Wow. Just... wow.

Rating: 9/10 (6 October 2019)

'Joker (2019)' is one of the most intense and disturbing films I've seen in a long time. It really is surprisingly fantastic, an unsettling and complex character-study that's as uncompromising as it is gripping. Inspiration was clearly taken from 'The King Of Comedy (1982)' and, to a lesser degree, 'Taxi Driver (1976)', but this isn't just a cut-and-paste copy. It's very much its own beast, as much a horror movie as it is a comic-book one. Don't let Phillips fool you, by the way, this certainly is a comic-book movie. It's a phenomenal comic-book movie that blows almost all others out of the water, but a comic-book movie nonetheless. It takes inspiration from several well-known storylines and has a firm grasp on both its titular character and all the other classic Gotham elements, much more so than one might expect given the marketing. None of this is meant as a slight, just an exploration of the fact that comic-book movies are "real" movies. Here, we have a probable career-best performance from Phoenix, who's often frightening even when sitting still, and a definite career-best directorial effort from Phillips, who seems to have elevated himself far beyond the generally well-regarded 'The Hangover (2009)'. The whole thing is just so well-made, clearly crafted with absolute clarity of vision from the very beginning. The screenplay is great, the cinematography is gorgeous and the musical score is outright masterful. The flick works so well because it doesn't pretend there are 'heroes and villains'. You don't really identify with the protagonist, you pity him. You want him to be okay, to find a way out of his inevitably dark situation, but certainly aren't cheering along with him when things eventually get even worse. There's no 'good guy', just a guy. He undergoes some serious trauma and, often, the piece elicits a strong emotional response when this happens. Yet, when he decides to deal with it in a criminal way, you're never 'on his side'. Instead, you just watch in shock and horror, glued to the edge of your seat. Indeed, the violence here is some of the most impactful I've seen, each moment punching you straight in the gut. It's not fun, it's horrible and that's how it should be. There's no doubt that this is an amazing feature. It's absolutely gripping and I can't stress that enough. It gets under your skin and wriggles around, as interesting to reflect on as it is to watch. It's not exactly 'nice' but it's not supposed to be. It's brave, realistic stuff that's easily up there, right at the top, as one of the best of the year. As a footnote, I just can't believe how well they incorporated the Joker's classic laugh into a piece as grounded as this; it's chilling, tragic and integral to the character, yet still as over-the-top as you'd think (though, you might not realise it when it happens). Honestly, I still can't quite comprehend how good this whole affair is. It's simply divine. 9/10