If you don't know by now, this movie is Oscar material if ever there was one.

Rating: 9/10 (1 December 2019)

Of the thousands of reviews already published, usually the sign that there's something worthy of the attention, here is what you need to know. It's dark, it barely has any ties to the DC Comics franchise but for a minor scene with character young Bruce Wayne, there are no big special effects nor elaborate action scenes; that's it for the "not in this movie". What it does have is great character development, a storyline you'd find in any great tragedy novel, opera, play and of course movie, and superb acting for the lead character, Arthur Fleck, played by Joaquin Phoenix.
I try not to copy from my web friend's reviews, but sometimes it's hard not to use his observations when I share them; indeed David Ferguson (ferguson-6) is my 'goto' review source as he is a reviewer extraordinaire. In Joker's case he mentions, as did another friend and movie aficionado did, that the co-writer and director Todd Phillips surprised us with this movie, in that his previous work would not lead us to expect what he delivered here. Way to go Todd!
I won't repeat or mention the storyline, you probably have read it and should (use ferguson-6 review storyline); it could easily fit as prequel to "The Dark Knight", the movie which garnered the 2009 best supporting actor win for Heath Ledger in his role as the Joker. As fine, okay 'great', as Ledger's performance was, Phoenix' is not a bit less than great too. Joaquin Phoenix has earned two Oscar nominations already in the past, for best actor and one for best supporting actor and it's time he gets the win because he deserves it. The Joker conveys well where his darkness comes from, and Phoenix is very believable in a character that barely is when you relate it to your own life; it's what I mean by him deserving an Oscar for that performance.
I usually pay attention to the OST (original soundtrack) and when I listened to the last track as I watched the closing scene, I couldn't help my self and went ""Wow!"