I'll never listen to Frank Sinatra the same way again...

Rating: 10/10 (15 October 2019)

Joker is an outstanding character study. One of 2019's biggest surprises, pushing the boundaries of what you're comfortable with looking at. Not once did it seem like I was watching a comic book movie. It's a chilling and artful approach to the iconic villain that doesn't hold back on exploring mental illness and the lower class in a brutally raw and honest way. Even with its occasional touches on the Batman mythos, which flowed well with the story and didn't seemed forced at all, the focus is entirely on Arthur Fleck's turmoil and transformation into the Joker and Joaquin Phoenix delivers a richly disturbing performance to support that. The psychological twists to some story cliches were unexpected and refreshing, too. Amazing film. Not for the faint of heart. I'll never listen to Frank Sinatra the same way again.