A movie that gives complete justice to the origin story of one of the most iconic comic villain and arch nemesis of Batman

Rating: 9/10 (8 October 2019)

The movie is piece of art, for anyone who is a fan of The Killing Joke (considered as the greatest Joker story ever made), will get the intensity, the masterstroke of character building to the intense gloom to the pervasive air of melancholia throughout, much as the character himself which is a feat worthy of a great cinematic experience and a great vision by director Todd Phillip. The movie is heavily inspired by the macabre theme from The Killing Joke to A Clockwork Orange or The King of Comedy. It is not for everyone's palate, if you can take away gruesome violence and depression on screen as a work of art rather than an expression of reality, then this film works for you.
The character of Arthur Fleck aka The Joker, played to sheer brilliance by Joaquin Phoenix, from his maniacal laughter evoked as a reaction to his inner anxieties which he initially mentions as a neurological disorder but later realizes it has always been a natural part of him, to his rage while killing to his dance of joy is a treat to watch albeit uneasy for some, that is the victory of a great actor. Arthur Fleck has no method to his madness but his transformation from a person suffering from state of endogenous depression living with his deranged mother, being a victim of abuse since childhood and constant bullying to a person on vengeance in a moment of emotional breakdown leading to his killing spree and to the eventual anarchist spiral to becoming Gotham's greatest evil.
We also have Robert De Niro in small yet key role as a talk show host whose pivotal end marks the complete transformation of Arthur to The Joker.
The director feeds multiple fan theory on the Batman Joker half-brother angle, there is even a scene between Arthur and the child Bruce which may lay the foundation to their future encounters, there is also the oft repeated Batman Origin story scene of murder outside the Opera which has now been a given a new twist as to why it happened and how.
The movie is so beautifully shot from the jaded 70s feel to the retro lighting and the wonderful camera angles with a superb background score elevating intense scenes to another level.
As Joker remarks in The Killing Joke - "it only takes one bad experience to flip any good person". Hahahahahahhehehehehe........