why Joker is that successful.

For you, Ioanna!

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