Superb. Serious USA cinema is back!

Rating: 10/10 (20 January 2020)

Joker: Brilliant. Mesmerising. 10/10 Brecht & Havel would be pleased. A satire on the stand-up insanity, Marvel movie dross, TV comedy hosts on late night tv, corrupt America, the contributions of Robin Williams, Jim Carey & Charlie Chaplin to civilisation, with references to Taxi Driver, Midnight Cowboy & Network. Serious film representing good theatre and writing is back....I hope. Phoenix is superb. I did not want to take my eyes off him in case I missed a facial twitch or expression. He builds on Heath Ledger's Joker and takes it to the stratosphere and beyond. It will be too close to home for a lot of Americans who don't want to face up to obscene wealth, homelessness, mental illness, poor medical cover and gun insanity. But see it.....it's marvellous! Ha hah haaaaah! Hah haaaaaa!