First time in a long time that I left the theater not knowing exactly how I felt about a movie.
On one hand, Phoenix was of course amazing, the cinematography was phenomenal, and the seedy '80s Gotham vibe/production design was spot on and incredibly effective. I loved Phoenix's performance and I loved this world. But on the other hand... it was kind of a boring movie until the end? It was more tame than I expected, save for a couple bursts of violence here and there (along with the ending), but also not quite interesting or unique enough to be the Taxi Driver-esque character study it was aiming for. I definitely agree that it doesn't have a whole lot to say, as it wasn't nearly as provocative as it thinks it is. And while I don't really want to go down this road, it's definitely not as objective as Phillips and Phoenix claim it is, either.
That said, I don't know that I'd change much. It was an incredibly solid movie that I wish was like 20% better, and while I usually know exactly what I'd do differently, I'm at a loss here. I just know that it mostly worked for me, but by the end I was a bit underwhelmed and it didn't really feel like a version of the Joker that will ever go on to take on Batman.
As for spoilers...
- I can't stand "viral" videos in movies as a plot device. They're NEVER as funny or as viral-worthy as they're made out to be, and the Murray Franklin/comedy club tape thing was basically the '80s version of a viral video, but in no way warranted the reaction it got from Murray or the calls that apparently kept coming in about it. I thought that whole plot device was forced and weak.
- All the stuff with Zeze Beats felt pretty pointless. In order for her to be a figment of his imagination (for the most part), she had to basically be a nothing character, and while I enjoy Zeze Beats in general, I could have done without that entire thread. She was completely wasted.
- Phoenix debuting the Joker on national TV - and coming out on stage like that - was incredibly captivating. Again, I just wish it wasn't under such contrived circumstances. As good as it was, it made that whole sequence feel a bit off for me. It also hit me about halfway through that scene that *this* was the climax, when, going into it, it felt it was going to be the scene *before* the climax/third act, whatever that may be. Then again, nothing else had been built up for a bigger third act/climax, obviously, which only added to the frustration.
- I cannot believe that even in a Joker origin movie we had to watch the Waynes be murdered once again, and yet... it actually kind of worked? I was pleasantly surprised that they found a middle ground where the Joker isn't the one to pull the trigger, but still the one who is ultimately responsible. That was a nice little twist I didn't see coming. Going through those motions for umpteenth time, I wanted to roll my eyes but ultimately couldn't. That entire sequence at the very end - with the cop car wreck, the Joker standing on the hood being celebrated, and the Wayne murders - worked really, really well. It was a little *too* celebratory for my taste, but certainly made for an effective ending.
Overall, I still think a Joker origin story can work, but again, I don't know that I'd buy or fear this iteration of the Joker in a sequel (which isn't happening, for the record), having now seen what we saw. Ledger's Joker is still infinitely more disturbing/scary in that regard. But I'm glad this got made and I hope it's successful because I absolutely want to see WB/DC take more chances like this.
