We have reached the limit of madness

Rating: 9/10 (16 February 2020)

The Joker is Batman's arch nemesis. "Joker" is a dark study of an unhinged personality, Arthur Fleck, and his devolution into the Joker without any mention of Batman as Bruce Wayne is still too young. When Jack Nicholson played the Joker in the original "Batman" in 1989 it was pure comical, later Heath Ledger upped the ante in "The Dark Knight" in 2008 by fusing in it more maniacal and intimidating energy and received an Oscar posthumously, but when Joaquin Phoenix plays the Joker he creates a universe of mayhem and hopelessness and draws you into his downward spiral journey. Truly, an Oscar worthy performance. Raising the bar further looks difficult as I think we have reached the limit of madness.