IMDb plot summary: In Gotham City, mentally troubled comedian Arthur Fleck is disregarded and mistreated by society. He then embarks on a downward spiral of revolution and bloody crime. This path brings him face-to-face with his alter-ego: the Joker.
Directed by Todd Phillips. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, and Frances Conroy.
Gotham is certainly not a far cry from any US city in how unforgiving it is for those in need, and it's clear that the film is trying to make something of a statement about modern-day treatment of mental health issues. It's a compelling watch, and Joaquin Phoenix is mesmerizing, so overall I think it is a pretty good movie... However, it does still fall at least somewhat into the trap that made me want to not see the movie in the first place, in that Joker is so beloved and compelling a character that this film inevitably glamorizes him and his message of "Those who have wronged me get what they deserve and I cannot be blamed for wreaking vengeance on them." I wish this story had been told without invoking this character. Nothing in the narrative demands a comic book back story. And I think I would have liked it much better had it not come with the baggage Joker carries with him.
How it entered my Flickchart:
Joker > Letters from Iwo Jima
Joker < My Name Is Joe
Joker > Phone Booth
Joker < The Polka King
Joker < Inherit the Wind
Joker < The Impossible
Joker > Poltergeist
Joker < The Thin Man
Joker > Starship Troopers
Joker > Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie
Joker > Battle Royale
Joker > Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India
Final spot: #1189 out of 3273, or 64%.
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