Joker

Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided us with a free copy of this Blu-ray/DVD that we reviewed in this blog post. The opinions we share are our own.

“Failed comedian Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) encounters violent thugs while wandering the streets of Gotham City dressed as a clown. Disregarded by society, Fleck begins a slow descent into madness as he transforms into the criminal mastermind known as Joker in director Todd Phillips’ thrilling origin story.”

DC and Warner Brothers have definitely stepped up their game after several disastrous fiascos as the studio struggled with keeping up with their main competitor, Marvel. As the focus has been on individual films as opposed to throwing together an Avengers type group as soon as possible, we’ve really gotten to see some real growth by the studios as they continue to feature films that rely heavily on character development and story. Joker is the absolutely best example of this, setting the story apart from any other hero or villain, made to stand on its own. With the nominations and awards that Joker has already received, they’ve clearly found their stride.

Joker is the definition of an anti-hero film. As mesmerizing as Joaquin Phoenix’s performance and the performances of other Jokers before him, you aren’t supposed to be rooting for this guy. The character is insane, unpredictable, and doesn’t hesitate to kill innocent people on a whim. However, in Todd Phillips’ film, you find yourself oddly enough on the side of Arthur Fleck, and that’s perhaps the scariest thing about Joker. His life is not a very easy one, constantly being ridiculed, walked all over, beaten, and it is society that’s to blame. Throughout the entire film it’s mentioned how bad it is getting out in the world, people are quick to violence, mistrust, and as much as he tries, Arthur Fleck can’t catch a break. In a sense, it’s society that has created Joker, and they will reap the consequences.

You can’t help but see some of the parallels in the themes of the film to our society today. Divisiveness is rampant, maybe not to the extremes in Joker, but the commentary is clear. Arthur Fleck’s journey is for sure a tragic one, and although you tend to root for him fighting back against the vile people of the city who choose to continually break him, the film makes you take a look at your own values, questioning your own morals. Should you be rooting for Arthur Fleck? Are his actions justifiable? He is clearly not a well man and though he may have acted in self defense in the beginning of the film, that empowerment drives him further and further into a darker place. I don’t believe the film glorifies anarchy and violence, but these are the questions one must ask themselves when watching the film.

Joaquin Phoenix joins the ranks of some brilliant performances of the character Joker. His transformation into this character is amazing and chilling, with not only the extreme amount of weight he lost turning him into skin and bone, but his actual performance, haunting laugh, and downward spiral he takes. Some of the choices the writers made in order to explain some of his mannerisms were really interesting, bringing a more down-to-Earth approach to the character that was a refreshing change of pace than simply falling into a vat of toxic chemicals. It’s Phoenix’s ability to portray these mental characteristics so brilliantly that makes the character so powerful and his performance stand out. It also helps that the previous Joker (Jared Leto) was pretty abysmal, and anything compared to that would surely be cinematic gold. Sorry Jared. While I didn’t think Todd Phillips would be the director I would immediately think of for a film like this, he proves himself to be able to capture some of the most unnerving and dark sequences that I’ve seen in a comic book film. It’s exciting to see him branch out from comedy and I’m anxious to see where it will lead to next.

What’s most interesting about this film is where it stands in the DC universe. According to the filmmakers, the focus of DC isn’t about connecting all the films together, but to create stand-alone character-driven films such as this. While it may not be likely we will see Joaquin Phoenix face off against another emerging Batman (Robert Pattinson), we still could potentially see this character again in another one of his own films. You’ve really got to respect DC for going this route and changing their game, because it’s working.

Video

Joker is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 1.85:1. The transfer looks great, with no defects. The film itself has a unique look to it that makes it look a bit dated, with colors muted just a bit. Still, you’re able to see a great balance in color, especially those vibrant ones that make up his various costumes and makeup. The darker sequences are done really well, with a nice usage of light and shadow to evoke a creepy, dark and depressing feel.

Audio

The audio is presented in Dolby Atmos and sounds fantastic. The film really is a character-driven piece, and the majority of the sound comes through as dialogue from the center channel. This maintains a good balance with the surrounds in which you’ll hear some great atmospheric effects, screaming, rioting, and also the haunting soundtrack that fits the film perfectly.

Special Features

There is a nice list of extras, although mostly brief, that gives some looks behind the scenes. These include:

• Becoming Joker
• Joker: Vision & Fury
• Please Welcome… Joker!
• Joker: A Chronicle of Chaos

If Joker is any indication of the future of DC, they are finally in good hands with a solid direction moving forward. The film itself is unnerving and tragic, almost like a wreck you can’t look away from. This dark character-study of one of DC’s most notable villains is superbly entertaining and worth its place among one of the better films of 2019.