The character of ‘The Joker’ in the Batman Universe seems at this point to be almost a magnet for Oscars. First Heath Ledger won one, then Joaquin Phoenix. In between there was Jared Leto, doing… his… ahem, thing, with it. Now obviously Leto is a fine actor — just saw him in the Dellas Buyers Club and he was GREAT! — but this time, he really missed the mark. Spectacularly.
Was he going for gritty, was he trying to be edgy? What on earth was this supposed to be? There was a terrifying intensity in Ledger, a terrific realness to Joaquin Phoenix’ portrayal… and then there was Jared Leto looking like a comic character that had died in a ditch somewhere, brought to life with a maniacal desire to just, sort of, annoy everybody?
Oh look at me, people! I am so damaged! Don’t you all see, how damaged I am? I had a really rough childhood. I lick windows for fun! I lick knives! I do wicked, random things that make no sense but look kinda badass. Look at me!
Jared Leto went for the male version of Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, only Robbie was a woman in her twenties and he was a man in his forties playing the part. It didn’t work, didn’t suit him or the movie he was cast in. And yet he went all in. He tried his best. He just didn’t have that much great material to work with.
And then Joaquin Phoenix got the part, only he was teamed up with a great director doing it. And his version was pure art, and not some fourteen year old Goth girl’s fanfic brought to the silver screen… and that must sting like hell.