Different and sometimes difficult take on the villain's origin

Rating: 7/10 (4 October 2019)

'Joker' is definitely not a comic book film - don't expect Batman, any good guy/bad guy battles, CGI or falling into a vat of chemicals. This film is 100% focused on Arthur (Phoenix)'s transformation from misunderstood clown and comedian into the psychopathic killer that is the Joker. The only Batman connections are via Thomas Wayne (Cullen), two scenes with ~10-year-old Bruce Wayne (Pereira-Olson) and a few mentions of Gotham.
Phoenix is the fourth live-action film Joker, with each seeming to be of their time. This is the opposite of Nicholson's Joker and an extension of Ledger's Joker. The difference is that both Nicholson & Ledger only had ~30min of screen time, whereas Phoenix is in almost every second of this film's 2 hours - and is mesmerising throughout. Especially his weight loss and how his ribs show, and how he uses that awkwardness in his dancing and movements.
It looks great, the score and soundtrack are solid. It's not overly violent until the final 25min and Arthur/Joker's doesn't always make sense, which is the point. It's a bit slow in parts and doesn't fully utilise De Niro (a Letterman-like TV host). The coughing Phoenix does looks physically painful, but is a bit too convenient as a plot point. Does a great job of being the outcast though.