Joaquin Phoenix, thy name is Joker

Rating: 8/10 (23 April 2020)

O. M. G. Joaquin Phoenix, thy name is Joker. The clothes, the make-up, the mannerisms, the mad dancing, the laughter. I never thought it possible to top Heath Ledger's brilliant portrayal of Joker, but Joaquin Phoenix did it. Perhaps it's not fair to make the comparison, but there it is. Joaquin in full bore Joker mode BECAME the Joker. And it was a brilliant touch to attribute his uncontrollable laughter to an actual disorder: the pseudobulbar affect.
I won't belabor. The script, the supporting cast, the musical score, the this, the that, I don't even care. I'll leave that analysis to others. Suffice to say Joaquin Phoenix carried the day. He alone is worth the price of admission.
In a perfect world, this would be done up as a nice, tidy little trilogy.