The most grounded portrayal of the Clown Prince of Crime, and a phenomenal performance by the great Joaquin Pheonix

Rating: 9/10 (5 October 2019)

Joker is the most grounded take on a comic book supervillain. With Joaquin Phoenix playing the titular character, I was completely absorbed into the story. Phoenix's Arthur Fleck, who would eventually become the Joker, is a struggling, mentally ill individual who meets constant bullying, and backstabbing. Gotham City, as portrayed in this movie is cold, and decaying. The people are not innocent victims as usually portrayed in other comic book movies. The tone of the movie is very dark, though the visuals is not. Phoenix is able to make his character sympathetic, and while he commits brutal acts of violence, the audience can understand where he is coming from. Phoenix carries the movie completely. None of his scenes are boring, and we see him a lot. Even his physique, frail and contort is like a physical manifestation of his mental state. From start to finish, Phoenix's Arthur Fleck endures physical and mental beatings. It can be seen how a person in need like him is abandoned by society, and nudges him to the dark side. When he commits his first crime and descends into madness, it feels natural. The movie itself does not condone violence, it only shows how violence is ever present, and the social tension was already brimming before it reached a boiling point. While the first question about Joker would be if his performance could compare to Heath Ledger's performance, I would say Phoenix's interpretation is no doubt very impactful and memorable. It feels like a fitting origin story to the Joker. Here, the Joker is no less menacing than Ledger's but only more grounded, more sympathetic, and we actually get to understand what is going on in his head. I highly recommend this movie for any cinema fans. Joaquin Phoenix's performance alone is worth the admission price, and that is not to mean that everything else is not good. The score was perfect, the cinematography, and performances of other actors were great too. My favorite performance was Brett Cullen's Thomas Wayne. The scene where Arthur Fleck meets Thomas Wayne is one of the greatest scenes in the film, and a pivotal moment too. It is great that Thomas Wayne plays an important role in the movie, and that there are no superheroes to save the day. I highly recommend this movie, but if you are expecting comic book action like in a Marvel movie, don't bother. This is a serious cinema piece featuring a comic supervillain. I guess DC movies have found their niche.