Joaquin Phoenix sure to get Best Actor Oscar nomination for this

Rating: 9/10 (21 October 2019)

"Joker" (2019 release; 122 min.) brings the origin story of Joker. As the movie opens, we are in Gotham City in the early 80s (late in the movie we see that "Zorro the Gay Blade" is playing in theaters). A guy named Arthur is working various gigs as a clown (driving foot traffic for stores, visiting children at the hospital). One day he is savagely beaten by a group of young thugs. Arthur is shaking up badly. Meanwhile he pursues his dream of becoming a stand-up comedian, but things aren't going very well with that either... At this point we are 15 min. into the movie but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.
Couple of comments: this is the latest movie from director Todd Phillips, best known for "The Hangover" franchise. Here he goes a very different direction, bringing us the origin story of the famed Joker character in the DC Comics universe. Joker has been portrayed many times before (including Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger), but it typically came across like an over-the-top, caricature-like performance. Not so with Joaquin Phoenix. Here we truly get to understand the person that became Joker. Joaquin Phoenix is utterly brilliant, and I have zero doubt that he will pick up a Best Actor Oscar nomination (and many other accolades) for this. The script brilliantly reflects the chaos that existed in New York/Gotham in the late 70s/early 80s (garbage strike, super rats, etc.). Please note that this film is MILES away from your typical "super hero" movie a la Avengers. For one, almost no CGI to speak of. Instead this is a dark, brooding and intense psychological thriller and character study. It is for me one of the best surprises of the year, period.
"Joker" has been playing in theaters for weeks now, and I finally went to see it this weekend. The Sunday matinee screening where I saw this at in a large theater was very well attended, and that tells you about the staying power of this film. If you like your comic super hero movies dark and intense, I'd readily suggest you check this out, be it in the theater, on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.