Simply put: It's a MASTERPIECE

Rating: 10/10 (10 January 2020)

Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is an aspiring stand-up comedian, but a failing one. He is not funny and worst of all he is not respected. He needs to make some changes and he becomes Joker and then things turn around for him and now he can live with himself with renewed confidence.
I did not want to watch this movie, but I knew I had to. And guess what? I was more than ultimately surprised how good this movie is. Want character development? It's here in spades. I knew Joaquin Phoenix is a great actor, but in here he outdoes himself. I am more than impressed. This movie is not at all like I thought it would be. Well, that is until the ending................... And even then I accepted it. Go figure.
Here is what you need to know: Arthur has a laughing condition caused by brain injury or some neurological disorder; he will give out a card telling the person about this condition; he lives with his mother; his current job is a clown in children's hospitals; he is fired from that job and tries standup; his meds are terminated since the funding in the program he was in was cancelled; his grip on reality slips into a dark world loaded with violence; all Arthur wants is to be respected and accepted, but his anger trumps all that, and he ultimately becomes the Joker. Could Batman be far behind?
He learns the truth about his mother and her attempts to contact Thomas Wayne (Bret Cullen), who Arthur believes is his father. His mother, Penny (Frances Conroy) worked for Thomas Wayne back in the day. Keep in mind that Bruce Wayne's (aka Batman) father was Thomas Wayne. Hey, this happens in Gotham. Got it?
Notables: Zazie Beetz as Sophie Drummon, a neighbor In a nearby apartment and it is not too clear how close she and Arthur were although they did go out together; Shea Whigham as Det Burke, who keeps trying to question Arthur for the shootings in the subway; Bill Camp as Det Garnity, Burke's partner; Robert DeNiro as Talk Show Host Murray Franklin, who is admired by Arthur and his mother.
We also must give a lot of credit to Todd Phillips who wrote and directed this movie. Kudos.
I will admit the ending surprised me. I had it going another way, but this way allows for BATMAN to come into play. (FYI: Batman is never mentioned in this story. Just so you know)
Although I told you some things about Arthur you must see how all this unfolds and you will be impressed as was I because the pacing is excellent. And it is here that you will see the most detailed progression in Arthur's character development. I have renewed respect for Joaquin Phoenix and no matter how good the other Best Actor Oscar Nominees are, Joaquin Phoenix will win hands down. Kudos, Kudos, and more Kudos. This is without any doubt a MASTERPIECE. (10/10)
Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Humor: No. Language: yes, but not too much until the end.
Rating: A