WRONG CONTEXT

Rating: 6/10 (3 October 2019)

This is a good movie. Dark, tragic and brooding. So many excellent aspects to it. Great acting, sets, costumes. Fantastic score.
But...
The context is that this is The Joker of Batman Nemeses notoriety. The film just doesn't fit. Arthur is a truly sad and tragic, disturbed and intellectually challenged character. His back story is deeply disturbing and one cannot help but feel sympathy if not empathy. The REAL Joker is not a sad victim. He is a malevolent, intelligent maniac. Not someone you have an ounce of sympathy for.
I think this movie fails because of this context. If it was purely a study into the psychological development of a sociopath I think it would be excellent. Sadly it is not. It is the origin story of a comic book baddie. Nothing comic book baddie about this miserable human.
There are a few other issues I had with it, there primary one being that he is incapable of coherent speech and social interaction throughout the movie but he suddenly is able to produce a powerful monologue on set in front of a live audience and in front of TV cameras and his former idol. I understand that his confidence grows the less he has to lose but I found this jarring and dissonant.
I also found his fantasy relationship silly and then overly "explained".
That aside, Joachim is phenomenal!! A one man tour de force. Truly believable if not relatable.
This is a must see for his performance but I think Batman fans will be disappointed.