The Joker didn't die with Heath Ledger. The clown prince of crime gets the perfect origin story - BRILLIANT!!!

Rating: 9/10 (4 October 2019)

Classic cinema trope has always glorified heroes, and while there have been a few memorable characters we've loved from the "bad" side, the JOKER has earned much more than any of that - the character, despite doing things that should meet universal disdain, is respected. And given his appearance and name that literally exudes humour, this character is a beautiful, or rather, genius irony.
'The Dark Knight' made me look at him in awe and reverence, and when I heard this enigma was finally getting an origin story, I was getting what I wanted. The Joker, after all, is an ordinary human, and what could've possibly gone wrong with a man that turned him into a brilliant chaotist - one who could bring down the likes of Batman himself.
Joaquin Phoenix has convinced me that the Joker didn't die with Heath Ledger. I mean, the actor has carried the film on his shoulders with such conviction. The laughter, the swag, the creepiness, the taunting tease - everything. It's hard not to have any admiration for what he's done.
And the way his journey has been portrayed is definitely satisfying. He's the hero of his own story. One cannot avoid feeling for the poor man - and the cruelties he has to endure. For someone already battling medical issues, his sanity gets its final push when he learns about his mother and his actual childhood, that's when he loses it.
His walk to the elevator in his full costume to attend his TV show, with the background music playing, is probably the most kickass scenes of all - when his entry finally arrives. The theatre erupted in screams and howls. And what happens at the show comes definitely as a shocker, though I was expecting something. The crowd redeems him from the cops and he stands atop a cop car, carving that smile on his face with the blood in his mouth. That scene...wheww!!
Finally, the director. Todd Philips has given me my all-time favourite comedy gems like "the road trip" and "the Hangover series". His command on making comedy films is impeccable. So when I saw his name as the director - I was really surprised. Not that he isn't talented, but it's just that one wouldn't expect a movie of this type from him. And all I can say after watching it is....the man is definitely a genius - a versatile one at that. He has paid homage to another of my favourite gems, from Martin Scorsese - "The Taxi driver". And to borrow the line of daily living and thinking of the taxi driver for the Joker was pretty much justified.