A Unforgettable, Profound, Deeply Moving Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (19 October 2019)

This movie was simply beautiful, a masterpiece for all time. I think the reason why so many of us feel pity and - yes - sympathy for Arthur is because to one extent or another we have all experienced tragic moments and sorrow like he has, but we were able to pull out of our dark moments. Unfortunately, he never did.
It is a truly realistic portrayal of how a cruel society can send essentially good person into the darkest depths of madness. The movie will not once let your mind drift into distraction as it is mesmerizing and fascinating from the very beginning to the very last moment. Despite the violence, you cannot help but feel for Arthur Fleck - Joaquin Phoenix's character - and may actually root for him, cheering him on in the hope that somehow everything will eventually lead to some form of happy ending for him. You'll have to see the movie to find out if it does.
As for the movie reviews, some have been entirely unfair and biased for some strange reason I cannot fathom. One critic from a well known New York publication (btw, I'm from NY, too) criticized it for not being "fun," which makes it absolutely clear that guy has no idea what this movie is about and should probably dedicate himself to something else. If someone is out to see a "fun" movie, this masterpiece is not for you. As someone said in another review below, other movies are like going to eat a hamburger; this is more like a $1,000 steak. Fortunately, the success of movies by and large do not depend on film critics but rather on the general public and what we think about them.
Regarding the references to Heath Ledger, with all due respect, it's like comparing apples and oranges. I saw his performance, and it was decent for entertainment purposes. But Joaquin Phoenix's performance is simply breathtaking and perhaps unlike anything ever seen before in movie history; Joaquin Phoenix descends into actual madness before our very eyes. He takes us an a journey through the human mind, with moments of light and moments of sad and disconcerting darkness, all while winning over the audience and getting it on his side. It's a depiction of life that we can all relate to in one way or another, which is why his performance is so unique.
In terms of movie directing, Todd Phillips needs to be given credit, as he should be for offering us such a masterpiece. I'm sure it will mark and change his directing career.
Finally, this is a movie I will see again, and again, and again to the end of my days. My former favorite movie of all time was Planet of the Apes (1968) because it had a deep message about the world and society, one I could relate to even though I was born years later. I think 'Joker' will replace it because it has touched me so deeply. I will simply say it had such an impact on me that I couldn't help but get emotional more than once.