A Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (8 October 2019)

This film transcends its genre in a way I wasn't sure possible, and it is all credited to the understanding of the titular character by both the actor playing him, and the director directing him. I am an avid Joker fan. I read the comics, own many of the iconic graphic novels that center around him, and I can honestly say this is the character fully realized. I was honestly baffled by the level of character depth revealed, not just in the acting, but also in the direction. This movie is literally Arthur Fleck, aka Joker's, point of view; and the director and lead actor take you down the rabbit hole descent into madness in the best possible way. It's both incredibly original, and yet incredibly grounded and respectful of who the Joker is, and what we the fans have come to expect. The movie is not for everyone. It is not an action packed thrill ride. It's not an ultra violent theme park ride of sadism. It is a very realistic, psychologically in-depth character study thriller. It's slow burn tension, the tension being the character's descent into madness. I found myself on edge waiting for him to snap, and yet hoping that he would not. I did not expect that at all, and I can only praise the film more because of that. It creates depths I had not expected, nor had I imagined. Yet there they were! In short, Joker sits firmly next to The Dark Knight as a masterpiece of comic book filmmaking. They're the only two films that transcend the genre, and they both center around The Joker. Coincidence? I think not.