Not what you're expecting, but not in a good way

Rating: 7/10 (6 October 2019)

I've had this movie on my watchlist for a year and, as a fan of the comics, cartoons and movies, I couldn't wait to see it. But after seeing it, I was a bit disappointed.
What did I like about the movie:
*Great acting. Joaquin's performance is so good, it's a bit worrying...
*The style of filming fits perfectly with the story and manages to give you that feeling of mystery, sadness, cringing and chaos as you would expect in a movie about the Joker.
*There have been movies that absolutely nailed it when it comes to use of music/audio. Movies where the sound just perfectly compliments the scene. I can't say that that was the case here throughout the movie, but there were certainly some moments that were made unforgettable due to the good use of audio.
*the movie has a very powerful ending. I won't spoil it, but as a fan, it definitely put a smile on my face.
What I didn't like about the movie:
*there was one thing I really missed in this movie, and that was the truly dark side of the Joker. Although the movie has greatly managed to take a character of fiction and make him realistic, I believe it also took away the true villain. Throughout the movie I was on the edge of my seat, waiting for the moment that we would finally see the Joker become a truely dark and twisted man. No logic, just crazy evil and out of control. And for some brief moments, I think I caught a glimpse. But if only we got to see a bit more of that. The final transformation after which the connection with the character turns into something dark that no one could explain or relate to anymore. It was right there, but we didn't get to see it.
*there doesn't seem to be much connection with the Batman stories or characters. If you're making a movie about the Joker, you (in essence) need to set out how a man turns from zero to a confident psychotic manipulative criminal mastermind that is aimed at killing Batman and creating chaos in Gotham, because in the end, that is who the Joker is. In this movie however, the Arthur Fleck is (even in the end) a sick, weak, old, unstable, insecure and sometimes just depressing person, who unwillingly managed to create some chaos and seems to have no motivation for anything. That is not the Joker at his finest.
All in all, I would definitely recommend any fan to go see this movie. If you're not a fan, the movie might seem more like an intense, realistic and sad documentary of how a man goes mad... and you should only go see it if you're into that.