Dark, Savage Origin Story.

Rating: 9/10 (5 October 2019)

Joker: Gotham City is a grim place to live in, refuse collectors on strike, social services being cut back, widespread violent crime, a sharp divide between the rich and the poor. The Joker works as a clown at an agency where the clowns have to punch in on a time clock. He gets the worst gigs, beaten up by kids when he's advertising a closing down sale. Loses his psychiatrist and medication due to the cutbacks. He has to look after his crazed invalid mother who writes to billionaire Thomas Wayne begging for help as she worked for him decades ago. Then he loses his job. All of this pushes him to breaking point.
We have a killer clown pursuing his prey along subway trains and platforms. Long corridors in hospitals, apartment buildings, steep sets of steps. A city on the brink of class war. When three of his employees are slain by the Joker Wayne decides to run for mayor, on a 1% platform, calling the poor clowns. He gets his answer as mobs riot while wearing clown masks. They see the Joker as a hero. Some scenes of savage violence as the Jokers break from reality continues and his new villain persona emerges. Great scenes of hordes of clowns travelling by subway trains to protests and riots. Very much an adult version of the Joker with an outstanding performance by Joaquin Phoenix in the title role. Robert De Niro plays Murray Franklin a talk show host originally adored by the Joker. We get to meet Alfred and the young Bruce Wayne but this is the Joker's story. Writer, director and producer Todd Phillips delivers a dark origin tale which likely puts himself and Phoenix in the running for Oscars. 9/10.