I Was So Overwhelmed by Joaquin Phoenix's Awesome Performance, I Wanted a Cigarette and I Don't Smoke!

Rating: 10/10 (4 October 2019)

Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is absolutely great as a man society ignores and when people pay attention to him, they beat the living hell out of him! Arthur is a frustrated wanna be clown-comedian who has a neurological disorder that makes him laugh like crazy. I think the laughs cover the tears he cries. He is on 7 different meds and has to care for his bipolar mother, Penny (Frances Conway). I quote a little from "Cellophane Man" song from "Chicago"- people walk by Arthur and look right through him like he isn't there. In a way, I thought of John C. Reilly putting on white pancake in "Chicago" when Arthur was putting his pancake on. Amos Hart and Arthu Fleck are ignored and mistreated by people and you can see their pain.
All of Arthur's frustrations come to a head when he and a woman are bullied by 3 drunk morons who work for Thomas Wayne, a wealthy man Penny worked for 30 years ago. These fools beat up Arthur on the subway and make fun of the clown costume he wears after he entertains sick kids at the hospital. Arthur shoots them with a gun he accidentally dropped at the hospital. Thomas Wayne is disturbed by the killings and wants to be mayor and clean up Gotham. Penny writes to him constantly about her and Arthur's living situation and writing about Arthur being Thomas's son. If so, the Joker and future Batman aka young Bruce Wayne are brothers.
Unfortunately for Arthur, Thomas tells him he is not his father and Penny was mentally ill and adopted Arthur as a little boy. Her boyfriend abused little Arthur. Arthur smothers his hospitalized mother with a pillow and that is when Arthur dies and he becomes the Joker.
In the middle of all this carnage, Arthur is invited to be on his idol Murray Franklin's (Robert Deniro) talk show only to be humiliated by the man. Murray shows his audience Arthur bombing out at a comedy show on a recording. Murray thinks the young man with the clown makeup will entertain everyone, but Arthur reveals what he did on the subway. He shoots Murray and takes off. There is anarchy on the streets of Gotham and the protesters in clown masks see the Joker as their leader.
This exciting, rather gory movie is really about the Joker with the creation of Batman as an afterthought. Joaquin really stretched his acting ability to the limit and his performance overwhelmed me to the point I wanted to smoke a cigarette to calm down! I called down without smoking but it takes a great actor to overwhelm people with a oerformance!