I Read The JOKER Movie

I’m going to review the Joker movie without actually having seen it.

I don’t need to.

I’ve read the screenplay by Todd Phillips (who also directs) and Scott Silver.

I’ve seen the two theatrical trailers, and a 14 minute long “Ten Best Scenes From…” video on YouTube.

The trailers and clips confirm the film doesn’t significantly depart from the tone and tenor of the screenplay, so it’s pointless for me to waste time and money seeing the actual film.

This is a not-so-good movie.

The screenplay is competently written, and individual scenes are well done.

Joaquin Phoenix does a fine job bringing the character as written to life.

But it’s clear the movie itself is a mash-up of Taxi Driver and The King Of Comedy by way of Willard with a Batman™ patina slapped on it.

Seriously, it wouldn’t have been any different a final product if instead of Arthur Fleck = Joker it was Arthur Fleck = Shakes The Clown.

It wouldn’t have been any different -- but it would have been better.

This movie’s Joker isn’t the wild force of nature in his most successful outings, but a mentally ill working class schlub with a far-fetched hard luck story who may / may not be Batman’s bastard half-brother (whoops!  Spoiler!).

It is ridiculous to a soap operatic level, but that’s okay, the superhero (and now supervillain) genre can handle that.

What it does is try to justify the protagonist’s crimes by blaming society at large.

That doesn’t work in this kind of film. Bonnie And Clyde, perhaps.   Grapes Of Wrath, certainly.  

But not Joker.

Like a lot of slasher films from the 1980s, it tries to have its cake and eat it by showing everybody treating the protagonist meanly, then having said protagonist lash out in revenge.

To that degree it’s not that much different from your standard you-killed-my-dog-so-you-must-die 1980s action flick, either.

Give ‘em an excuse and let the mayhem begin.

It is well executed, but it ain’t the Joker, and it never will be.

© Buzz Dixon