Oscar worthy!!

Rating: 10/10 (2 November 2019)

Joaquin Phoenix should win BEST ACTOR in the next round of awards for this astounding performance! The movie was incredibly well written. It really should be considered a wake up call to the sadly deficient resources available to people with mental illnesses as well as those scraping by to make ends meet. There are so many social parallels in this movie in relation to some of our current social concerns. And to all those who think this movie condones violence, think again. There are millions of real-life, hurting individuals out there who just want to be treated decently, if not loved. Some find help in a crisis, some don't, but most need consistent help because mental illness doesn't just go away. Many people with mental illnesses are treated like this Joker although the movie took it to the extreme. And, believe it or not, a lot of real-life people try so hard to fit in with an ignorant and arrogant society even though their first thoughts tend toward violence, but they use what willpower they have not to act on it. AND of those people, some SNAP because it is so freaking hard to live amongst people who look down their noses at them. So, instead of assuming everyone knows better and should act normal, the next time you witness strange behavior, don't cast dirty looks or giggle or whisper to the person next to you. That kind of behavior is more damaging than violence.
If you happen to make eye contact, smile kindly like you would to anyone else. A simple smile may be all it takes to warm that person's heart for a little while or change their mind about suicide or hurting somebody. But if you don't care about any of that, Joker still is a terrific movie that also honors Heath Ledger's memory with some of the "Ledger-like" antics the character uses.