Excruciatingly painful yet beautiful!

Rating: 9/10 (30 October 2019)

An origin's tale which does justice to one of the most iconic villains in cinematic history. A breathtaking performance by Phoenix brings a new perspective to the audience's perception of the Joker's enigmatic persona.
Led by Todd Phillips' sharp direction, the film portrays the tale on a very dark canvas in the backdrop of a Gotham city in hopeless turmoil. The film is punctuated by a negative vibe throughout, courtesy of the dark tones, the filthy alleyways, graffiti-filled walls of Gotham city and Fleck's sombre mindset.
Phillips is able to carefully thread through the scenes to show the birth and evolution of this "mentally-ill loner" who is knocked down time and again by the city's fragile societal structure as well as discoveries about his disturbed past. In the process, he gives us a powerful insight into his mind and how it breaks down beyond repair, probably epitomised by the moment when he murders his own beloved mother.
A mind-boggling watch overall, which is excruciatingly painful yet beautiful at the same time, with the laughter "condition" acting as a perfect foil to this legendary character.