I was genuinely moved by “Joker”. This is a film that deeply examines the issues of mental illness, violence and society with brutal realism. Though I wouldn’t go as far as to say that this is an incredibly violent film, not at all in-fact. This is instead a rare film that understands violence and more importantly what incites it. It brings up horrifying questions about how we neglect those around us, the part society plays in creating its enemies, and the effects of childhood abuse and trauma. That it’s also a film packaged to represent a supervillain is fitting, to say the least. “Joker” is one of the best origin stories I have ever seen for a comic book character, it digs deep into his mind and presents us with an appalling array of images that allows us to not only better understand the character but also brings up interesting similarities with his nemesis, the Batman.

Moreover, there aren’t any elements in this film that suggest anything superhuman, this isn’t a world that seems very far from our own, and it doesn’t have much action or really any of the things you would expect to see in a comic book film. Instead, “Joker” chooses to deals with extremely human issues and doesn’t shy away from asking tough questions or giving risky answers, which I absolutely loved.

Comic book movies have always had the ability to be so much more than just formulaic entertainers, “Logan” and “Spiderman 2” are just some of the films that have broken the mold, choosing to go deeper into their characters and their troubles than expected. “Joker” falls among the deepest examination of a comic book character I have seen so far, and the main reason why it works so well is Joaquin Phoenix; he is downright excellent here in another career defining role. Phoenix acts with his entire body, contorting his skeleton shape in unnatural and disturbing ways, but there is also a certain fragility in the way he moves that reminds you of his innocence. It’s the juxtaposition of these two sides that gives a lot of tension to what is happening and what will happen, almost like a chick hatching out of its shell. Phoenix plays Arthur Fleck with a kind of vulnerability that at first makes you feel bad for him, and watching him transform into the confident and nothing to loose supervillain that he would come to be known for is exuberant and horrifying. Phoenix really pulls this off perfectly.

There were times where I genuinely sympathized with Arthur for the way he was being treated, the way he was being outcast because he was different or weird, and made fun-of for a medical condition he could not control. But there is a fear and disgust that slowly creeps up on you as you begin to see the monster take shape, as you see him dance and revel in his murders. There is a scene near the end of the film where you can slowly see Arthur stand-up for himself, turning from the innocent beaten down clown to someone who fully realizes what impact he can have on a world which he feels has neglected him for so long. It’s a fantastic scene that sent goosebumps down my spine. And it’s one of those moments, where afterwards, you fully realize the extent of the supervillain born. It’s one of the things that this film does so well, you get him.

I also really enjoyed the relationship built up between Fleck, his mother and the talk show host, Murray Franklin. Todd Phillips really plays with these characters extremely well, taking time to build up their meaning to Fleck which amplifies the significance of their later actions. This is a film that takes its time with the characters, a lot of the film is Arthur going through his daily routine, trying to fit in and getting beaten down. There are times where his laughing and the world bearing down on him gets exhausting, but that becomes the point.

The movie also takes a lot of risks presenting us a character like this, one with mental illness and childhood trauma, who eventually transforms into a vigilante taking it out on society. Though this film is not extremely violent, there are even current films which harbor more violence than “Joker”, but it has a certain violence that is very different from what we normally see. It is extremely easy to associate this film, or its main subject, with mass shooters or other violent criminals, and it is even easier to say that this film will inspire such acts. However, there is a fine line between watching a movie and actually doing the things that you see in the movie. Furthermore, what this film makes abundantly clear is that Arthur was someone with deep traumatic issues, a troubled individual whose only outlet to a therapist and medication was taken away. This is not a film that inspires violence by any means, but one that can tell you a lot about how it can happen.

This is also a film that takes a lot of inspiration from Scorsese and Kubrick films, there are scenes that are almost directly pulled from “Taxi Driver”, and the opening shots reminded me very much of “A Clockwork Orange”. I have also heard that this film takes inspiration from Scorsese’s “King of Comedy”, which I have not seen, but I can imagine the similarities from what I know. I don’t particularly mind a film taking inspiration from others, but when a film is doing it this much, it begins to bother me a little. It doesn’t particularly detract from the overall experience, but I wish the film did its copying a little better because at times it felt like I was watching something I had already seen.

Furthermore, Arthur is given a love interest in this film which didn’t really work for me. It seemed quite odd and unbelievable, and wasn’t that well explored, I wish there wasn’t as much of that relationship as there was. And I also wasn’t particularly a fan of the way the film ended. The final scene was also odd and in a way undermined what we had seen Arthur go through but inevitably set up the image of the ruthless villain that he is.

For what it is though, “Joker” is an excellent film that genuinely pushes the boundaries of what comic book films are capable of. Todd Phillips really blew my expectations, we’re talking about the guy who made the three hangover movies, “Road Trip”, and now this. Who would’ve expected that? Nevertheless, I left the theater haunted with it’s images, with the sense that I had truly seen the birth of a mad supervillain.