A study in human pain - masterful

Rating: 9/10 (7 October 2019)

The mastery behind this movie is that avoids any unnecessary storyline and focuses on the torment experienced by the key character, Arthur Fleck, aka "Joker". This is a study in human pain, as experienced by a wretchedly unlucky man who faces a life of utter misery in a world of banal, casual cruelty, inflicted as if absolutely normal. It is, to all intents and purposes, a film all about one man - the other characters are merely adjuncts. If this film has a fault, it is that it ends too suddenly, without an adequate climax, but the performance of Phoenix is completely masterful and mesmerising. If this doesn't win an Oscar I don't know what will.