Over the top - and then some

Rating: 8/10 (23 October 2019)

This movie reminded me of Kubrick's version of Stephen King's THE SHINING. It has the same sense of darkness enveloping the characters. But, like Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson), Arthur Fleck is manic - a maniac, really - from the start. The violence escalates (and how - I can't believe this movie got away with a 15 rating), but there's no real explanation of what made Arthur the way he is. Thanks to all the other movies in the Batman franchise, we know where the Joker is headed, but we need an 'origins' prequel to this one.
Robert de Niro, playing a talk-show host, brings a reminder of dark roles he has vividly brought to life. But Joaquin Phoenix's performance, like Heath Ledger's in 2008, is a tour-de-force: over the top, and then some.
A deeply disturbing movie. And worryingly likely to be seen as celebrating violence.